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The Music Program at Bard

Photo by Jonathan Aseidu '24
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The Bard College campus is awash in music; by all accounts, that fact is one of the school’s most distinctive features. The Music Program, one of the largest programs on campus, provides a wide range of musical concentrations, from classical composition and performance to jazz, electronic music, musicology, ethnomusicology, and music theory. The music faculty all maintain highly visible careers outside academia, many of us nationally or internationally. Many of our most active music students are majoring in something other than music, and all are welcome.
The Bard Conservatory
Photo by Karl Rabe

The Bard Conservatory

The Music Program is separate from the Bard College Conservatory of Music, which has a double-degree program and various graduate programs. The Conservatory's primary differences are as follows: focus on classical music performance and composition; secondary major required; five-year program; and audition required to apply. Despite the separation, many performance opportunities involve both Conservatory students and Music Program students.

More about the Bard Conservatory

The Bard Baroque Ensemble

The Bard Baroque Ensemble welcomes students from both the College and Conservatory. At the start of the semester, students from the College or Conservatory wishing to join should contact director Renée Anne Louprette at [email protected] to express their interest in joining. Watch a livestreamed concert by the Bard Baroque Ensemble in collaboration with Bard Chamber Singers, Preparatory Chorus, Graduate Vocal Arts Program, performing works by Bach in Olin Hall.

More about the Baroque Ensemble

Learn more about other music ensembles at Bard

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

The Bard College music community celebrates its wide-ranging approaches to musical studies by emphasizing creative expression and the development of each individual artistic voice. Our programs include: The Undergraduate Music Program (classical instrumental and voice, composition, electronic music, ethnomusicology, history, jazz, theory); The Conservatory of Music (composition, conducting, instrumental, US-China, voice); and The Orchestra Now. Historically, classical music education has foregrounded European practices of the 17th through 20th centuries. As we become accountable for discriminations relating to that narrow focus, we affirm our intention to break down those boundaries of exclusion. Actionable steps towards equity include: the long term cultivation of a diverse faculty, staff, and student body that is inclusive of a diverse range of races, ethnicities, genders, and LGBTQ+ identities; the practice of respectful listening and communication within and between our programs; the regular review of curricula and their successful inclusion of multiple perspectives; the presentation of diverse musical programming that features and furthers collaborations across the Bard campus; and the forging of initiatives that engage with underserved communities and underrepresented populations. As we pursue these goals, we remain committed to taking actions that combat discrimination and racism in order to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive program.

Applying to the Program

Upcoming Events

  • 12/02
    Saturday
    7:00 pm – 8:00 pm EST/GMT-5
    Olin Hall
  • 12/03
    Sunday
    7:30 pm – 9:30 pm EST/GMT-5
    Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space
  • 12/04
    Monday
    8:00 pm – 9:00 pm EST/GMT-5
    Blum Hall
  • 12/05
    Tuesday
    8:00 pm – 9:00 pm EST/GMT-5
    Blum Hall

NEWSROOM

Interview: President Botstein with David Krauss for Speaking Soundly Podcast

Bard President Leon Botstein spoke with David Krauss for the podcast Speaking Soundly, where he discussed the current state of the arts and classical music, the perspectives that informed his journey as a musician, and his approach to leading Bard for nearly 50 years.

Angelica Sanchez’s New Album Nighttime Creatures Reviewed by NPR’s Fresh Air

Angelica Sanchez, assistant professor of music, was inspired by “the sounds of the pitch-dark woods at night” while composing her newest album, Nighttime Creatures. Reviewing the album for NPR’s Fresh Air, music critic Kevin Whitehead says that pastoral inspiration is felt throughout the record. “You get a sense of sonic depth, foreground versus background,” Whitehead says. “On Nighttime Creatures, [Sanchez] bottles that open-air feeling and brings it into the studio.”

Bard Conservatory and Music Faculty and Alumni/ae Nominated for 2024 GRAMMY Awards

Five Bard Conservatory of Music and Music Program faculty members and alumni/ae have been nominated for the 2024 GRAMMY Awards. Nominated artists include Artistic Director of the Graduate Vocal Arts Program Stephanie Blythe, Composers in Residence Jessie Montgomery and Missy Mazzoli, Julia Bullock MM ’11, and Max Zbiral-Teller ’06.