FAQs

How do I arrange a tour of the Conservatory?

Visiting Campus
Click here for information about visiting campus, including campus tour schedules, campus maps, and directions. 

Bard Campus Tours
Prospective students should attend campus tour and information sessions offered through Bard College's Admission Office. Reservations are required. More information can be found here. 

Conservatory Tours
To arrange for a tour of the Conservatory building and/or meeting, contact  Frank Corliss, Conservatory Admissions Director, at conservatoryadmission@bard.edu or (845) 758-7604. We recommend reserving your college tour first before making an appointment to visit the Conservatory. Depending on the exact timing of your visit, we are able to arrange for you to observe rehearsals, chamber music coachings, master classes, and concerts. 

Conservatory Office location
The Conservatory Office is located in the Blum Music Building, within the Avery Center for the Arts complex on 59 Blithewood Road.  (You can also find us by looking for the Edith C. Blum Institute on this campus map.)



Do I need a studio-quality prescreening recording?

No. A home-quality audio recorder will be sufficient, as will any home-quality digital camcorder for video submissions. 





Do I need an accompanist for my prescreening recording?

With the obvious exception of works for solo instrument (e.g. Bach Partita, Kopprasch etude), repertoire for the prescreening submission should be accompanied. In addition, appropriate chamber music works may be used as the "work of your choice." 

Composers should submit recordings of live performances of their works whenever possible, in place of MIDI realizations. 

Accompanists are provided free of charge at all live auditions, and come from our Postgraduate Collaborative Piano Fellowship program.



What is the policy on taking trial lessons?

Prospective students sometimes wish to arrange lessons with Conservatory faculty as part of the process of deciding where to apply. This is a good idea, and the members of our roster are happy to try to make such arrangements if their schedule allows.

The admissions director can help facilitate this but, until a student has actually been admitted to the Conservatory, such arrangements have to be made directly between the student and the faculty member, both with respect to scheduling and with respect to payment.

After a student has been admitted the Conservatory will cover the cost of one trial lesson. The Conservatory admissions director can play a role in setting up trial lessons as requested, depending of course upon the schedules of the teachers.



Does the Conservatory award merit scholarships?

Conservatory applicants are eligible for merit-based financial aid. Competitive merit awards--up to and including the full-tuition Distinguished Musician-Scholar Program--are based on the strength of the audition and the applicant's overall musical achievement and promise. 

We ask all students - even students who are applying only for merit-based aid - to submit the required Financial Aid forms.

Conservatory applicants are also considered for additional merit- and need-based aid administered by Bard College. The FAFSA and CSS Profile are used to determine financial need and are required in all cases in which financial aid of any kind is awarded. Click here for additional information. 

All financial aid is awarded for five years. 


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Is it possible to contact one of Bard Conservatory's instrumental teachers directly?

It is certainly possible! If you wish to email a Conservatory instrumental teacher please email conservatoryadmission@bard.edu. Please include the name of the faculty member you wish you to contact and a brief musical resume or biography so that we can make an introduction between you and the teacher.



What are the acceptable media types when I am uploading my recordings to the slideroom website?

Slideroom accepts the following file types for uploading of recordings and documents:

Videos:  .m4v, .mov, .mp4, .wmv, .flv, .asf, .mpeg, .mpg, .mkv (maximum size per track: 120MB)
Audio: .mp3, .wma, .ogg, .flac (maximum size per track: 60MB)
PDF: .pdf (maximum size per document: 20MB)



When are my prescreening materials (recordings and/or scores for composition applicants) due?

All prescreening materials–recordings, scores, resumes–are due on the application deadline for the program you are applying to.




Where and how often are lessons taught?

Regular weekly lessons are critically important to the education of the young musician. The vast majority of lessons are taught weekly on the Bard campus. When a teacher's performing schedule does not allow them to come to campus students will occasionally be taught either by someone else on the faculty roster or, more rarely, by a guest instructor. And less frequently, the conservatory will send the student into New York City for their regular weekly lesson.




How are students assigned to teacher's studios?

The assignment of teachers is based on the current status of a teachers’ studio, the preferences of the students and the teachers, and the judgment of the Director of the Conservatory.  Every attempt is made to announce these assignments as students are admitted, but in some cases this is not possible. All studio assignments are made by the Director of the Conservatory in close consultation with the faculty.



I am an international student. How do I audition? Do you require the TOEFL?

International students may apply by DVD if travel to the United States for a live audition is not feasible. The live audition repertoire requirements should be used for the audition DVD. 

Information about English Language proficiency:

A TOEFL score of 100 (iBT) or 250 (computer based) or equivalent evidence of English language proficiency is expected for admission.

 * In certain circumstances international students may be granted Exception Admit status for their first year at Bard, with the understanding that by the start of the second year these students will have achieved the required level of English-language proficiency. For such students, First-Year Seminar may be postponed to year two.

Even for Exception Admit students, it is required that the TOEFL test be taken in the home country and reported to Bard before arrival in the fall. 

The purpose of this is for placement purposes in the ESL course, and to provide a baseline for measuring progress throughout the first year of the student’s study of English. As part of the application process, each student needs to provide information about the schedule for taking the TOEFL test.

In their first year Exception Admit students' full-time course load of 12 credits will typically consist of

    Studio Instruction (4 credits)
    Chamber Music (0 credits)    Orchestral Studies (0 credits)    English as a Second Language (8 credits)

In order to complete the double-degree program in five years, Exception Admit students will need to carry increasingly full schedules in subsequent years. For some majors, it may not be possible for Exception Admit students to graduate in five years.



When will I hear prescreening results?

All applicants will receive notification two weeks after the application due date. If you have not heard from the Conservatory by that time, please contact us at conservatoryadmission@bard.edu. or (845) 758-2604.




Do you offer classical voice?

The Conservatory offers a M.M. degree in the Graduate Vocal Arts Program; there is no undergraduate voice degee in the Conservatory.  Undergraduate voice is taught in the College's regular four-year Music Program.




Do you teach guitar, jazz, or organ?

Jazz studies, and instruments such as guitar, organ and saxophone are offered through the the College's regular four-year Music Program and not through the Conservatory.






What is the difference between the Conservatory and the Bard College Music Program?

Bard College employs two academic units for the teaching of music: the Music Program, and the Conservatory of Music. 

Students accepted into the five-year Conservatory program work toward two bachelor degrees: a B.M. in performance or composition, and a B.A. in a non-music subject.

In contrast, a student majoring in music in the Music Program may choose to double major in some other subject, but ultimately earns only one four-year Bachelor of Arts degree.

The study of music in the Conservatory is limited to orchestral instruments, composition, and piano. Voice is offered in the conservatory only as a M.M. degree and not at the undergraduate level. There is however a voice major in the Music Department.

Music majors in the Music Program can study jazz, electronic and experimental music, music theory and history, ethnomusicology, composition, as well as classical performance. They can also study other instruments such as saxophone, guitar (electric and acoustic), and world instruments. Students may also major in voice in the Music Program at the undergraduate level, whereas the study of voice in the Conservatory is a M.M. degree only.

The Conservatory and the Music Program share facilities. And some faculty members in fact teach in both the Conservatory and the Music Program. 



Is it possible to study in the Conservatory but not the College?

The double degree is a requirement for all undergraduate students in the Conservatory. While it is possible to attend Bard College after being denied admission to the Conservatory, it is not possible for undergraduates to attend the Bard Conservatory without concurrent enrollment in Bard College's full liberal arts curriculum. 

Graduate students are only required to enroll in those courses specifically mentioned in each program's curriculum. 

The Conservatory also offers a non-degree Advanced Performance Studies Graduate Certificate.




If I am applying to the Conservatory may I submit my college application through the Early Action or Immediate Decision plans?

It is recommended that students who will be applying to the Conservatory should submit both their College and Conservatory applications by the regular January 1 deadline.

Early Action and Immediate Decision are not available for application to the Conservatory. So it is best to submit both your College and Conservatory application materials at the reglalr admission deadline of January 1.



What if I'm not in the Conservatory? Can I still take private lessons?

All Bard students, regardless of major or whether they are in the Conservatory or not, may arrange for weekly private lessons.

A full range of music courses is available and open to both students in botht eh Conservaotry and the Music Department. There are two orchestras on campus, numerous chamber ensembles, a contemporary music group, symphonic chorus, chamber singers, jazz big band, electro-acoustic and percussion ensembles, a student-run musical theater troupe, a Balinese gamelan and a Chinese music ensemble. In most cases private lessons and ensemble participation for Bard College students occur within the Music Program. In some  instances non-Conservatory students are able to arrange for  private instruction with Conservatory faculty by special arrangement. It is also possible for non-Conservatory students, by audition, to play in the Conservatory orchestra or Conservatory chamber ensembles.

More information on Bard College's Music Department can be found here:
www.bard.edu/academics/programs/programs.php



Can Conservatory students study abroad?

Conservatory students are welcome to enroll in any study abroad program offered by Bard College. Many use this opportunity to fulfill requirements for the BA degree. To date, conservatory students have studied in Israel, Germany, China, France, Hungary, Italy, Korea, Russia, and in New York City with the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program.

In many cases students are able to continue their musical studies while abroad: for example, two conservatory students studying at Central European University in Budapest enrolled concurrently at the Franz Liszt Academy.

Complete information on Studying Globally can be found here:
www.bard.edu/globalstudy




What does a typical week look like for a conservatory student? How do conservatory students balance a busy musical life with a demanding academic schedule?

Please click here to read how some typical Conservatory students answered these questions.



What are some sample 5-year plans for Conservatory students with different majors in the college?

Please click here for some sample 5-year plans from recent Conservatory graduates.



What do your students do after graduation?

Since its inception, undergraduate students of the Bard Conservatory have distinguished themselves through:


Graduate School Acceptances: Music Performance
Boston University
The Colburn School
The Curtis Institute of Music
Indiana University
The Juilliard School
Manhattan School of Music
Mannes College The New School for Music
New England Conservatory
Northwestern University
Rice University
SUNY Stony Brook
University of Michigan
University of Southern California
Yale School of Music

Other Graduate and Professional School Acceptances
California Institute of Technology
Johns Hopkins University
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea - Global M.B.A. Program

Music Festival Acceptances
Aspen Music Festival and School
Atlantic Music Festival
Banff Summer Arts Festival
Bowdoin International Music Festival
Castleton Festival
Colorado Music Festival
European American Musical Alliance Summer Composition Program
Kent/Blossom Music and Arts Festival
Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival
Manchester Music Festival
Music Academy of the West Summer Festival
New York String Orchestra Seminar
Pacific Rim Music Festival
Pierre Monteux School Quartet Program
Round Top Festival Institute
Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival
Steans Music Institute at the Ravinia Festival
Tanglewood Music Center
Verbier Festival
West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
Yellow Barn Music School and Festival

Competitions and Jobs
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Young Artist’s Competition, first prize, 2011
Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, silver medal, 2010
Houston Symphony, associate principal second violin
Michael Hill International Violin Competition, finalist, 2011

Distinctions earned by graduates of the Vocal Arts Program include:
Winner, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
Winner, Astral Artists National Auditions
Joy of Singing, Debut Artist Award Winner
Prize winners at the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers
Los Angeles Opera Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program
Merola Opera Program at the San Francisco Opera
Utah Opera Apprentice Artists Program

Appearances with the American Symphony Orchestra, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Cincinnati May Festival, Peter Brook’s production of Mozart’s Magic Flute, and Bard SummerScape

Acceptances to graduate programs at The Juilliard School - Artist Diploma in Opera Studies, Curtis Institute of Music, and New England Conservatory, among others.

Summer festival attendance at the Aldeburugh Festival’s Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme, Aspen Music Festival and School, Chautauqua Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, SongFest, and Tanglewood Music Center, among others.

Profiles

Emma Schmiedecke '14