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Main Image for Support the Bard Conservatory

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.
Make Your Gift Today

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.

Support the New Peter Serkin Scholarship

Peter Serkin (1947-2020) held a singular place among musicians, widely admired for both his performances of classical repertoire and his love of contemporary music.  His music-making revealed deep understanding of the masterworks of J.S. Bach as well as newer works ranging from Stravinsky to Messiaen, Tōru Takemitsu and Oliver Knussen. 

Peter was a valued member of the piano faculty at the Bard College Conservatory of Music from the time it opened in 2005 until his death in 2020. As a teacher, he was beloved by his students and generously shared with them his devotion to music making. 

He performed with the world’s major symphony orchestras, led by such eminent conductors as Seiji Ozawa, Daniel Barenboim, Simon Rattle, Herbert Blomstedt, as well as Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos.  In chamber music, Serkin collaborated with Alexander Schneider, Pamela Frank, Yo-Yo Ma, and the Budapest, Guarneri, Orion, Shanghai, and Dover String Quartets, among others.  He was a founding member of the TASHI Quartet, with violinist Ida Kavafian, cellist Fred Sherry, and clarinetist Richard Stoltzman in 1973.

As an advocate for the music of the 20th and 21st centuries, Peter championed the work of Schoenberg, Webern, Berg, Stravinsky, Stefan Wolpe, Messiaen, and premiered works by Luciano Berio, Hans Werner Henze, Alexander Goehr, Leon Kirchner, Oliver Knussen, and Charles Wuorinen.  He gave the world premiere performances of Lieberson’s three piano concertos, Takemitsu’s  riverrun with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Wuorinen’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  His extensive discography encompasses Mozart piano concertos and the complete keyboard works of Schoenberg. He completed a final series of solo recordings for the Vivace label with music of J.S. Bach and C.P.E. Bach in 2019.

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. 
     

    Conservatory Scholarship Fund


    Named Scholarships: 
    • Support one student for one year ($10,000) with a scholarship in your name. Bard will assign a student to hold your named scholarship.
    • Support one student for one semester with a scholarship in your name.
    • Permanently endowed named scholarships can be established with a gift of $200,000 that can be pledged over a five-year period. Bard will assign a student to hold your permanently endowed named scholarship.
    All categories of named scholarships can be designated in your honor, or in honor of a loved one, and will receive prominent recognition in Conservatory concert programs and other Bard publications.
  • 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.
 
Give Now

Naming Opportunities

Classrooms, studios, and performance spaces in the László Z. Bitó ’60 Conservatory Building may be named in recognition of gifts, starting at $25,000. Naming opportunities include:
 
Gift Amount
Entrance Lobby $150,000
Classroom $100,000
Student Lounge $75,000
Percussion Studios $75,000
Green Room Studios $75,000
Teaching Studio $25,000

Thank You to Our Donors

Current Donors to the Làszlò Z. Bitò '60 Conservatory Building

Teaching studios in the László Z. Bitó ’60 Conservatory Building have been named in recognition of donations to the Conservatory’s Endowment Fund.

Teaching studios in the László Z. Bitó ’60 Conservatory Building have been named in recognition of donations to the Conservatory’s Endowment Fund.

  • The Robert L. Martin Director’s Studio
    A gift from Mo, Sharleen, and Eric Wong.
  • The Susan B. Hirschhorn and Arthur Klebanoff Studio
    A gift from Susan B. Hirschhorn and Arthur Klebanoff.
  • The Members of the 2012 Lifetime Learning Institute at Bard College Studio
    A gift from the members of the 2012 Lifetime Learning Institute at Bard College
  • Bettina Baruch Vocal Arts Studio
    A gift from the Bettina Baruch Foundation
  • The Montgomery Furth Studio
    A gift from the family and friends of Montgomery Furth.
  • The de Las Heras Studio
    A gift from Kathy and Gonzalo de Las Heras
Additional support has been provided by these donors.
  • Robert and Marilyn Adams
  • Marshall S. Berland and John E. Johnson
  • Doug and Faith Finnemore
  • Charlotte Furth
  • David Furth and Martha Finnemore
  • Isabella Furth and Everett Howe
  • Jane Furth and August Matzdorf
  • Katherine Gould-Martin and Robert L. Martin
    • In memory of R. Gordon and Edda V. R. Gould
  • Morgan Hilliker
  • Ryan Hilliker
  • Dr. Bertrand Jacobs
  • David and Renée Kaplan
  • Stephen and Belinda Kaye
  • Edna and Gary Lachmund
  • Annemarie Levitt
  • Herbert Morris
  • Peter McCann and Deborah Berke
  • Martin and Lucy Murray
  • Stephen and Sheila Sachs
  • David Schroedel in honor of Esther Srole
  • Martin and Toni Sosnoff
  • Gabriella and Harvey Sperry
  • Charles P. Stevenson Jr.
Donations of pianos, a harp, and a harpsichord for the teaching studios in the László Z. Bitó ’60 Conservatory Building were made by the following friends and alumni/ae of the Bard College.
  • Barbara J. Atwood-Fukuda
  • Kimball Chase Atwood
  • Jane Evelyn Atwood’70
  • Nathaniel B. Atwood
  • Catherine Cattabiani ’77 and Elizabeth Askew
  • The Furth Family
  • Elizabeth and Gary Munch

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].

Bard Conservatory
Bard College
Conservatory of Music
30 Campus Road
Annandale-on-Hudson
New York 12504-5000
845-758-7196
[email protected]
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All photos by Karl Rabe unless stated otherwise.