Led by world-renowned composer and conductor Tan Dun, all undergraduates at Bard College Conservatory of Music pursue a five-year program leading to two degrees: the Bachelor of Music degree and the Bachelor of Arts degree in a field other than music.
The innovative curriculum of The Bard College Conservatory of Music is guided by the principle that musicians should be broadly educated in the liberal arts and sciences in order to achieve their greatest potential.
Why pursue a double degree in music and liberal arts at Bard?
• Supportive community that equally serves the musical and academic goals of young musicians.
• Combine world-class musical training with the broad experience of a strong liberal arts academic program.
Major performance opportunities:
• Bard Conservatory Orchestra: All students in the conservatory participate in orchestra every semester.
• Chamber Music: All students participate in chamber music every semester.
• Concerto Competition: All students have the option to compete every year for the chance to perform as soloist with the Conservatory Orchestra or The Orchestra Now, Bard College’s pre-professional training orchestra
• Orchestra Tours: The Conservatory Orchestra has given tours throughout China, Eastern Europe, and Cuba. In December 2019, they performed Tan Dun’s Buddha Passion, conducted by Tan Dun in Haikou, Hainan, China.
Financial Aid:
• Merit-based and need-based awards available.
• The Inclusive Excellence in Music Scholarship is available to all students applying from populations that have been historically underrepresented in classical music.
• Special merit scholarships available for students in composition, double bass, oboe, bassoon, and brass instruments.
• Bard Conservatory is scholarship partners with the Sphinx Organization College-Bound Program.
Bard Conservatory is also home to the US-China Music Institute. The mission of the US-China Music Institute is to promote the study, performance, and appreciation of music from contemporary China, and to support musical exchange between the United States and China. In partnership with the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing, China), Bard Conservatory offers students the opportunity to pursue performance degrees in the study of traditional Chinese instruments.
Bard College is currently offering in-person campus tours and info sessions; you may schedule a campus tour here. Bard College is also offering limited live virtual tours which you can sign up for here. For information specific to Bard Conservatory or to contact any of our Conservatory faculty members please email us at conservatoryadmission@bard.edu.
