Undergraduate Program

Letter From the Director

Dear Prospective Student,

Boiled down to essentials, there are three key facts about The Bard College Conservatory of Music. The first is that we have an outstanding faculty. Simply look through the faculty biographies, and you will see names you recognize as leading players and teachers of our time. Courses by the distinguished resident faculty of the Bard College Music Program are also open to students of the Conservatory.

The second key fact is that we have outstanding students. Associate Director Melvin Chen and I travel throughout the world, meeting teachers and recruiting students. Word has spread quickly that something special is happening at Bard. Because of the excellent pool of applicants, we have succeeded in assembling an extraordinary group of gifted players and composers. We are proud to present our students in frequent performances, often together with faculty. Because of the skill level of our students, Leon Botstein, president of Bard College and music director of the American Symphony Orchestra, has offers opportunities each season for concerto competition winners to perform as soloists with the orchestra.

The third important fact is that we are committed to a simple but powerful idea about the kind of education that gifted young musicians need and deserve. We believe that a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences is not a luxury but a necessity for a successful musician. Intellectual fearlessness and the tools for self-education, the hallmarks of the liberal arts tradition, are precisely what the young musician needs for a successful career in the 21st century.

Thank you for your interest in Bard. I hope you will continue to explore the possibility that the Bard Conservatory is the right place for you.

Robert Martin, Director
The Bard College Conservatory of Music