Skip to main content.
Bard Conservatory
  • Menu sub-menuMenu
      Programs
    • Undergraduate Double Degree
    • Graduate Vocal Arts
    • Graduate Conducting
    • Graduate Instrumental Arts
    • Collaborative Piano Fellowship
    • Advanced Performance Studies
    • MA in Chinese Music and Culture
    • US-China Music Institute
    • Preparatory Division
      About
    • Our Story
    • Facilities
    • Staff
    • Faculty
    • Contact Us
      News + Events
    • Newsroom
    • Events
    • Kurtag Festival
    • 20th Anniversary
    • Archive
    • Information For:
    • Admitted Undergraduate Students
    • Admitted Graduate Students
  • Bard Conservatory Logo
  • Apply
  • Inquire
  • Events
  • Support
  • Search

     

     

Music, like all art, engages the mind and the heart.

The mission of the Bard College Conservatory of Music is to provide the best possible preparation for a person dedicated to a life immersed in the creation and performance of music.

More About Us
  • Visiting Bard
    Interested in visiting Bard for a campus tour or performance? 
    Learn More
A singer in front of an orchestra in Olin Hall
Photo by Karl Rabe

Offering Unique Undergraduate and Graduate Programs

  • Undergraduate Double Degree in Liberal Arts and Music Performance (BA and BM)
  • Graduate Degree in Vocal Arts (MM)
  • Graduate Degree in Conducting (MM)
  • Graduate Degree in Instrumental Studies (MM)
  • Master of Arts in Chinese Music and Culture (MA)
  • Advanced Performance Studies 
  • Postgraduate Collaborative Piano Fellowship
Learn More
The Bard Conservatory also offers a Preparatory Division for students ages 3–18.

News

Asher B. Edelman Professor of Music Joan Tower.

Professor Joan Tower Profiled in WHMT and the Daily Catch

"We don’t try to burden our students with our style,” Tower said. “They develop their own voice, which I’m proud of.”

Read More
Opening Friday, October 2, China Now Music Festival, “Chasing Dreams,” Presents Concerts and Discussions at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Bard College, Tempo Performing Arts Center, and Asia Society

Opening Friday, October 2, China Now Music Festival, “Chasing Dreams,” Presents Concerts and Discussions at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Bard College, Tempo Performing Arts Center, and Asia Society

“We aim to tell stories of the shared dreams, resilience, and creativity that connect all of us, American and Chinese alike. Through music, we can be reminded that our histories and aspirations are deeply intertwined,” says Artistic Director Jindong Cai.

Read More
A professional photo portrait of Missy Mazzoli

Bard Composer in Residence Missy Mazzoli featured in the New York Times

“That’s what I like about opera: That it’s a music-driven story where every emotion is taken to an extreme.”

Read More

Upcoming Events and Performances

  • Desirée Ruhstrat, violin, Melissa Reardon, viola, and Wendy Sutter, cello
    10/2
    Friday
    Desirée Ruhstrat, violin, Melissa Reardon, viola, and Wendy Sutter, cello
    “Resilience”

    7:00 pm
    Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space
  • China Now Music Festival: Chasing Dreams at Carnegie Hall
    10/2
    Friday
    China Now Music Festival: Chasing Dreams at Carnegie Hall
    Bard East/West Ensemble and THE RIFT: Opera in One Act 

    7:30 pm
    Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall
  • Joan Tower smiling against a solid red wall. ; Celebration: A Concert honoring Joan Tower's 54th year at Bard, "My longtime home"
    10/3
    Saturday
    Celebration: A Concert honoring Joan Tower's 54th year at Bard, "My longtime home"
    Presented by the Altalena Artists Collective

    4:00 pm
    Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space
  • China Now Music Festival: Chasing Dreams at Asia Society
    10/3
    Saturday
    China Now Music Festival: Chasing Dreams at Asia Society
    US-China Music Forum: Chasing Dreams

    4:30 pm
    Asia Society 725 Park Ave. New York City, NY 10021 United States
  • China Now Music Festival: Chasing Dreams at Kingston
    10/4
    Sunday

    China Now Music Festival: Chasing Dreams at Kingston
    Bard East/West Ensemble conducted by Jindong Cai

    3:00 pm
    TEMPO Performing Arts Center 29 Wurts Street Kingston, NY, 12401 United States

Meet Our Faculty

See All Faculty
  • Jiazhen Zhao
    Guqin

    Jiazhen Zhao

    Zhao Jiazhen is a professor of guqin in the Traditional Music Department at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China. She studied at the Central Conservatory, graduating in 1984. Zhao has performed with the Chinese Symphony Orchestra, Film Orchestra of China, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Brussels Symphony Orchestra of Belgium, and National Orchestra of Taipei City. In 2001 and 2002 she performed in the “World Renowned Musicians and Instruments Concert” at Zhong Shan Hall inside the Forbidden City in Beijing, featuring three priceless guqins from the Tang Dynasty and five Guarneri and Antonio Stradivari violins. Zhao has performed in films such as The History of the Three Kingdoms, Dream of the Red Chamber, Swordsman, Fire on Yuanming Yuan, and Wu Ze Tian. She has also produced more than 10 albums of guqin music. At the 10th annual Independent Music Awards, her album Qin: Masterpieces of Chinese Qin from the Tang Dynasty to Today won best album in the World Traditional Music category.
  • Mark Baechle
    Film Composition

    Mark Baechle

    Mark Baechle is a Swiss-born, New York based composer and music producer. He primarily works in film and television.

    Throughout his 20-year career in the industry, he has collaborated with some of the most acclaimed filmmakers and musicians of our time.

    At the outset of his career he was an assistant to the luminary composers Elliot Goldenthal and John Corigliano.

    Under the aegis of composer Marcelo Zarvos, he provided arrangements and additional music to the acclaimed TV series “Ray Donovan”, “The Affair”, “Extant” and “The Big C”.

    He also arranged, recorded and mixed all the music for “Disney’s Little Einsteins”, a cartoon series introducing art and classical music to children, the soundtrack of which was nominated for a Grammy Award (2007).

    Besides composing his own scores, he’s in demand as an orchestrator for films and, as such, has contributed to the scores of David Newman, Clint Mansell, Nicholas Britell and many more.

    Mark is also active as a composer of vocal, chamber and orchestral music. His work has been performed by notable artists and ensembles (New York Festival of Song, the Ahn Trio, Basel Sinfonietta).

    He studied at the pre-college division of the Academy of Music and Schola Cantorum Basel (Switzerland) and graduated from Berklee College of Music with a BA in Film Scoring.

    Mark is represented by Rochelle Sharpe at Incite Management
  • Shiqi Zhong
    Chinese Percussion

    Shiqi Zhong

    Shiqi Zhong is an acclaimed percussionist and DMA candidate at New York University, recognized for his extensive cross-cultural expertise and academic background in percussion. His varied career spans world, classical, contemporary, and popular music, showcasing his versatility and commitment to advancing the art of percussion.

    A graduate of the China Conservatory of Music Affiliated Middle School, Juilliard Pre-College, Curtis Institute of Music, Yale School of Music, and New York University, Shiqi Zhong’s comprehensive education forms the bedrock of his emerging career. As deputy editor of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) China and board member of the Asian Youth Musician Alliance (AYMA), Shiqi Zhong has made significant contributions to percussion education and outreach. His mentorship has led to the acceptance of his former students into prestigious institutions such as the Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard Pre-College, Manhattan School of Music, and San Francisco Conservatory.

    An active percussionist, Shiqi Zhong has played with renowned ensembles including the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the American Symphony Orchestra, and the Composer Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with esteemed conductors such as Leon Botstein, Xian Zhang, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Vladimir Jurowski, and Osmo Vänskä. As a prominent percussion soloist, Shiqi Zhong has received numerous international accolades, including awards from the World Percussion Competition, the Piazzolla International Music Competition, the PAS KoSA Marimba Competition, and the Singapore Chinese Percussion Competition.

    In addition to his performance career, Shiqi Zhong is an innovative composer. His works include China’s first electronic music and traditional Chinese percussion piece, The Monkey King’s Havoc in Heaven, as well as Unity, a Chinese Drum Ensemble piece, and Nezha, for solo timpani and drum ensemble. His educational method books, Rhythm Master and Handpan for Beginners, reflect his dedication to expanding and bridging cultures through percussion music.

     
  • James Sizemore
    Film Composition

    James Sizemore

    James is a composer and music producer working in the film and television industry. He has worked with composer Howard Shore on over 20 films, producing the score of the Oscar Winning Spotlight and Canadian Screen Award winning The Song of Names, as well as orchestrating the Blockbuster Trilogy The Hobbit.

    He has also worked as an arranger, music editor, music mixer, and composer for many Hollywood films ranging from the additional music he composed for A Dogs Purpose to the additional dark string arrangements in Split.

    In addition to his solo album releases, James’ music can be heard across a wide variety of network television and national ad campaigns.

    He holds a B.A. from Colorado College and an M.M from NYU. In addition to Bard, James has served on the faculty of New York University and the City University of New York, teaching classes on film sound and music. He lives in the Hudson Valley, NY with his wife and daughters.

Preparatory Division Fall Registration Now Open

Apply & Register Here →

Powered by Curator.io

Follow @bardcollegeconservatory on Instagram!

Bard College
Bard College
Conservatory of Music
30 Campus Road
Annandale-on-Hudson
New York 12504-5000
845-758-7196
[email protected]
More Music at Bard: 
Bard Music Program
The Orchestra Now
Musical Mentorship Initiative
Contact Us
Visit the Conservatory
Join our Mailing List
Support Us
Accreditation 
Undergraduate Inquiry Form
Graduate Inquiry Form
Virtual Viewbook
Join the Conversation
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube

All photos by Karl Rabe unless stated otherwise.