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Music, like all art, engages the mind and the heart.

The mission of the Bard College Conservatory of Music is to provide the best possible preparation for a person dedicated to a life immersed in the creation and performance of music.

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    Interested in visiting Bard for a campus tour or performance? 
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A singer in front of an orchestra in Olin Hall
Photo by Karl Rabe

Offering Unique Undergraduate and Graduate Programs

  • Undergraduate Double Degree in Liberal Arts and Music Performance (BA and BM)
  • Graduate Degree in Vocal Arts (MM)
  • Graduate Degree in Conducting (MM)
  • Graduate Degree in Instrumental Studies (MM)
  • Master of Arts in Chinese Music and Culture (MA)
  • Advanced Performance Studies 
  • Postgraduate Collaborative Piano Fellowship
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The Bard Conservatory also offers a Preparatory Division for students ages 3–18.

News

two men raise their hands to conduct against a black backdrop

Bard Conservatory Orchestra Innovation and Legacy Concert Featured in China Daily and Xinhua

The concert, notes Xinhua, was “more than a performance—it was a profound musical dialogue across eras and cultures.”

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The Eighth Annual China Now Music Festival Reviewed in <em>China Daily</em>

The Eighth Annual China Now Music Festival Reviewed in China Daily

The final performance of the festival, a chamber opera and dance concert by the Bard East/West Ensemble, will take place on October 5 at 3 pm at Jazz at Lincoln Center. 

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Two classical music maestros side by side

Bard Conservatory Celebrates 20 Years with Landmark Lincoln Center Concert on October 29

Dual Milestone Event Honors Bard College Conservatory’s 20th Anniversary and Leon Botstein’s 50th Year as President, Highlighting a Half-Century of Classical Music and Higher Education

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Upcoming Events and Performances

  • Follow the Lieder
    12/9
    Tuesday
    Follow the Lieder 6:30 pm
    Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space
  • Guest Artist Masterclass:&nbsp;Bal&aacute;zs F&uuml;lei
    12/10
    Wednesday
    Guest Artist Masterclass: Balázs Fülei 1:30 pm
    Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space
  • Hudson River Brass Quintet
    12/10
    Wednesday
    Hudson River Brass Quintet 4:00 pm
    Olin Hall
  • Guest Artist Recital:&nbsp;Andr&aacute;s Szalai, cimbalom, and Bal&aacute;zs F&uuml;lei, piano
    12/10
    Wednesday
    Guest Artist Recital: András Szalai, cimbalom, and Balázs Fülei, piano
    "En Rêve – Liszt Inspirations"

    7:00 pm
    Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space
  • Juliette Benveniste looking at the camera, wearing a black short sleeve lace top and red lipstick. ; Third Year Recital
    12/12
    Friday
    Third Year Recital
    Juliette Benveniste, piano

    12:00 pm
    Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space

Meet Our Faculty

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  • Marka Gustavsson
    Chamber Music Director, Bard Conservatory; Viola

    Marka Gustavsson



    A dedicated chamber musician and current member of the Manhattan String Quartet, violist Marka Gustavsson enjoys a rich and varied performance life both in the US and abroad. She has been a guest artist at festivals including Bard Music Festival, Mostly Mozart, Vancouver’s Music in the Morning, the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, WQXR’s Showcase Concerts, Yale Faculty Artists’ Series. Marka has premiered and recorded solo works and chamber music of composers John Halle, Joan Tower, Kyle Gann, Harold Farberman, George Tsontakis, Martin Bresnick, Richard Wernick, Laura Kaminsky, Tania Leon, and Tan Dun. From 1999 through 2014, Marka belonged to the Colorado Quartet with whom she performed cycles of Beethoven, Bartok and Schubert. As a teacher, Marka holds a faculty position at Bard College and Conservatory, and serves as Associate Director and Coordinator of Chamber Music. In the summer, she coaches chamber music for the Young Artists’ Program of Yellow Barn in Putney, VT. At home in Red Hook, NY, she loves gardening, cooking, reading, and hiking with her husband, pianist and composer John Halle, 16 year old son Ben, and Russell—the dog.
  • Derek Fenstermacher
    Tuba

    Derek Fenstermacher

    Currently principal tubist with both the New Jersey and Chattanooga Symphony Orchestras, Derek Fenstermacher received his B.M. from the University of Alabama, an M.M. from the Cincinnati College/Conservatory of Music. His primary instructors have included Mark Barton, Timothy Northcut, Demondrae Thurman, Mike Dunn, and Philip Moore, with additional tutelage from Andrew Miller, Warren Deck, Gene Pokorny, Dan Perantoni, Dave Kirk, Cristian Ganicenco, Gil Long, Sam Pilafian, and Pat Sheridan. Mr. Fenstermacher won his first orchestral position at the age of 20 and has since performed with the Nashville Symphony, New World Symphony, Houston Ballet, Alabama Symphony, Cincinnati Chamber, Huntsville Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, West Virginia Symphony, Mobile Symphony, Tuscaloosa Symphony, and Meridian Symphony Orchestras. As a soloist, he has won many prestigious music competitions, including 1st place at the Leonard Falcone Artist Tuba Competition, and three 1st place awards at the 2008 International Tuba/Euphonium Conference. An avid chamber musician, he currently performs with the Boreas Tuba Quartet, and will be joining the New York Tuba Quartet in 2012. With over 10 years teaching experience, Mr. Fenstermacher has given masterclasses at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Montclair State University, as well as numerous other schools in Alabama, Texas, Ohio, Kentucky, and New Jersey.
  • Keisuke Ikuma
    Chamber Music Instructor

    Keisuke Ikuma

    Keisuke Ikuma is a highly sought-after oboe and english horn player in the New York metropolitan area. He is currently a member of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and the Stamford Symphony. He also performs regularly with the New York Philharmonic, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and numerous Broadway shows such as “The King and I,” “Wicked,” and “Phantom of the Opera”. Mr. Ikuma received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where he was a full-scholarship student of Joseph Robinson, former principal oboist of the New York Philharmonic. Mr. Ikuma studied conducting with Constantine Kitsopoulos and David Gilbert, and made his Broadway conducting debut in the 2015 Tony Award-winning production “The King and I” at Lincoln Center Theater. He recently served as interim Chorus Director of the Keio High School in Westchester.
  • Satoshi Okamoto
    Double Bass

    Satoshi Okamoto

    Satoshi Okamoto has been a member of New York Philharmonic since 2003. He served as an acting principal and assistant principal in 2013-16. Prior to the Philharmonic he was an assistant principal double bassist in the San Antonio Symphony for eight years and a member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra for a year. As a soloist, he was a finalist of the International Society of Bassist Solo Competition and the Izuminomori International Double Bass Competition, also a twice winner of the Aspen bass competition. He was a faculty member at Stonybrook University from 2023-24. He has given master classes at institutions such as The Juilliard School Pre-College, Toho school of music, LSU at Baton Rouge, TCU, Aichi University of fine arts, and Pyongyang Conservatory. He received his master’s degree from The Juilliard School, and a bachelor’s degree from Tokyo University of Fine Arts.
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Bard College
Bard College
Conservatory of Music
30 Campus Road
Annandale-on-Hudson
New York 12504-5000
845-758-7196
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All photos by Karl Rabe unless stated otherwise.