Admission

Application Instructions

Deadline: February 15, 2012

A complete online application will contain:

• A detailed repertoire list of works studied  (Please asterisk those works you have performed.)
  
• Three letters of recommendation (see below for more information)
• Either uploaded video OR a 15–20 minute DVD containing a rehearsal and performance of two works in contrasting styles. Applications lacking any rehearsal footage will not be considered.
• If uploading video footage: please note that SlideRoom accepts .mov, .wmv, and .flv formats. Each clip can be a maximum of 60MB. Those with material exceeding the 60MB limit should either break the material into fewer clips or compress the file size down.
• A 1–2 page statement discussing your work as a conductor and your artistic goals in a personal as well as critical context
• Official transcripts from all post secondary institutions attended. Please note: copies are considered official only if they are sent directly to the Conservatory from the issuing institution. Unofficial transcript copies sent by the applicant will not be accepted.
• A nonrefundable application fee of $75.00.

DOWNLOAD: ConductorBrochure.pdf

Letters of Recommendation

The Graduate Conducting Program accepts letters of recommendation through the SlideRoom online application system. When prompted, enter the recommender’s name and email. The recommender will receive an email which details how to submit the recommendation online.

Letters of recommendation are also accepted on paper, on official forms. The letters should be addressed to Graduate Admission, signed across the sealed flap of the envelope, and sent directly to the address below.

Auditions

Auditions for the Orchestral and Choral Conducting Program will be held in Spring 2012. Shortlisted applicants will receive complete details with the invitation to audition.

Choral Conductors should be prepared to conduct selected excerpts of the Mozart Requiem (conducting from the full choral/orchestral score.)

Orchestral Conductors should be prepared to conduct selected excerpts of Copland’s Appalachian Spring (in the thirteen instrument version).

The audition period will include a written examination of music history and theory, and a test of aural skills.

Participation in The Conductors Institute

Orchestral conducting students are expected to participate in The Conductors Institute in the first and third summers. The second summer is optional. The cost of two summer institutes is included in the tuition of the MM program.

Non-Native Speakers of English

Non-native speakers of English must demonstrate proficiency in English and should take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). TOEFL scores should be sent to the Orchestral and Choral Conducting Program by the Educational Testing Service. The Bard College school code is 2037. A minimum score of 600 on the written test or 250 on the computer-based test is required for admission.

Financial Aid

Tuition for the *2011-2012 academic year is $34,126.

*Tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year will be posted in spring 2012

The conservatory is able to provide limited financial assistance, in the form of scholarships and fellowships, to students whose personal financial resources are insufficient to meet the expenses of graduate study. Funds for scholarships and fellowships are limited, and awards typically will meet only a part of a student's expenses. Students may also apply for Federal Stafford Loans, and those who are New York State residents may apply to the New York State Tuition Assistance Program. These loan and grant programs are briefly described below. More detailed information about applying for financial aid can be obtained from the Conservatory. Financial aid is administered by the Bard College Office of Financial Aid.

Eligibility for financial aid is determined each year by the demonstration of financial need. Financial need is assessed by a uniform method from financial data provided by the student on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or, for international applicants, the International Student Financial Aid form and Certificate of Finances. The FAFSA form should be sent to the federal processor as soon after January 1, 2010 as possible.

To be eligible for federal student aid, applicants must not be in default of repayment of federal student loans or owe refunds on federal student grants. Awards of financial aid are made without reference to age, color, ethnic or national origin, gender, handicapping conditions, marital status, race, or sexual orientation. International students, although not eligible for financial assistance from the federal government of the United States, may qualify for aid administered by Bard College.

All students who are U.S. citizens seeking financial aid should complete the FAFSA form, available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov or by request from the Bard Financial Aid Office.

International applicants are not eligible for financial assistance from the U.S. government but may qualify for other sources of aid. International applicants seeking financial aid should fill out the International Student Financial Aid Application and Certification of Finances, and submit these forms to the Conservatory.

WEBSITE: http://www.bard.edu/financialaid/

Contact

General Inquiries about the Conducting Program should be directed to: conservatory@bard.edu

Inquiries about the Conductors Institute should be directed to: 
845-758-7425 or ci@bard.edu

All correspondence sent by mail should be addressed to:

Graduate Conducting Programc/o Conductors Institute
Bard College
30 Campus Road
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000