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Support the Bard Conservatory

Donors Make Our Work Possible
Gifts to the Bard College Conservatory of Music support scholarships for Conservatory students, the acquisition and care of fine instruments, master classes, travel to performances and competitions, and, of course, exceptional concert series on campus.
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Support the New Peter Serkin Scholarship

Support the New Peter Serkin Scholarship

The Bard College Conservatory of Music has established the Peter Serkin Scholarship in memory of the distinguished musician and beloved member of the faculty who taught Conservatory students from the time the Conservatory program opened in 2005 until his death in 2020.

The Peter Serkin Scholarship will be awarded to students who demonstrate a commitment to new music; an understanding of, and profound respect for, a composer’s intentions; and a generosity of spirit in elevating fellow musicians and composers.

Donations may be made on-line here.

Ways to Give

Give Now!

  • Online Giving
    To make an online donation with a credit card please click the button above.
  • Gifts by Check
    Should be mailed to:
    The Bard College Conservatory of Music
    30 Campus Rd.
    P.O. Box 5000
    Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000
  • Unrestricted Support
    Your unrestricted, general support gift allows the Bard College Conservatory flexibility in meeting its many needs.
  • Planned Giving
    For detailed information about planned giving options, please e-mail the Vice President of Development and Alumni/ae Affairs. You will be contacted directly by the Vice President's office to discuss the highly beneficial methods by which you can make a substantial donation to The Bard College Conservatory of Music.

Bard Conservatory Meets Mellon Foundation Challenge

In 2008, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation recognized the importance of the Bard Conservatory with a challenge grant designed to provide an endowment of $10 million. The foundation challenged the Conservatory to match the $2.5 million grant from the Mellon Foundation $7.5 million from our supporters. In December 2018, the Conservatory met the match with more than 1,000 donations from concertgoers, students and their families, friends, and alumni/ae of the Conservatory. We offer our most profound thanks to our supporters.

Sponsor a Conservatory Program

Underwrite one of our many outstanding student performance programs. 
GIVE NOW

  • Noon Concerts
    $250
    Your gift of $250 allows us to continue to offer these free concerts. 

    Every other Tuesday at 12pm, the Conservatory hosts a free concert, open to the public. These concerts are regularly attended by community members from Red Hook, Tivoli, Rhinebeck, and Germantown. Students from the undergraduate, Advanced Performance Studies, and Graduate Vocal Arts Programs perform on a regular basis in this bi-weekly concert series. 
  • Orchestra Concerts
    $500 to $5,000
    Contributions to the Bard Conservatory Orchestra program pay for coaching, rehearsals, music, and instrument rentals. 

    Sponsor a section: 
    • Strings
    • Woodwinds 
    • Brass
    • Percussion
  • Chamber Music Series
    $2,500
    Through your generous donation you may sponsor a chamber music concert at the Bard Conservatory or host a chamber music event in your own home. 

    All Conservatory students participate in our robust chamber music program, with weekly coaching and a culminating Chamber Music Marathon held every semester at the Bard College Conservatory of Music. 

The Graduate Programs

Sponsor One of the Graduate Programs
$500 to $5,000

Contributions support the advanced music education and performance opportunities of the graduate students in the
Vocal Arts Program and Graduate Conducting Program at Bard Conservatory.

Other Ways to Give
 

Give Now

  • Conservatory Scholarship Fund
    Of the exceptionally talented young musicians accepted every year to the Bard Conservatory, many would be unable to attend without the financial assistance provided by the Conservatory's Scholarship Fund. Please consider making a contribution of any amount. 
     
  • Musical Instrument Acquisitions
    The Cremona Society of the Bard College Conservatory of Music
     
    Become a member of the Cremona Society by loaning or donating a fine instrument to be used by a Bard Conservatory student. Every year, and especially as the Conservatory grows to its full size of 140 students, we will face a mounting need for concert-grade string instruments, pianos and wind instruments to loan to students whose musical expression and advancement may be limited by the quality of the instruments they own. Loaned instruments will be insured by Bard and cared for on a regular basis by an expert repairperson. Arrangements can be made to have a performance in your home by the student using your loaned or donated instrument.
  • More Giving Opportunities
     Other ways to help the young musicians of the Bard College Conservatory of Music: 
    • Underwrite the master class series ($5,000) in the Graduate Program in Vocal Arts, directed by Stephanie Blythe. Last year's artists included Renée Fleming, William Burden, and Tony Arnold.
    • Underwrite master classes (each at $1,000) by great pianists, violinists, and cellists.
    • Support travel ($1,000) for students who are selected to compete in national and international competitions.
Naming Opportunities
Laszlo Z. Bito Conservatory Building photo: Anna Wesolowska

Naming Opportunities

László Z. Bitó '60 Conservatory Building


The  László Z. Bitó ’60 Conservatory Building, which opened in 2013, was designed by Deborah Berke Partners to support the Conservatory’s dedication to providing top-level musical training in the context of a liberal arts environment. Classrooms, teaching studios, and performance spaces may be named in recognition of gifts of $25,000 or more to the endowment fund to match a challenge grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
 

Contact Us

To speak with us about these or other ways to support the Bard Conservatory, or to discuss making a planned gift or a gift of appreciated securities, please contact Ann Gabler, the Conservatory's development manager, at 845-758-7866 or via e-mail at [email protected].