Professor MSO in artistic and pedagogical development activities

At the Syddansk Conservatory of Music, a professorship with special duties (Professor MSO) within artistic and pedagogical development activities, with particular responsibility for the development of the conservatorium's knowledge base and institutional capacity in the field, is being advertised from March 1, 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

With the professorship, Syddansk Conservatorium of Music aims to strengthen a coherent development culture where artistic and pedagogical development activities not only unfold in isolated projects but contribute to the development of teaching, artistic and pedagogical practice, educational programs and the conservatorium's overall knowledge base.

The professorship will be a central educational and professional function. The professor's task is through professional leadership, teaching, supervision and collegial sparring to make the organization better able to initiate, qualify, carry out, document, share and apply artistic and pedagogical development activities.

The professor is expected to actively bring knowledge and experiences from relevant professional practice into the development of the area at SDMK. The position thus combines strong professional expertise with teaching and supervision, development of colleagues and professional environments, as well as strategic and institutional capacity building.

The position

The professor shall work across disciplines, programs and campuses and be a central professional resource for teachers, students and management.

The most important tasks are to

• exercise professional leadership in the field and contribute centrally to the development of Syddansk Musikkonservatorium’s strategy for knowledge production and the knowledge base of the programs, including artistic and pedagogical development activities and – where relevant – research
• contribute to concept and method development within artistic and pedagogical development activities and to the development of professional approaches to documentation, reflection and dissemination
• develop professional and organizational frameworks for artistic and pedagogical development activities
• strengthen professional environments, collaborations, peer-to-peer processes and knowledge sharing across the conservatorium
• qualify and spar with teachers about development projects, including project development, methods, documentation, reflection and dissemination
• support that experiences and results from development activities are shared and actively returned to teaching and the ongoing development of the educational programs
• contribute to quality assurance and development of common professional standards and approaches within artistic and pedagogical development activities
• teach in the conservatorium’s programs and supervise, in particular master's and soloist class students in connection with artistic and pedagogical development projects, including contributing to relevant methodological subjects
• contribute to the development of teaching forms and professional frameworks that support students’ work with development projects
• represent SDMK in relevant national and international professional contexts, including in the work with the joint KUV-school for the Ministry of Culture’s artistic educations.

The professorship shall thus contribute to building and anchoring structures, competences and professional communities that can strengthen Syddansk Conservatorium’s artistic and pedagogical development activities and the educational programs’ knowledge base in the longer term.

Qualifications

We are looking for a professor with a strong professional profile within artistic and/or pedagogical development activities and with an interest in bringing their own expertise into teaching, supervision, collegial development and institutional capacity building.

The applicant may have a conservatory education or another relevant artistic, pedagogical and/or research-based educational background. The decisive factor is the applicant’s overall professional profile and documented qualifications in relation to the professorate’s tasks.

A holistic assessment of the applicants’ qualifications is made, emphasizing that you

• have documented qualifications at a high level within a relevant artistic, pedagogical and/or research area
• have significant and documented experience with artistic and/or pedagogical development activities and a deep understanding of the importance of both areas for the knowledge base of artistic educations
• have strong teaching and supervision qualifications
• have experience with concept and method development and with documentation, reflection and dissemination of development activities
• have experience with developing professional environments, collaborations, projects and/or organizations
• can work strategically and create coherence between development activities, teaching, educational development and institutional knowledge base
• can qualify and develop others through professional sparring, supervision and collegial processes
• have strong collaboration and communication skills
• have a relevant national and international professional network.

We value a profile that combines high professionalism and own professional practice with the ability and desire to develop students, colleagues, professional environments and the organization as a whole.

The MSO professorship requires that the applicant be evaluated both at professorial level and in relation to the specific duties tied to the particular position.

Language

The primary teaching and administrative language at Syddansk Conservatorium of Music is Danish. Norwegian and Swedish are treated on par with Danish in this context. It is therefore expected that the professor can teach, supervise and actively participate in the conservatorium’s professional and institutional work in Danish, Norwegian or Swedish.

Applicants who do not, at the time of appointment, master one of these languages are expected to obtain Danish language skills within a period agreed upon at the time of appointment sufficient to perform the teaching and institutional tasks of the position.

Since the professorship additionally involves participation in international professional contexts and collaborations, good English skills in writing and speaking are required.

Application and assessment

Applications are to be sent via the conservatorium’s electronic application module and must include a motivated application, CV, documentation of education and employment, as well as relevant documentation of artistic activity, research and/or artistic and pedagogical development activities and for teaching and supervision qualifications.

Applicants are also asked to attach a statement of up to 2 pages with the heading

My vision for artistic and pedagogical development activities at Syddansk Conservatorium of Music – and for the development of the institution’s professional environment and capacity in the area.

The statement should address how the applicant’s own professional practice can be brought into teaching and supervision, development of professional environments and institutional capacity building. Appointment requires a professional assessment, evaluating the applicant both against professorial qualifications and against the position’s special duties. Qualified applicants may subsequently be invited to an interview and possibly a professional presentation and/or a practical test.

Salary and terms of appointment

The position is at a minimum 50% of full-time. The final appointment level will be agreed upon at the time of recruitment. The position is temporary for 5 years with the possibility of extension.

Appointment is made in accordance with the state agreements for academics and under the rules in the job structure for artistic/scientific staff at the music conservatories under the Ministry of Culture.

The position is filled under collective agreement terms and placed in salary band 37, with a salary of 663,459 DKK per year at full-time as of 1 August 2026. Salary is prorated according to the agreed appointment level. Pension contributions and any personal allowance are added.

The recruitment process follows the Ministry of Culture’s Regulation No. 1123 of 22 August 2018 on the appointment of artistic/scientific staff at certain educational institutions under the Ministry of Culture.

The current duty station is Syddansk Conservatorium of Music in Odense. Activities at the conservatorium’s campuses in both Odense and Esbjerg should be expected.

The appointment is desired from 1 March 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

About Syddansk Conservatorium of Music

Syddansk Conservatorium of Music is a higher artistic education institution under the Ministry of Culture with campuses in Odense and Esbjerg.

We educate musicians and music educators for a professional musical life in development. Artistic and pedagogical development activities are central elements of the educational programs’ knowledge base, which we seek to strengthen and further develop with the professorship.

The professorship should also contribute to a coherent development culture where artistic and pedagogical practice, teaching and systematic development activities enrich each other, and where new knowledge and new understandings are shared, discussed and actively applied in the education and across the organization.

For further information about the position, you are welcome to contact the Rector of Syddansk Conservatorium of Music, Claus Skjold Larsen, at [email protected] / tel. +45 63 11 99 00 or Vice-Rector Anne Seirup Nicolaisen at [email protected] / tel. +45 25 68 74 70.

Applications with a statement and documentation of education and previous employment must be received by Syddansk Conservatorium of Music no later than 1 December 2026. Interviews and possibly practical tests are expected to be held in the period mid-January – mid-February 2027.