Bravo! Vail Summer Internship Program
Are you looking for a unique opportunity to expand your skill set and advance your career in arts administration, non-profit management, development, marketing, or live audio engineering and recording? Do you work well in a fast-paced, high-energy, diverse, and rewarding environment? Then look no further, the Bravo! Vail Summer Internship Program could be the perfect fit for you.
Nestled in the heart of Colorado, the Bravo! Vail Music Festival brings world-renowned musicians to picturesque venues throughout the Vail Valley for six weeks each year, drawing music lovers from around the world. The only festival in North America to host four of the world’s finest orchestras in a single season, Bravo! Vail celebrates its 36th season from June 22 through August 3. The 2023 season features the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic, plus celebrated soloists and a wide array of stellar chamber music performances throughout the summer.
The Bravo! Vail Summer Internship Program is unsurpassed in its reputation of advancing interns into successful careers in arts administration, non-profit management, and beyond. Interns have gone on to work with world-class orchestras, performance venues, festivals, and community-based non-profit organizations. Bravo! Vail is seeking eight highly qualified interns (Education & Engagement, Institutional Advancement, Audio Engineering, and Operations) who aspire to develop their skill set, seek to network with successful professionals, and aren’t afraid to tackle big projects. As an intern at Bravo! Vail, you will work with a variety of our staff and engage in real projects that will not only help our festival but also build your resume and career opportunities. The ideal intern candidate is willing to jump in, works well in a team environment, and knows how to problem-solve in various situations.
Highlights of the Bravo! Vail Internship Program:
• Intern Enhancement Activities: Throughout the summer, interns participate in open forum meetings with successful professionals from Bravo! Vail, the resident orchestras’ administration, and members of the Bravo! Vail Board of Trustees to get an insider’s perspective on many aspects of arts administration.
- Diverse Projects: Interns work on all aspects of the Festival, including donor events, marketing initiatives, education programs, and operational components. This gives each intern a better perspective on which area they would like to pursue as a career.
- Access to concerts: Interns are encouraged to attend many Bravo! Vail performances.
- Details: The position begins Wednesday, June 14th, and ends Tuesday, August 8th, 2023 – the Education & Engagement Internship is an additional week, ending on Tuesday, August 15th. Please note that the internship requires long hours; work hours vary significantly and include weekends and evenings. You will receive a paid stipend, and shared housing will be provided. You are responsible for travel to and from Vail. Bravo! Vail requires you to bring your laptop, and you must have a vehicle. This internship requires the ability to be on your feet for extended periods of time and the capability to lift and carry heavy objects.
What We Require:
- The intern is responsible for transportation; some responsibilities require driving to locations within the valley.
- Full commitment to the Festival schedule
- Studies in Arts Administration, Marketing, Music Education, Non-profit Management, Live Audio Engineering, Hospitality, or relevant program
- Ability to work well in a team environment with a variety of people and personalities
- Strong communication skills
- Professional, enthusiastic, and positive attitude even in high-pressure situations
- Flexible in nature, especially under pressure
- Organized, with an ability to prioritize time-sensitive projects
- Ability to problem solve and take initiative
- Strongly prefer candidates who are seeking an internship for school credit
- Professional, enthusiastic, and positive attitude even in high-pressure situations.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
- Additional skills and experience may be required for an Institutional Advancement internship, including experience with and/or enthusiasm to learn new systems such as Tessitura, Google Analytics, and certain Adobe products as needed.
- Additional skills and experience may be required for the Audio Engineering internship, including familiarity with recording classical music and mixing for live sound and sound system setup and operation.
- COVID-19 vaccination and recommended boosters or a qualified exemption
Many of our former interns have gone on to successful careers in the arts thanks to the experiences they gained from the Bravo! Vail Summer Internship Program
“Deciding to intern with Bravo! Vail was, without a doubt, the biggest risk I have taken in my life so far. And I can’t even begin to describe how glad I am I decided to take the leap. This opportunity met and surpassed every one of my expectations. Not only did I get a hand in the inner workings of a music nonprofit organization, I met some of the most amazing people I’ve ever had the privilege to encounter. The bonds I formed with my fellow interns and the Bravo! Vail staff are relationships I plan to have for life. In addition, having the opportunity to combine my passion for music with my interest in working in the administration of nonprofit organizations made this an incredible learning experience. I had the opportunity to coordinate various projects, interact with donors and patrons, help put on events, work in a professional environment, and even turn pages for our piano fellows and artistic director. My summer with Bravo! Vail truly was the best summer of my life. I leave Vail feeling more confident in myself and more inspired to take risks and chase after my dreams. Saying goodbye to a place I have loved so deeply is hard, but saying goodbye to the people who made it so wonderful is even harder.” – 2022 Institutional Advancement Intern
EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS INTERN, one position available:
Responsibilities
- Assist with all elements of producing successful Education & Engagement events, including front-of-house duties, back-of-house preparation, and overall coordination of events with staff and artists
- Help to coordinate and present Little Listeners @ the Library, Family Concerts, masterclasses, hospital and senior center concerts, Pre-Concert Talks etc.
- Assist with Instrument Petting Zoo events
- Coordinate and assist with artist contracts and artist relations for Education & Engagement Programs
- Collect program evaluation data and compile information for end-of-season presentation
- Assist Education & Engagement staff with the enrollment process for Bravo! Vail Music Makers Haciendo Música.
- Assist Education & Engagement staff with the Piano and Strings Summer Intensive for local students
- Assist Education & Engagement staff with Young Musicians Day, a collaboration with Bravo! Vail Music Makers Haciendo Música and other classical music organizations in Colorado.
- Attend all Education & Engagement staff meetings, committee meetings, and June Board meeting
- Additional tasks as assigned by Education & Engagement Staff
INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT INTERNS, four positions available:
Responsibilities
- Distribute marketing materials throughout the season
- Create signage and collateral pieces as needed
- Attend concerts as scheduled. Set up wayfinding signs, collateral, and other IA materials as needed. Assist with ticket scanning and post-concert breakdown of materials.
- Collect and project manage content for daily marketing emails
- Attend all Education & Engagement events to assist with ticket scanning and signage
- Create daily newspaper ads and Town Talk submissions (Adobe program knowledge encouraged)
- Fulfill media requests, including the distribution of photos and videos as needed
- Weekly statistical retrieval and reporting on KPIs of website, email, social media, and others.Google Data Studio Report experience a plus.
- Assist with planning and execution of donor events
- Attend all donor events as scheduled, and assist with set-up, staffing reception table, and break-down; other event duties as needed
- Interact with donors on a regular basis via telephone, email, and in person
- Organize, distribute, and track donor gifts at concerts
- Manage RSVPs and guest lists for donor events. Tessitura experience is a plus.
- Create final reports for corporate sponsors
- Create stage notes for Executive Director and other speakers and distribute
- Create, produce, and distribute donor thank you notes at the end of each orchestra residency and season end
- Assist with planning and execution of online auctions o Prepareallnecessaryauctioncollateral
o Uploadauctionitemdescriptionsandphotostoonlineplatform
o Produce thank you cards for auction donors, buyers, and sponsors o Assist in auction follow-up
AUDIO ENGINEERING INTERNS, two positions available: Responsibilities:
- Assist with full show setup and production at Gerald R Ford Amphitheater, including running cables, testing equipment, placing and checking stage monitors, projection screens, and video equipment, hanging, focusing, and programming lighting instruments
- Careful microphone setup, including proper care, storage, and use of DPA, Schoeps, Neumann, and other delicate and expensive microphones, setting up and placing microphones on stands, running and patching microphone cables and sub-snakes onstage, and sound system and input list patching.
- Operation of live sound systems and recording equipment, including system setup, sound check, and proper equalization for events that require announcer and playback functionality
- Independently manage the archival recording and technical audio needs at all other Bravo! Vail concert series and donor events
- Manage the Bravo! Vail recording equipment inventory, including allocating equipment between Audio Engineering interns
- Manage the Bravo! Vail archive, including mixing and mastering of recorded concerts, proper file storage and documentation of all recorded concerts and events, maintaining the archive catalog file, and maintaining regular, redundant updates of archive material to the archival hard drives.
- Read and understand stage plots, orchestral instrumentation sheets, and audio input lists.
- Maintain attention to detail and respect for musicians and patrons
- Transport of recording equipment and small sound systems to various venues in personal vehicle; unloading and loading of audio equipment
- Location audio recording for video interviews
- Assist with the deployment of our mobile “Music Box” stage
- Other duties as assigned
- Additional Desired Qualifications for Audio Engineering Interns:
- Familiarity with basic audio post-production, including computer-based editing and mixing. You should have a personal laptop with a professional DAW workstation installed and a professional set of headphones and/or monitor speakers
- Proper cable management and coiling
- Familiarity with simple sound system setup and operation, including signal flow, mixer controls, equalization and gain structure, operation of wireless microphones
- The ability to work long hours outdoors in variable weather conditions, for which you will need proper footwear, rain gear, and durable/breathable clothing you can move and work in
- Working at heights: Interns should be able to climb ladders and operate equipment/use tools on the venue catwalk/rigging grid safely and comfortably.
- The ability to keep a professional, unintrusive demeanor among high-profile artists and organization members while still doing your job
OPERATIONS INTERN, one position available:
Responsibilities:
- Assist with all elements of producing successful orchestral and chamber music concerts
- Assist with front-of-house duties for a diverse array of community engagement concerts
- Attend and assist with rehearsals, including organizing catering and light production assistance
- Interface with and assist guest artists
- Track important information in Arts Vision, including repertoire history and the guest artist database
- Assist the Marketing Department with content production (e.g., artist interviews)
- Other duties as assigned by the Director of Artistic Operations
Shared Intern Responsibilities:
- Assist with collateral distribution: distribute Bravo! Vail posters, pocket calendars, and other collateral pieces throughout the Valley
- Assist with Family Concerts and education activities throughout the summer
- Organize and distribute donor gift bags at concerts
- Represent Bravo! Vail in a positive, professional manner both on- and off-duty
- Other duties as assigned by Bravo! Vail staff
Application Information:
For more information on Bravo! Vail, please visit bravovail.org.
The deadline to apply is February 15, 2023.
Please send a cover letter and resume (PDF files preferred) to internship@bravovail.org with the subject line “Your Name and Position Applying For” (i.e., “Joe Smith, Operations”). If you are interested in more than one position, please make a note in the subject line and attach all application materials for each position. You will receive a response indicating receipt of your application(s)
