The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music runs a one-year Fellowship in Teaching Artistry for early-career musicians who want a career that joins teaching to performing. WCM describes itself as Wisconsin’s largest community music school, with three sites in the Milwaukee area, more than 100 teaching artists and over 11,000 students a year.
Fellows teach and perform across Milwaukee, with the work aimed at underserved parts of the city and at historically excluded communities. WCM pairs that work with career mentorship from teaching artists who already carry both teaching and performing in their own careers.
Applications are open for the third cohort, whose year runs from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027. The fellow is paid a salary and relocates to Milwaukee for the full year.
Benefits & funding
- A salaried position for the full fellowship year; WCM states the salary exists so fellows can keep growing as artists, and publishes no figure on its public listing.
- Career mentorship and guidance from teaching artists whose own careers include both teaching and performing.
- Teaching and performing work across Milwaukee, concentrated in underserved areas and historically excluded communities.
- Introductions and connections in the greater Milwaukee arts community.
- WCM lists a 403(b) plan with a 5% employer match and access to an Employee Assistance Program among its staff benefits; the listing does not say which of these reach fellows.
Eligibility
- Musicians holding at least a Bachelor’s degree in music.
- A strings, piano or percussion emphasis is preferred, not required.
- U.S. residency, or a valid U.S. visa covering the whole fellowship year. Any nationality holding one of those statuses qualifies.
- Willingness to relocate to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027.
- Reliable transportation.
- No age limit, gender requirement or minimum years of experience is published.
Can you apply?
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Education required
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Application process
- 1Open the Fellowship in Teaching Artistry listing on WCM’s employment page.
- 2Follow the listing’s link to WCM’s job portal, where the full fellowship description and the application form sit.
- 3Submit the application through that portal; WCM publishes no deadline and no materials list on its own site.
- 4If selected, relocate to Milwaukee and start on 1 August.
Program timeline
Third cohort’s fellowship year begins.
Aug 1, 2026
Fellowship year ends.
Jul 31, 2027
WCM publishes no application deadline for this cycle.