For Prospect, Ian Bostridge Praises Bard’s Commitment to “The Saving Grace of the Humanities”
Ian Bostridge.
Ian Bostridge, the renowned tenor and musical scholar who gave the last Anthony Hecht Lectures in the Humanities at Bard, wrote of Bard’s excellence and commitment to the liberal arts for Prospect magazine. “Leon Botstein has been president of Bard for an extraordinary half-century,” Bostridge writes, “and he has created a college that is committed to the saving grace of the humanities in an age when the humanities seem constantly under attack.” Reflecting on his experience traveling to Bard to give the Hecht Lectures, Bostridge praises Bard for its openness to experimentation, which doesn’t come at the cost of rigor. “This is by no means an ivory tower; at the same time, there are no compromises on the centrality of the humanities to a proper education,” he writes.
The Anthony Hecht Lectures in the Humanities at Bard College were established in 2007 to honor the memory of this preeminent poet by reflecting his lifelong interest in literature, music, the visual arts, and our cultural history. Anthony Hecht graduated from Bard in 1944 and taught at the College from 1952–55 and 1962–66. Every two years a distinguished scholar delivers a series of lectures at Bard College and in New York City that addresses works close to Hecht’s own imagination and sympathies. Previous Hecht Lecture Series speakers include literary scholar and author Christopher Ricks; historian, critic, author, and broadcaster Simon Schama; renowned historian Garry Wills; classics scholar Mary Beard; literary critic and musicologist Daniel Albright; and artist and designer Maya Lin.
Post Date: 01-07-2026
The Anthony Hecht Lectures in the Humanities at Bard College were established in 2007 to honor the memory of this preeminent poet by reflecting his lifelong interest in literature, music, the visual arts, and our cultural history. Anthony Hecht graduated from Bard in 1944 and taught at the College from 1952–55 and 1962–66. Every two years a distinguished scholar delivers a series of lectures at Bard College and in New York City that addresses works close to Hecht’s own imagination and sympathies. Previous Hecht Lecture Series speakers include literary scholar and author Christopher Ricks; historian, critic, author, and broadcaster Simon Schama; renowned historian Garry Wills; classics scholar Mary Beard; literary critic and musicologist Daniel Albright; and artist and designer Maya Lin.
Post Date: 01-07-2026