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.
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.
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
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4/07Sunday12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Olin Hall -
4/10Wednesday6:00 pm – 7:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Chapel of the Holy Innocents -
4/16Tuesday7:00 pm – 8:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Chapel of the Holy Innocents -
4/19Friday7:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
Olin Hall
NEWSROOM
Bard Music Professor Sarah Hennies and Alums Adam Khalil ’11, Zack Khalil ’14, and Trisha Baga MFA ’10 Win 2024 United States Artist Fellowships
Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Sarah Hennies; New Red Order, an Indigenous art collective whose core contributors are Bard alumni Adam Khalil ’11 (Ojibway) and Zack Khalil ’14 (Ojibway); and Trisha Baga MFA ’10 have received 2024 United States Artist (USA) Fellowships in the disciplines of Music and Visual Arts. USA Fellowships provide $50,000 in unrestricted money to artists across 10 creative disciplines.
Bard College Faculty and Alumna Win 2024 GRAMMY Awards
At the 66th annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony, the Recording Academy honored first-time GRAMMY award winners Bard Composer in Residence Jessie Montgomery, who won Best Contemporary Classical Composition for “Rounds,” and Bard Conservatory of Music’s Graduate Vocal Arts Program alumna Julia Bullock MM ’11, who won Best Classical Solo Vocal Album for Walking in the Dark. Artistic Director of the Graduate Vocal Arts Program Stephanie Blythe is featured on the album Blanchard: Champion, which won for Best Opera Recording.
Popular Science Names Pippa Kelmenson ’17’s Bone Conductive Instrument as One of the “Most Innovative Musical Inventions of the Past Year”
“Every year since 2009, a handful of artists, engineers, musicians, and hobbyists from around the world arrive in Atlanta, Georgia, with one-of-a-kind instruments in tow,” writes Andrew Paul for Popular Science. Among them is Pippa Kelmenson ’17, inventor of the Bone Conductive Instrument, or BCI. Popular Science named the BCI, which “emits sound signals to vibrate individual body resonant frequencies to aid hard-of-hearing users,” as one of 2023’s most innovative musical inventions.