Graduate Vocal Arts Program

Photo by Matt Dine

APPLYING

Applications for the Graduate Vocal Arts Program are due on December 1.

Apply Now

“Svadba” by Ana Sokolovic, March 2018

Important Dates and Deadlines

December 1: Application deadline
Mid-December: Applicants are notified of prescreening results via their Application Portal
Final Audition Recordings Due: February 12
Interviews with Vocal Arts Program Faculty: February 27 and 28
March 1: Financial Aid Application deadline
Mid-March: Final admissions decisions and financial aid packages will be released.
April 15: Enrollment deadline

Requirements for All Applicants

A completed application will contain the following materials, as well as a nonrefundable application fee of $75.00, payable online with a valid credit card or electronic check.

Audition Requirements

Written Materials
1. A résumé, including academic and performance details.
2. A detailed repertoire list of works studied and performed.
3. A personal statement. Please write a brief statement, no more than two pages in length, describing the journey which has led you to apply to the Vocal Arts Program.
Artistic Materials
1. A headshot
2. A prescreening audio recording of three selections meeting the following requirements:
- Genre requirements: Include at least one art song and one operatic aria
- Language requirements: Three languages; one must be English
- Style requirements: One selection must be written in a more modern idiom. (Many works written after 1950 would fall into this category, although works by Stravinsky or Schoenberg, for example, would also be suitable.)
Academic Materials
1. One letter of recommendation
  When prompted in the application, please enter the recommender’s name and email address. The recommender will receive an email with instructions on how to submit the recommendation online.
2. One personal reference
  When prompted in the application, please enter the reference's contact information, which the faculty may use, should they like to reach out for further information.
3. All academic transcripts from schools attended. Please request an official copy of your academic transcript only after you have received your official live audition invitation, and no later than February 15, 2020. Transcripts may also be emailed from the institution directly to conservatoryadmission@bard.edu.

International Applicants: English Proficiency

In addition to the first-year application requirements, non-native speakers of English must demonstrate proficiency in English. They should take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).* TOEFL scores should be sent to the Graduate Vocal Arts Program by the Educational Testing Service. The Bard College school code is 2037. A minimum score of 600 on the paper-based test (PBT) or 100 on the internet-based test (iBT) is recommended for admission. We also accept the IELTS in place of the TOEFL, with a band score of no less than seven.

Other evidence of English-language proficiency will be accepted only with the approval of the Graduate Admission Committee. An application is considered incomplete and cannot be acted upon until the TOEFL score is received. The deadline for TOEFL submissions is February 15.

*Students who have spent the majority of their secondary education in an English-medium program may be eligible for a waiver of the language testing requirement.

Letters of recommendation and transcripts may be mailed to:

Bard College Conservatory of Music
Admissions: VAP
30 Campus Road, PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504