Apprentice Music Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

YOUTH ORCHESTRA ADMINISTRATIVE APPRENTICE

Civic Engagement

Youth Orchestra Program

Work Status:

Part-Time

Payroll Type:

Non-Exempt

Location of Job:

Davies Symphony Hall

San Francisco, CA

Hourly rate:

$20.25

Schedule:

Hybrid

Regular hours:

- Weekend hours in conjunction with SFSYO services, incl. periodic evening services

- Remote work midweek, schedule negotiable

- Occasional in-office days outside of SFSYO services as necessary

- Not to exceed 19 per week

Reports To:

Director, Youth Orchestra Program

Supervisory:

No

THE ORGANIZATION

The San Francisco Symphony is among the most adventurous and innovative arts institutions in the United States, celebrated for its artistic excellence, creative performance concepts, award-winning recordings, and standard-setting education and community engagement programs. Since it was established in 1911, the Symphony has grown in acclaim under a succession of distinguished music directors: Henry Hadley, Alfred Hertz, Basil Cameron, Issay Dobrowen, Pierre Monteux, Enrique Jordá, Josef Krips, Seiji Ozawa, Edo de Waart, Herbert Blomstedt, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. In May 2026, the Symphony announced Elim Chan as the 13th Music Director in its 115-year history, beginning with the 2027–28 season. One of the most sought-after artists of her generation, Elim Chan embodies the spirit of contemporary orchestral leadership with her crystalline precision and expressive zeal.  

The San Francisco Symphony presents more than 200 concerts and presentations annually for an audience of nearly 350,000 in its home of Davies Symphony Hall and around the Bay Area. The Orchestra performs a robust schedule of core classical concerts from September through June, and offers a dynamic mix of holiday programs, groundbreaking SoundBox performances, chamber concerts, guest artist recitals, live-to-film presentations, popular artist collaborations, a month-long summer series, and other special events that invite audiences across the Bay Area to connect with the Symphony in ways that resonate with their interests, experiences, and traditions.

As a cornerstone of its mission, the San Francisco Symphony provides some of the most extensive education and community programs offered by any American orchestra. The Symphony’s free music education experiences engage students in grades 1–12 throughout the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), serving more than 25,000 students annually.

In 2001, the SF Symphony became the first American orchestra to launch its own in-house record label, SFS Media. Recorded live in concert and engineered at Davies Symphony Hall, SFS Media recordings showcase music by contemporary composers as well as core classical masterworks. In 2023, the San Francisco Symphony partnered with Apple for the launch of a new classical music streaming app, Apple Music Classical, and has since released 17 spatial audio recordings of live concert performances through the app. San Francisco Symphony radio broadcasts, the first in the nation to feature symphonic music when they began in 1926, today carry the Orchestra’s concerts across the country. In 2004, the SF Symphony launched the groundbreaking multimedia Keeping Score series on PBS-TV and the web; the series was made available for unlimited free streaming on the Symphony’s YouTube channel in 2020. In 2014, the San Francisco Symphony inaugurated SoundBox, an experimental and eclectic live music series, which takes place in an alternative performance space located backstage at Davies Symphony Hall. For its adventurous programming, the Symphony has been honored 19 times by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and the Symphony’s recordings have garnered France’s Grand Prix du Disque and Britain’s Gramophone Award, as well as 17 Grammy® Awards.

JOB SUMMARY

The Youth Orchestra Administrative Apprentices support the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (SFSYO) through project assistance and office administration, including production of materials, maintenance of databases and mailing lists, rehearsal/concert coverage, audition processes, and assistance with other SFSYO projects. These positions interact frequently with SFSYO musicians; the SFSYO Director and Music Librarian; the SFSYO Music Director; SFS musicians who serve as Youth Orchestra faculty; and other SFS staff on a limited basis.

The YO Administrative Apprentices work part-time, not to exceed 19 hours per week, during SFSYO rehearsals, concerts, and other events, including remote work throughout the week and occasional in-office days.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide administrative support for the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, working primarily with the SFSYO Director.

• Manage attendance tracking
• Assist with administration of entrance and seating auditions
• Administer Instrument Care Program
• Coordinate periodic YO Chamber performances throughout the season
• Run weekly ticket lottery for SF Symphony concerts
• Act as point of contact for SFSYO musicians at all services including rehearsals, concerts, auditions, etc.
• Plan and proctor the annual SFSYO Concerto Competition
• Field inquiries from prospective members, alumni, parents, etc.
• Assist with ad hoc projects as assigned, including supporting the YO Music Librarian if required

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, etc.) and Google Drive (Sheets, Forms, etc.) is preferred.
• Basic familiarity with orchestral music is essential.
• Ability to work as part of a team and with a wide range of people including SFSYO members aged 11–21, SFSYO parents, professional orchestra musicians, and fellow SFS staff.
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• The ability to work independently
• Meticulous attention to detail
• The ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and maintain a sliding focus as needed. Interest in arts administration and/or education is a plus.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

None

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The internal and external constituents with whom this position most frequently interacts include:

• YO Director
• YO Music Director
• YO Music Librarian
• fellow YO Apprentice(s)
• YO musicians aged 11–21
• SFS musicians serving as YO faculty

EEO STATEMENT

In alignment with the values statement above, the San Francisco Symphony is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.