OVERVIEW

The Phillips Collection's Internship program is open to full-time undergraduate students, full-time graduate students, and recent graduates. The purpose of the internship program is to offer students and recent graduates meaningful work, educational experiences, and real-life practice in their fields of academic study and/or interest.

The music intern will assist in a variety of projects that provide insight into the daily functioning of a classical concert series at a museum of modern art, such as researching concert programs and performers, assisting with concert-day production operations, and processing and organizing materials from past concert seasons.

The music intern will work with the Director of Music in a variety of capacities, including setting up Audio/Visual equipment, writing about our concerts and performers, and educating the general public about the music program and our concerts at the Phillips. They will be introduced to activities integral to presenting a professional concert series, such as working with artist managers and agents, renting equipment, hiring and managing contractors, and working with world-class performers.

The music intern will also have the opportunity to propose a project that they work towards with guidance and input from Phillips Music staff. Mentorship will include opportunities to contribute to the blog and digital exhibitions, and they will have opportunities to work with other staff members at the Phillips.

Overview of Department: The Sunday Concerts series at The Phillips Collection is one of the longest running music series in Washington, DC. Originally managed by Duncan Phillips’s assistant, Elmira Bier, who served as the first Director of Music at The Phillips Collection, the series has run for over 80 years.

Phillips Music has long embraced a dynamic balance of tradition and innovation, presenting both canonical chamber works and contemporary music in programs that invite creative dialogue with the museum’s collection and exhibitions. Now recognized as a distinguished space for international chamber music, the series continues to offer artists and audiences an intimate, immediate, and singular experience within the Music Room.

Duration: Internships tend to run ten to fifteen continuous weeks at 12-20 hours per week. Internship length and schedule may vary depending on the needs of the department. This internship will run from September 7-December 11, 2026. Two days per week is the minimum requirement for this position, and one day must be Sunday from 10am-7pm, if there is a concert that day. The intern will hopefully be able to attend all concerts that are within the range of their employment. However, we are happy to be flexible if they have a conflict on one or two dates

Academic Credit: Depending on the nature of the internship and approval of the student's college or university, academic credit may be granted for internships. Student applicants should consult their academic advisor for additional information.

Please submit a résumé, letter of interest, letter of recommendation, and complete transcripts.

Responsibilities

• Attends and performs required tasks for all Sunday concerts.
• Assists with preparing the music room for concerts, including arranging chairs, music stands and other staging requirements, and piano placement.
• Prints and disperses programs and other materials
• Greets concert guests
• Assists with or leads stage changes during concerts.
• Help process and arrange materials from past music seasons.
• Contribute to digitization projects that include audio and video materials, correspondence, concert programs, and other materials.
• Assists with setting up for AV equipment when required

Qualifications

• Open to junior and senior undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates.
• Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds.
• Candidates from a Music graduate degree program preferred.
• Candidates who have academic or practical experience in musicology, stage operations, and/or A/V equipment are ideal.
• Candidates with experience or aptitude for processing, arrangement, description, cataloguing, and/or digitization are preferred but not required.
• Familiarity with these software programs: Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Office Suite preferred but not required.

These are the concert dates for the Fall internship timeline (all in 2026):

September 27

October 4

October 11

October 18

October 25

November 1

November 8

November 15

November 22

December 6

December 13

The Phillips Collection is an equal opportunity employer and administers all employment decisions and personnel actions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic disposition or carrier status, marital status, veteran status, personal appearance, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, or any other category protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.