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Main Image for The Music Program at Bard

The Music Program at Bard

Music Menu
  • Curriculum sub-menuCurriculum Areas
    • Classical Vocal Performance
    • Classical Instrumental Performance
    • Composition
    • Jazz
    • Electronic Music
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    • Ethnomusicology
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Apply Now!
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.

Concert Series

  • The Bard College Community Orchestra
    Enjoy the Bard College Community Orchestra in concert, livestreamed from Olin Hall at 8:00 PM tonight, May 9, 2021.  Featuring the Bard College Concerto Competition winners performing: Shostakovich, Cello Concerto No. 1, with Grace Molinaro; Bach, Keyboard Concerto in A Major, BWV 1055, with Gigi Hsueh. Conductors: Zachary Schwartzman and Erica Kiesewetter.
    WATCH NOW
    CONCERT PROGRAM (PDF)
  • December 2020 Open Concert
    The Bard College Music Department presents an online Open Concert, featuring works by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Vivaldi, and Cimarosa.
    WATCH NOW
  • The Bard Baroque Ensemble
    Join us for a livestreamed concert by the Bard Baroque ensemble, performing works by Couperin, Torelli, Morley, Dowland, Mozart, and Rameau. Conductor: Renée Anne Louprette.
    WATCH NOW
    CONCERT PROGRAM (PDF)
About the Music Program

About the Music Program

The Bard Music Program is dedicated to enabling music students to carve out paths that match their talents and passions. Many of our students major in, for instance, violin, or classical voice, or jazz percussion, all of which we fully support; others find themselves attracted to hybrid forms, between disciplines, and we cheer them on.

Learn more about the Music Curriculum

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

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’s 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)
  • 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

  • How to Apply
    To apply to the undergraduate Bard Music Program, apply through the Bard Admission Office. Applying to the Bard Conservatory of Music requires a separate application to the Conservatory.
    Apply to the Undergraduate Program   Apply to the Conservatory
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Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000
Phone: 845-758-6822
Admission E-mail: [email protected]
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