Undergraduate Double-Degree Program

Strings Studies

In addition to private lessons, string faculty also conduct a weekly class for all members of their studio, giving students the chance to perform for and learn from one another in a supportive environment. The violin and viola students participate in joint, bi-weekly studio classes for all violin or viola students, led by rotating members of the violin and viola faculty. All string studios also present a final recital at the end of each semester. 

Woodwind Studies

BASSOON STUDIES
Led by faculty member, Marc Goldberg, bassoon students receive weekly individual lessons, studio classes, and reed-making classes.

CLARINET STUDIES
The clarinet studio is team-taught by faculty members, David Krakauer and Pascual Martínez-Forteza. Always in close communication with one another, all clarinet students study with both faculty members, allowing students to gain the unique perspective of each. 

FLUTE STUDIES
All flute students study with Dr. Tara Helen O'Connor. Ms. O'Connor is deeply committed to the individual growth of her students through weekly on-campus lessons, chamber music coachings, and studio classes. She says, "my philosophy of teaching is to train students to be thinking, feeling, constantly searching musicians, and to learn to use their bodies and instruments as fully, freely, and economically as possible."

OBOE STUDIES
The oboe faculty at Bard has designed a comprehensive curriculum that addresses orchestral, solo and etude repertoire, as well as reed making, instrument repair, and training on the English horn.  The instructors, Elaine Douvas, Alexandra Knoll, and Ryan Roberts function as a team and foster a supportive group atmosphere. 

One of the three oboe instructors comes to Bard almost every week to give private lessons and a 2-hour class. Group sessions are efficient and valuable because the students benefit from hearing each other and observing the instruction of their fellow students on a weekly basis.
     
The orchestral literature class meets once a month, taught by Ryan Roberts, English hornist of the New York Philharmonic. Fifty complete works are covered in a 3 to 4-year rotation, following a well-outlined syllabus. Students are asked to study two or three major works per month, preparing independently, listening to three recorded examples, using a complete oboe part and a full score. 

Etude class also meets once per month (8x per year) and is taught by Elaine Douvas, principal oboist of the Metropolitan Opera. The entire Barret method is covered in a two to four year cycle, following an organized syllabus. Ferling etudes are added for students in their 3rd, 4th and 5th years and are also taught in private lessons. The oboe faculty seeks to perpetuate the tradition of teaching universal musical principles through etudes, and to prepare students to be effective teachers themselves.

Training on the English horn is essential for all oboists, and English horn class is taught by Ryan Roberts.  

Reed making class is held about 5 times per year, taught by Alexandra Knoll, Principal Oboist of the American Symphony and Acting Associate Principal of the NYC Ballet, although reed making instruction also takes place in individual lessons. Bard owns 2 gougers, an RDG and an Innoledy. Students working in small groups help each other and progress more quickly. Detailed written material is provided.

Repair skills are essential to be able to play the oboe fluently, to handle emergencies, and to become an expert teacher. Repair class, taught by Ryan Roberts, mainly covers adjustment screws, but additional subjects can be covered in one more class, if desired: crack gluing, pad changing, spring changing, octave vent and tone-hole cleaning, and tuning of tone holes.  

In order to prepare students for professional orchestra auditions, two placement auditions are conducted each year at Bard. (The oboe studio uses the eight-semester rotation of audition repertoire used at Juilliard.)

From the faculty, "we hope this course of study sounds exciting for you; we believe you can master all of your repertoire and skills in this well-organized way. We teachers will try our very best to prepare you for a happy life in music!"

Brass Studies

HORN STUDIES
The horn studio at Bard Conservatory is co-taught by Barbara Jöstlein Currie and Hugo Valverde, both members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. They each teach one half of the lessons each semester in consecutive weeks. Horn students also participate in regular masterclasses. Recent guest artists include Julie Landsman, Javier Gandara, Abigail Pack, and James Hampson. Additionally, members of the horn studio take part in weekly studio class, brass class, and chamber music rehearsals and coachings.

TROMBONE STUDIES
All members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the trombone studio is team-taught by Demian Austin, Sasha Romero, Nicholas Schwartz (bass trombone), and Weston Sprott. Students may elect to work with one faculty member as their primary instructor, while still receiving limited lessons with the rest of the faculty.

TRUMPET STUDIES
All trumpet students study with renowned performer and pedagogue, Edward Carroll. In addition to private lessons, trumpet students also particpate in studio classes and brass classes, led by Mr. Carroll. 

TUBA STUDIES
Tuba students at Bard Conservatory study, primarily, with Alec Mawrence and Marcus Rojas, whose varying careers allow students to learn a wealth of musical styles. In addition to their lessons with Mr. Mawrence and Mr. Rojas, students also receive lessons with Derek Fenstermacher. 

Percussion Studies

Led by faculty members Eric Cha-Beach, Jason Haaheim, and Jason Treuting, Bard's percussions studio has an exciting and world-class percussion curriculum that nurtures students' technical skills and musical understanding, as well as giving them the practical performance experience necessary to live a life in music. Students have opportunities to develop orchestral skills, to explore music outside of the western tradition--most notably Gamelan--and to work closely with the John Cage Trust, located on the Bard campus. The percussion studio places a special emphasis on chamber music, in both all-percussion and mixed ensembles, as a tool for creating thoughtful, well-rounded musicians. 

Private Lesson Structure
All percussion students study privately with Eric Cha-Beach, Jason Treuting, and Jason Haaheim (timpani). In addition to private lessons, students play for guest instructors, covering special topics in percussion. In the first two years, students focus on the development of fundamental skills in the major percussion instruments. During the last three years, students deepen their skills in those instruments and collaborate with faculty on a course of study centering on the student's particular music interests. 

Timpani 
Timpani are the foundational percussion instrument of a symphonic orchestra, and all percussion majors at Bard play timpani in the Conservatory Orchestra. In a course designed and led by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra principal timpanist, Jason Haaheim, students will participate in master class presentations, studio class workshops, and observed-lesson sessions, which will collectively address fundamentals, stroke definitions, and effective warmups, as well as a comprehensive approach to tonal vocabulary and timpani sound concepts. Students will also explore the basics on instrument care and maintenance; timpani stool posture, and the ergonomics of complex pedaling and impeccable intonation. The course gives each student a solid foundation of timpani skills and develops confidence and artistry in orchestral playing. 

Percussion Ensemble
All percussion majors study and perform chamber music together as part of Bard's resident student percussion ensemble. The Percussion Ensemble rehearses three or four times per week and receives weekly coachings with faculty members. The Percussion Ensemble presents a concert of chamber music at the end of each semester, both at Bard Conservatory and in the Sō Percussion Studio in Brooklyn, NY. 

Piano Studies

Piano students receive weekly private lessons with one of Bard Conservatory's esteemed piano faculty, Rieko Aizawa, Blair McMillen, or Terrence Wilson. In addition to weekly private lessons, piano students participate in studio classes and frequent guest artist master classes. Through the robust chamber music program, piano students regularly collaborate with their instrumental and vocal colleagues in the Conservatory. 

Performance Opportunities
All piano performance majors present at least three solo recitals during their studies at Bard. The piano studios also participate in semester-long performance projects. Past performance projects have included performances in the annual Kurtág Festival: Signs, Games, and Messages, performances of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel's Das Jahr, Claude Debussy's Preludes, Book II, and a study of piano etudes of the 19th & 20th centuries by Choopin, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev. Additionally, piano students may participate in the annual Concerto Competition for a chance to perform with either the Bard Conservatory Orchestra, The Orchestra Now, or the American Symphony Orchestra. Pianists have the opportunity to work with the singers in the Undergraduate Double Degree Program through the Chamber Music and Diction & Pronunciation Workshops. 

 

Traditional Chinese Instruments

The requirements (by semester) of the bachelor of music degree in the Conservatory are:

• Studio Instruction (all)
• Chinese Ensemble (all)
• Aural Skills (two)
• Conservatory Core Sequence (four)
• Music History (four)
• Graduation Recital

Studio Instruction
Working with outstanding master teachers and their hand-picked graduate assistants from the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM), students benefit from weekly in person instruction with on-site studio teachers, along with regular video-conference sessions with master teachers in Beijing utilizing state-of-the-art technology. The Studio Instruction program includes study abroad in Beijing to work with the master teacher in person while residing on campus at CCOM. A total of three month-long study abroad trips to CCOM are needed to complete Studio Instruction degree requirements.

Chinese Ensemble
Chinese Ensemble provides Chinese instrument majors both large-ensemble and chamber music experience with regular rehearsals and performance opportunities. Students work closely with the ensemble coach and their studio teachers to further develop their skills in ensemble playing, intonation, and musical expression through practical playing experience. At least one major Chinese Ensemble concert with the participation of all Chinese instrument majors will be performed each semester on campus, supplemented by other types of performance opportunities on and off campus throughout the year. Studio teachers assist the ensemble coach as well as performing in ensembles, allowing students to learn firsthand from the playing of more experienced musicians. Mixed ensembles including Western instruments are encouraged. The Chinese Ensemble program is further enriched by master classes and concerts by guest artists. In their first semester, first-year students will also attend 8 special sessions of the Conservatory’s Introduction to Chamber Music to acquire skills in musicianship, rehearsing, ensemble playing, and managing the requirements of the double-degree.

Note: For Chinese instrument majors, Chinese Ensemble is the equivalent to both the Conservatory Chamber Music and Orchestra requirements. Separate enrollment in Chamber Music or Orchestra is not required.

Conservatory Core Sequence for Chinese Music
The Conservatory Core Sequence is a unique four-semester sequence of classes that integrates the study of music theory, music history, and composition in order to give students a richer understanding of these topics as vital and relevant to their work as interpreters:

• Music Theory, Tonal Harmony and Counterpoint – a 2-semester accelerated overview to species counterpoint and traditional harmony. Note: Music theory 1 (Music department) or placement test required.
• Composition for Performers - By learning to compose, students develop a deep understanding of the compositional process, which is an integral skill for all performing musicians. Students produce several original compositions to be performed by themselves and others at a final concert. The class is taught by the Conservatory composition faculty Joan Tower and George Tsontakis, two of our most celebrated composers and teachers of composition. 
• Conservatory Seminar on Chinese Music – This is the capstone class for the Conservatory Core Sequence in Chinese Music, and is designed to give students the ability to place their music making in a larger social, historical, and expressive context. The seminar explores Chinese music and the arts in society. Topics include the political role that music and the arts have played, and continue to play, in modern China’s history, as well as the history of Western music in China and its close association with domestic politics and international diplomacy. This course is taught by the director of the US-China Music Institute, Jindong Cai.

Aural Skills
This sequence of courses provides Conservatory students with skills in sight-singing, harmonics, melodic and rhythmic dictation, clef reading, keyboard harmony, harmonic analysis and other requirements of functional musical literacy. 

Chinese Music History
In addition to the four-semester Conservatory Core Sequence, students are required to take a four-semester music history sequence titled Literature and Language of Chinese Music. In their first semester, students are required to take Literature and Language of Chinese Music I: Introduction. The three remaining semesters provide an in-depth exploration of the development of Chinese instrumental music, folk traditions, and opera. One of these three courses will be offered each semester in rotation and can be taken in any order at any time after the first semester.

Graduation Recital
Students present a full-length recital in the fourth or fifth year of the program. The repertoire is chosen in conjunction with the master teacher and should demonstrate the unique musical strengths and artistic goals of the student.