Dear Families,

We are wrapping up the second week of classes at Bard! It is always exciting this time of year– all of our students are back and the campus is bustling with the students' energy. 

We hope to see many families for Family and Alumni/ae Weekend on October 27-29, 2023. Please stay tuned for the schedule of events. Festivities this season include our highly popular classes, tours, Bard Men’s Soccer playing Skidmore (it’s Senior Day too), and the Bard Conservatory Orchestra with maestro Leon Botstein performing works by faculty members Joan Tower and Marcus Roberts at the Fisher Center.  

If you are able to join us, we recommend making travel arrangements now. You can find a list of nearby hotels here. Registration will be live soon.

The 20th anniversary season of the Fisher Center continues. Music Director Leon Botstein opens The Orchestra Now’s (TŌN) ninth season on September 15 with a concert including the vibrant and festive melodies of Franz Lehár and the Strauss brothers, and Mahler’s beautifully tragic Sixth Symphony. The concert will be both in-person and livestreamed. Purchase your tickets here. 

The following weekend, on Saturday, September 23, Bard’s Women’s Soccer team takes on Ithaca College in Annandale, you can come to cheer them on in person, or watch live online. Go Raptors!  

This year's Hannah Arendt Conference: Friendship and Politics will be on October 12 and October 13. Every year, students, thinkers, artists, writers gather at our campus in Annandale for two days of exploration into a pressing contemporary issue. The full conference will be available to stream live online if you cannot attend in person. View all of the details here.

Best wishes,
Sasha Boak-Kelly

P.S. A few important dates to keep in mind:
September 13th (this Wednesday) is the last day of Drop/Add
October 9th-10th is Fall Break
October 27th-29th is Family Weekend