BCOM Chronicle BCOM...And play on  Vol. 2, Issue 1 December 2018

The mission of the Bard Conservatory Alumni Associations (BCCM/VAP) is to create a lifelong community of alumni through increased opportunities for meaningful engagement, in order to increase awareness, pride, participation, and philanthropic commitment to the Conservatory, its current students, and alumni. This bi-annual newsletter serves to provide a consistent forum for students and alumni/ae to connect with one another and the Conservatory-at-large. To keep in touch, take a moment and fill out our Google Form .

Undergraduate Updates Frances Lee UG '14 is currently pursuing her DMA at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston, TX, where she studies with Brian Connelly. She recently gave a talk about Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, which was, coincidentally, also the topic of her Senior Project at Bard.

The Dortmund Philharmonic performing with Marc Romboy.

After completing her studies at Bard, Yang Li UG '12, earned her master of music at The Juilliard School in 2014. Following her degree at Juilliard, Yang relocated to Germany to study with Christoph Schickedanz in Hamburg, and she has been the Concertmaster of the Dortmund Philharmonic since 2016.

Andrés Martínez de Velasco UG '15 is currently living in Berlin, Germany, where he is completing his Ph.D. in Physics at the Max Planck Institute. He just recently completed a talk at the Institute about the history of time reversal, and he plans to continue to study physics from the historical angle, as he believes that studying the history of physics allows for a deeper understanding of the field, as well as a better understanding of how scientific ideas have developed. Since graduating from Bard, Szilard Molnar UG '14, has completed his master's and artist diploma degrees in horn at the University of Miami, Frost School of Music. He is currently enjoying an active orchestral career with the Florida Grand Opera, Palm Beach Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (Punta Gorda, FL), the Miami City Ballet, and the Atlantic Classical Orchestra. Avery Morris UG '18 just began her master's degree this Fall at the University of Ottawa, where she is studying with Yehonatan Berick. Additionally, she won a two-year position with the Ottawa Symphony, and she is the assistant principal of the Ottawa Pops Orchestra.

Noemi Sallai UG '16 recently completed her master's degree in Clarinet Performance at The Juilliard School. This fall, she was awarded the Clarinet Fellowship in Carnegie Hall's Ensemble Connect series, which will run from 2018 through 2020. She was also the winner of 2018 PRISMA Competition in Canada.

Noemi is pictured here with the rest of Ensemble Connect.

Graduate Updates

Illustration by Eleanor Taylor

Lucy Dhegrae VAP '12 founded the Resonant Bodies Festival in 2013, which has since expanded from New York City to Chicago, and Sydney, Australia, and it was featured in The New Yorker back in September. She was recently featured on Christopher Trapani's new album, Waterlines , with the Talea Ensemble, and she traveled to Dublin, Ireland in November to workshop Donnacha Dennehy's new opera, Custom of the Coast, with the Aizuri Quartet. And, if all of that isn't impressive enough, she was selected as one of the first Fellows with Turn the Spotlight , a new organization that is "empowering leaders on stage and behind the scenes to create a more equitable future in the arts."

Aiden Feltkamp VAP '16 was recently appointed as the first-ever Director of Emerging Composers and Diversity of the American Composers Orchestra, and he was named one of Musical America Worldwide's Top Professionals of the Year ! This spring, Aiden hosted a panel about Gender Representation in New Opera at the New Music Gathering and participated on a panel about gender hosted by the New York Opera Alliance with Cori Ellison, Mark Adamo, Jecca Barry, Steven Osgood, and Anthony Roth Costanzo. He also wrote supplemental program materials for the Æpex Contemporary Ensemble 's production of  As One , composed by Laura Kaminsky in Ann Arbor, MI.

Abi Levis VAP '13 has had an extremely busy 2018, performing across the United States in New York City, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Philadelphia, and Dallas. She also won awards from the Sullivan Foundation, the Gerda Lissner Foundation, Shreveport Opera Competition, the Deborah Voigt Competition, and the McCammon Competition. This fall, she joined the Ensemble at the Luzerner Theatre in Lucerne, Switzerland. She recently performed the role of Stephano in Romeo et Juliette , and later this season she will appear as Zerlina in Don Giovanni and as the title role in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice .

Abi performing Flora in La Traviata at Deutsche Oper Berlin in 2016,

Andrew Munn VAP '16 completed his graduate diploma at The Juilliard School this past May. Following graduation, he was a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theater of St. Louis , where he played Doctor Grenvil in La Traviata . In August, he made the leap across the pond to Berlin, Germany where he is now living. He performed the role of Seneca in L'incoronazione di Poppea with the Berlin Opera Academy, and in January, he will make his debut at Opera Szczecin in Phillip Glass's The Trial , portraying the roles of Inspector and Uncle Albert.

Alumni/ae Interviews

Undergraduate Program Sabrina Tabby '14 It was so lovely to be able to chat with Sabrina Tabby, class of 2014, a few weeks ago about her life since Bard, which has been anything but uneventful! After graduating from Bard, she went on to earn her master's at Northwestern University. And, since 2016, she has been performing around the world with her string quartet, ATYLS . Check out what she has to say about the life she's made for herself in music, as well as the incredible advice she has for current students and recent alums.

What are you up to nowadays? Where are you currently based? I am currently living the nomadic life. My fiancé is in Minneapolis, soon to be Quad Cities, Iowa, so I’m there pretty often. My quartet mates live respectively in Chicago, Philadelphia (my hometown!), and Los Angeles, and so we hop around from place to place. I also play with Contemporaneous in New York City as much as I can. It’s always exciting! You’re doing a LOT of performing with your string quartet, ATLYS. How did you all meet? We met in Chicago, and knew each other through various avenues, but we met “formally” through the Civic Orchestra of Chicago , which is the pre-professional training orchestra for the Chicago Symphony. We decided to form a quartet because all of us were interested in playing non-traditional, “crossover” string quartet music--we wanted to play indie/pop/world music and collaborate with other artists--not your typical quartet stuff. Now we’re incorporating 4-way looping pedals into our compositions! We wanted to see how far we could take the string quartet genre. Can you describe how your group has evolved over the last few years? Well, let’s see...our very first public performance together as a quartet was at sea! We spent ten months of 2017 on a cruise ship through Lincoln Center Stage. Lincoln Center Stage is under the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center umbrella, so we were representing them all over the world. We auditioned for them as a pre-formed quartet, seeing that it was a great opportunity for us to rack up performance experience together, get tight, and to make some music videos in amazing locations all around the world.

After we finished our time at sea, we decided to try out some tours on land. So, in 2018 we organized tours in Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, and New Mexico. We were able to collaborate with singers, composers, dancers--really all kinds of artists. For instance, in Dallas, Texas, we worked with Das Blumlein Project . They’re two sopranos, and we did this very cool interdisciplinary project with them including dancers, videographers, and textile artists. And now we’re signed with Brave Enough Artist Agency , based in Nashville, TN!

What kind of collaborations and projects do you have coming up this season? Well, the next big thing we have coming up is another cruise contract, through the Lincoln Center Stage, on the Holland America Line. We are actually going to be with them for this ship’s inaugural voyage, and Oprah is going to be there! We definitely thought it was an opportunity that we shouldn’t pass up. We’ll get back from the cruise in early 2019, and after that, we actually have about twelve performances lined up with different colleges and universities around the US, which is pretty exciting. We’re looking forward to really honing our own identity as a string quartet. I also just won a job with the Quad City Symphony in the violin section, so I’ll be playing with them for about six concerts a year. And, I still play with Contemporaneous in NYC as much as I can. I feel very lucky! What was your non-music degree in, and how has that influenced what you do currently? I was a French studies major, and I found that it complimented my violin and musicological studies quite effortlessly. I was able to take a lot of French music history classes, and I was even able to incorporate my music studies into my French senior project. Bard is where I gained confidence in my writing, which is a precious tool, especially for my quartet. Anytime we have to write something--an application, a grant proposal, a newsletter to our fans, a delicate email--I’m the one who does it. Not to mention that I learned all about time management! What is your favorite memory from your time at Bard and why? It’s hard to choose one! The orchestra and chamber music tours to China and Eastern Europe were incredible, and I got to study abroad in Paris. But, I have to say one of my favorite memories from Bard is from my sophomore year when the Conservatory basically took over an entire floor in the Village F Dorm. Every Thursday, just about the entire conservatory would come over after the orchestra rehearsal, and celebrate an early start to the weekend! The tradition continued through graduation! It’s definitely one of my quintessential Bard memories. What is the most important piece of advice that you would give to current students and recent alumni?  For current students, I know this is controversial--but I think my most important piece of advice is to just say “yes” to opportunities. I know that the double-degree is busy, and it feels like you need to safeguard your time, but because I just said “yes” to performing at such a formative stage in my musical life, I graduated with what I feel like is unparalleled performance experience, an ability to prepare for multiple concerts (and different genres!) simultaneously, and a feeling of comfort and confidence in front of an audience. That’s how I got involved with Contemporaneous, and I am still working with them and getting paid to do it! You might not even realize how unique Bard is in that there is so much art happening on campus, not just in the Conservatory, so take advantage of it all! For recent alums, I think the same thing goes. Say “yes” to what you can--it’s how you network. And you should treat every performance, no matter what it is, like the most important performance you’ll ever give. Come prepared to rehearsals, put in the practice time, because you never know who could be listening! And, it’s just good practice because then that kind of playing will become your habit, your default. When a performance comes along that feels important, you’ll have the experience of preparing and performing at your best!

For more information about Sabrina, you can visit ATLYS's website here !

Vocal Arts Program Julia Bullock, Class of 2011 It was a real treat to talk with Julia Bullock, class of 2011, at the end of November. Since graduating from Bard, she has embarked upon an incredible career. In just the past year, she made debuts at Santa Fe Opera, San Francisco Opera, Dutch National Opera, and Festival d'Aix en Provence. In addition to her residency at the Met Museum this year, she will be returning to the Dutch National Opera for the European premiere of Girls of the Golden West and performing in the world premiere of Zauberland at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris, and premiering Terence Blanchard's Fire Shut Up in My Bones at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis.

You have this incredible residency going on this season at the MET Museum, which began in September to rave reviews. Can you describe the last program that you performed in the series at the beginning of December? Sure, yes! One of the nicest things about this residency is that I'm able to see whether there's any overlap or any conversation to be had between my work and development as a performer while also looking at the development of the Met itself and everything that it has always intended to do. So, with the Langston Hughes Program [referring to A Dream Deferred: Langston Hughes in Song which was performed on December, 2, 2018], I had already done a lot of research on Hughes settings while I was getting my master's at Bard, actually. And, in preparations for the residency, I read an autobiography about Thomas Hoving, about his time as the director of the Metropolitan Museum, and he put on this program called Harlem on My Mind in 1969. It was a controversial show for several different reasons, but one of the reasons is that the artistic black community felt they were not well represented in that show and that there was no other artwork, by black Americans in the museum, at that time. The positive outcomes are that tens of thousands of people came to the museum because of the controversy around the show; because of the excitement around the show, as there was nothing else like it at any museum in the world. Ultimately, the best thing that came out of it is that it sparked conversations across the country about how black Americans were represented in arts institutions. However, it still took the Met museum almost 50 years to put on an exhibit that featured black artists in a major way. So, with this program, I wanted to honor the Met’s history and their intentions. And I focused on Langston Hughes because from the beginning of his career through today, so many composers in various genres wanted to set his music, and the beauty is that Hughes wanted to write music himself, so a lot of the things that he wrote had a kind of musical sense about them. What has been so powerful, appalling, and shocking, and moving while reading the 700 pages of Hughes’ collected poems, is that there are several poems from the 1940's to the 1960's that talk about gun violence, and gun violence against young children--all things that are still plaguing us in America, which he wrote about in a very poignant and real way. Through both the poetry readings, and also through the settings that I selected for this concert, I'm hoping to give audiences an experience of Langston Hughes that is about America, that is about New York, that is about the black American experience, and is just about the human experience. There are many ways human experiences to be set aside because they're uncomfortable. So, to bring them to the forefront and have the courage to do that--that's a huge, huge thing and is actually the most important thing about this concert for me.

Julia's Artist Portrait with Carnegie Hall You also have a recital tour this season that includes Schubert, Fauré, Barber, and Josephine Baker songs. How did you come up with this particular program? Well, I had just performed these Schubert songs at the La Phil on a project with Yuval Sharon. He paired Schubert alongside these Beckett plays, and it was such a neat project. One of the poems that I sang on that program, and also that I had remembered from a class that I had at Bard, Suleika I, was originally attributed to Goethe, when in actuality, it was written by his lover, Marianne von Willemer. Apart from that I had already done a lot of research on blues singers and songwriters, and I was so surprised to find out how many were women--which I just did not know.

There are these blues singers, who are not very well remembered--it's not that they are unknown, but many are not well remembered or even accurately remembered for their writing. This got me thinking about how women, especially in Western society, are often not credited for their work. That got me thinking about how to focus on the woman's voice, in some way. I thought that the Chanson d’Eve could be interesting by just focusing on the voice of this woman and her process of coming into communion with her environment. While considering women, black women, and wondering what other songs could fit with a program and the more existential questions that came with the Fauré, the Hermit Songs written for Leontyne Price by Samuel Barber seemed like a natural fit. Funny enough, this was actually the least amount of composers I'd ever performed on a recital program. Usually I have 10 or 15 composers, and I usually don't have full song cycles or many things from the traditional canon. So, in that way, this was a departure point for me. But, in a good way. I wanted to introduce and contextualize some of this material without being pedantic about it. I'm not ever wanting to “school” my audience--that's not my goal. But, one thing I did learn in programming at Bard, through classes that we took, is that it’s actually a good idea to find a context for what you're performing. You don't want a gimmick, but just something to help guide and focus people. Most people in the audience are not spending all of their time analyzing this material, and it's a lot to take in, with the words and music, especially if it's something they've never come across before. So, it just kind of helps orient everyone. And, it also helps to orient me, because it's a long time to be up there for two hours! You are a founding core member of American Modern Opera Company . How did this ensemble come to fruition? What has it been like to be a part of, and what kind of projects do you hope to be able to see come to life with it in the future? I’ll start by saying that the word “opera” itself, in Italian means “work.” Opera has always been developed through a collaboration of multiple artists and multiple art forms. One thing that has started happening, though, is that when you say the word “opera,” no single kind of image comes to mind. Although, one kind of experience does come to mind, but if you just get down to the roots of it, is about work through collaboration. It's about how art forms can influence each other. So, all of the people in this group each have their own paths and are very much driven in their own practices, and they're also aware of the fact that some of the greatest things come out of interaction with other creative minds. Zack Winokur [one of the artistic directors of AMOC] is a young director that I met while I was at Juilliard. And, even though I'd seen none of his work, I just loved how he spoke about art; I loved the way that we talked about how we experienced other people's work, and also our intentions in our own work seemed to be aligned along the same path. So when he asked if I wanted to be a part of this artist collective, I said yes. Now we’ve got this coalition, or collective, of artists, and we're going to see what is possible. El Niño [a chamber arrangement of this work that Julia adapted of John Adams’ and Peter Sellars’ full orchestral work, El Niño ] is the first AMOC project that's going to be presented in New York City, and it involves almost the entire group. It's a very exciting time, and I think as time goes on, we're going to see if there are larger projects that we can all do together. But, right now it's just about sharing space and ideas and seeing where it goes. There's a shift happening in the business at large about what is important and questions are being posed about the importance of music and art, and we are actually needing to answer these questions. And we're finding new ways and asking ourselves for those answers, and I'm very, very excited about that. Community activism and advocacy seem to be an integral part of your identity as an artist. How did you discover this part of yourself, and how has this shaped and/or changed the way you think about your art? Both of my parents were very much involved in social justice, and it was always at the forefront of their minds. My father was the head of Housing Urban Development for Eastern Missouri, my mother taught, and her last job was working with nonprofits that helped the refugee and homeless community in St Louis. Now, they never put pressure on me about what I needed to do and how I needed to do it, but I did feel that if I was not doing work that is somehow contributing to society and the betterment of society, then it is not really worthy work. It may pay my bills, but it's not actual work. So, even starting in high school, I remember saying to friends, "I don’t know why I'm going into [music] yet." I went through college, and this question was still sort of nagging at me...along with other identity issues that generally come up in college. But coming to a place of resolve about devoting my life to music started happening at Bard, when I was thinking about music’s role in life, generally. Music, in a fundamental way, encourages us to listen to each other and encourages us to engage with each other. It encourages us to connect and to just hold and share space. And, these are lessons that we need. That is why music is important--not because it's just great for the brain or because music and math go together. It is because it helps us relate to reality and relate to external space, and I can't minimize the importance of that. Not just for my life personally, but just generally as a human need. So, I feel that music making is socially conscious because it makes people more conscious. And, it's great that I can volunteer my time to benefit concerts or organizing them because these are concrete things. And, it is great that I can use my platform to talk about things that are important. But, I do not feel that what I'm doing is revolutionary or anything like that. I just think that I'm doing my job and taking the craft that I invest my time in, and that medium, very seriously. I take it for exactly what it is, and I just want to use it and offer it in that way.

How has your education from Bard shaped you as an artist? I feel it has influenced me in every single way and has been so influential in my development. First off, being in a program that had a very different curriculum was a major relief. It is focused on a more holistic approach to training, that is not just about the voice, but is also about helping students become more conscious about what they're doing and why. Because of this, I realized: okay, even if I don't end up performing, there are so many other parts of the music business that I would want to be involved in because they are all very creative, and they do require a lot of imagination. And, that was a great thing. Julia performing with the American Symphony Orchestra in 2012 for her Carnegie Hall debut

Secondly, working with Dawn and Kayo was incredibly influential. I'll just start with Kayo and the way that she structured Core Seminar I. There's so much vocal repertoire, and it's overwhelming, unless you have a way to organize yourself and orient yourself. To have your course of study start by saying, “let's look at all of the settings of this particular poet, let's organize the repertoire by poet,” was incredible. And, then, doing all of my own translations, memorizing my translations and having to present them to the class? I was so angry and stressed my first several weeks of school, because I didn’t feel that I could do all I was being asked to do very well. But, then you start learning a real method for yourself and then, by looking at more and more material, you start to see all of the links to be made. You start to think about who wrote what you're singing, and not just the music itself--but, the composers’ lives and the circumstances around their lives. Music started to take on this other kind of vitality, and it excited the hell out of me. Then, Dawn was very generous with me while I was there. She invited me to sing at a couple of events, which is how I met Peter Sellars. And, it was not Dawn trying to pedal her students, because she's not interested in “professional hype.” She's interested in the craft of the work and where that leads you. If that can lead to a career, great, but that's not actually the point of the program, and that was very clear to me. So, my time at Bard was just kind of magical and wonderful. She helped me start to further develop my aesthetic, which is all just focused on offering something that is clear. That is the goal--not something beautiful. Something that is clear and with the intention to be understood. The connections I made through Bard continue to be a part of my life, and that feels wonderful. I'm so happy about that. I have utter, utter joy thinking about that. I was just so inspired during my two years at school by my colleagues and by the teachers. What is your favorite memory from your time at Bard, and why? Wow, that's something to think about! Honestly, there were just so many beautiful days. This was before the new conservatory, so there were many wonderful, quiet days that we had at the Gatehouse. I would hear my colleagues practicing, and one of us would be cooking... One day, we made caramel for each other and dipped in apples that we brought from the orchard near Bard. We just had these idyllic times, and I have countless wonderful memories like that. What is the most important piece of advice that you would give to recent alumni and current students? I’ll start with something that my voice teacher said while I was at Bard. Edith Bers, said: “Start from zero every day.” So, instead of thinking about what you accomplished yesterday, or what you failed at, or what you're wanting to do within an hour, just start from zero every day--with your body and with your mind. Then, build yourself up and see where it goes, so that you're acting from a place of presence, and you're allowing yourself to be open. That feels like the main lesson that Bard teaches. And, I did start to get it! Also, take the advice of the people you respect. Try to look at what they’re modeling and the things that these people have in common. It's not just how they do things or what they've done, but how did they tread through life? I think that these are just sort of philosophies to live by. My colleagues from Bard, we've all gone in such different ways. You do need to fight for yourself, and you do need to be an advocate for yourself, but ultimately, as long as you're not fighting too much, there's no reason not to just be where you are. Appreciate your time, and just have music live and breathe around you. And, then it will.

To keep up to date with what Julia is doing, take a look at her website .

Conservatory Spotlight

The fall semester here at the Conservatory has been busy as ever. Some of the highlights of what has happened here include:

2017 Concerto Competition Winners Featured in TON Concerts this Fall Winners of the 2017 Concerto Competition, Eric Carey (VAP '18) and Zhen Liu (UG '20) were seen in concerts with Bard's The Orchestra Now (TŌN) this fall. Zhen Liu performed as the soloist in the Brahms Violin Concerto at the Fisher Center, and Eric Carey performed Britten's Les Illuminations at Symphony Space in NYC. Conservatory Orchestra The Orchestra season opened with a bang on October 27 with the first concert of the year. The Orchestra performed works from Wagner to our own dear Joan Tower. On December 1, the Orchestra performed the world premiere of Corey Chang ('19)'s piece Persephone Abducted , along with Dvoràk's Cello Concerto, with faculty member Peter Wiley and guest conductor, Xian Zhang. Conducting Student made Walt Disney Concert Hall Debut in October In October, Graduate Conducting student, Renee Louprette ('19), made her Walt Disney Concert Hall Debut. Known as one today's most impressive organists, she presented works traditional organ works, as well as a world premiere by Eve Beglarian, commissioned by the LA Phil.

Vocal Arts Program Students in Master Class with Renée Fleming In November, students in the Graduate Vocal Arts Program had the chance to perform for renowned soprano, Renée Fleming. Five current students had the opportunity to perform, and she also held a brief Q&A session. It was a memorable afternoon! Pictured above are students who performed on the master class with Renée Fleming. PC: Karl Rabe

Faculty Updates

Horns O'Plenty at Bard I n December, faculty members Julia Pilant, Barbara Jöstlein Currie, Julia Landsman, Marka Gustavsson and Robert Martin, performed works by Beethoven, Bach, Boismortier, Carl Nielson, and Robert Planel. It was an evening to remember Joan Tower's 80th Birthday! Beloved faculty member, Joan Tower, turned 80 this Septemeber, and the Conservatory was honored to celebrate her legacy here at Bard and in NYC! Both concerts featured faculty members from across the Conservatory, including Anthony McGill, Laurie Smukler, Raman Ramakrishnan, Blair McMillen, So Percussion, Dawn Upshaw, and Kayo Iwama. Joan received a special surprise from the town of Red Hook, naming September 16 as Joan Tower Music Appreciation Day. She was even highlighted by the New York Times . Below is a photo of the Vocal Arts Program with Dawn Upshaw, following their performance at Joan's Birthday Concert in September.

Bard Welcomes Jason Haaheim and Lera Auerbach to the faculty The Conservatory was thrilled to welcome Jason Haaheim and Lera Auerbach to the faculty this fall. Jason Haaheim joins Eric Cha-Beach and Jason Treuting on the percussion faculty, and Lera Auerbach joins Joan Tower, filling in for George Tsontakis, who is on sabbatical this year. Frank Corliss and Marka Gustavsson in Recital In September, Associate Director Frank Corliss and viola faculty member, Marka Gustavsson presented a recital with guest clarinetist, Mark Markham. They performed works by Mozart, Kurtag, and Brahms. James Bagwell Enjoys a Busy Fall Season Co-director of the Graduate Conducting Program, James Bagwell, has enjoyed an extremely busy fall season! In addition to conducting the Conservatory's fall performance of Psycho , he has conducted TON at the Fisher Center and Symphony Space in the city, and he conducted Britten's War Requiem with the Tulsa Symphony in November.

Dawn Upshaw Resigns as Artistic Director of Graduate Vocal Arts Program and Stephanie Blythe Appointed to Succeed Her Bard College announces the appointment of celebrated opera singer and recitalist Stephanie Blythe as artistic director of the Graduate Vocal Arts Program (VAP) beginning in July 2019. Ms. Blythe will be succeeding current artistic director and founder of the program, Dawn Upshaw, who is resigning her position in June, but will remain connected to the program through the VAP alumni and VAP Alumni Board. Of her new appointment, Ms. Blythe says “Life is full of extraordinary journeys. Some are planned, some are hoped for, and some are joyful surprises. My appointment to this wonderful institution is a bit of all three. I have dreamed of joining the academic world for some time, but assuredly, becoming part of the VAP at Bard is beyond my wildest dreams,” she said. “I look forward to continuing the legacy created by Dawn Upshaw—to upholding the musical and educational values of the VAP, while looking ahead to the future development of this marvelous and singular program.”

The Conservatory is very excited to welcome Ms. Blythe! To read the full press release from Bard, click here .

In Remembrance

Harold Farberman 1929-2018 Bard Conservatory mourns the loss of long-time faculty member and director of the Graduate Orchestral Conducting Program, Harold Farberman. Maestro Farberman was a dedicated musician and teacher, and he taught until two weeks prior to his death. Below is a message from Bard College President Leon Botstein.

"I regret to inform the Bard community of the death, on November 24, of Harold Farberman, who died peacefully at his home in Germantown surrounded by his wife, Corrine Curry, their children, and grandchildren. Maestro Farberman was a distinguished composer, conductor, and teacher of conducting who was born in New York to a family of Klezmer musicians eighty-nine years ago.  Maestro Farberman joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra as a percussionist at the age of twenty-two. He remained with the BSO for more than a decade before branching out as a composer and conductor. He studied percussion at Juilliard and composition at the New England Conservatory and at Tanglewood, with Aaron Copland. His opera The Losers was commissioned to open the Julliard Opera Theater in 1971. Farberman served as music director of the Oakland Symphony in the 1970s and made pioneering recordings of the music of Ives and Mahler. He was a frequent guest conductor around the world.  In 1976 Farberman founded the Conductors Guild and began to train young conductors. During the last four decades of his career, he founded The Conductors Institute; published a text book on conducting, The Art of Conducting Technique; and achieved international fame as a fierce, demanding, and inspiring teacher. Among his pupils are Marin Alsop, music director of the Baltimore and São Paulo Symphony Orchestras. He began teaching conducting at Bard in the summer of 1999 and continued to do so until his death. A memorial service was held in the performance space at the Bíto Conservatory Building on Saturday, December 8. Donations in Harold Faberman's memory may be made to the Farberman Fund of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, either by mail or online at  http://annandaleonline.org/conservatory .

We Want to Keep in Touch!

To be featured in the next issue, fill out our Google Form! Alumni Officers   Christopher Caroll ‘13 [email protected] James Habor ‘14  [email protected] Vocal Arts Program Alumni Board Members [email protected] Lucy Dhegrae ‘12 Aiden Feltkamp '16 Matthew Morris ‘12 Devony Smith '14 Nathaniel Sullivan '17 Melissa Wegner ‘08 Katie Rossiter, ‘17 (college liason)

Play Your Part...Make a Gift to the Conservatory Today! The conservatory received a $2.5 million challenge grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to create an endowment for the conservatory's unique dual-degree program. Please help us meet our match and continue the mission of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, to provide the best possible preparation for a person dedicated to a life immersed in the creation and performance of music. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram @bardcollegeconservatory

‌ ‌