Orchestra Studies Program

Welcome Letter from Director of Orchestra Studies Erica Kiesewetter

 

Dear Bard Conservatory Orchestra members (including pianists),

Welcome in advance to the Bard Conservatory Orchestra! I am the Director of Orchestral Studies. Andres Rivas is our assistant conductor, Hsiao-Fang is the orchestra manager, and Viktor is the librarian assistant. We are looking forward to getting to know and hearing you. We would like to tell you few things about the orchestra to help you to prepare for the rehearsals and concerts.

First of all, here is the list of things you should bring to Bard with you:

  • All black (long) dress or suit or Tuxedo (Please see below for concert dress code)
  • White shirt and Black shirt
  • Black dress shoes (no open toe)
  • Folding stands
  • Portable stand light
  • Tuner and Metronome
  • Musician earplugs (important!)
  • String players: mute that stays on instrument
  • String players: extra set of strings
  • String players: rehair your bow before you come
  • Bass players: your own bass stool

 

As always, we have an exciting season planned for the orchestra; you can see below the repertoire for Fall 2022. I did want to reach out especially to the freshmen and other new players to give you a heads up about the placement auditions. Usually they are held the first weekend of each semester. These are valuable in and of themselves, as you will be taking many auditions in your lives. This can get you more familiar with the process. I will give an audition prep class for first year students during L & T (time TBD), this will give you an idea of how to prepare the placement audition.

This coming semester there will indeed be auditions (on Sept 3, 4 and 5), but in certain sections where there are many known players who have already won principal spots the first concert will be assigned. (violin, viola, cello, oboe, bassoon, trumpet). The seatings can be found here as they are put up: (please use your bard account to access this link)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13KPgvYBKIrvHUYKgooApI3uiZ0PrdvAL9tVbI3sMru0/edit?usp=sharing

Just some details: The auditions are behind a screen to reproduce a professional orchestral audition as much as possible, and to guarantee anonymity. These are heard by a small panel of judges from the faculty, and then those impressions are conveyed to your studio faculty, who confer about the final decision.  You are encouraged to get a hold of their comments in the weeks after the audition. The repertoire varies from instrument to instrument; in the strings and harp we tend to have selections from the actual repertoire for the semester. In the winds brass and percussion, it may be a mixture or only standard repertoire. Some professors allow for a solo first, some not.  Please find the audition repertoire here:

Fall 2022 Audition Repertoire (please use your Bard account to access the list)

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19A0od8B-m4TM_81b2QK1ALqWVAt9ffn3?usp=sharing

The main point here is not to fret or worry about this, but to give yourself time to learn the music and do as well as you can. I strongly advise listening to the pieces and even looking at a score online. A good audition shows not only that you know the notes in the right tempo, etc, but that you are showing that you have heard the piece and know how your part fits in. It is more fun to practice that way, too!

In the orchestra, APS and Master degree players are here in a special pre-professional capacity and as such will be asked to play a number of projects besides the regular orchestra and chamber music concerts, and that information about this will be forthcoming.

We know there is a lot of information coming at you, and a lot of emails. You will be able to find lots of handy information, and our orchestra calendar here:

https://blogs.bard.edu/conservatory-wiki/home/conservatory-calendars/

 

 

Please feel free to email any of us with any questions, and see you soon!

 

 

Here is the rep for Fall 2022

October 22 & 23 Family Weekend Concert with Leon Botstein at the Fisher Center

·       William Grant Still ” Fanfare for American War Heroes”

·       Ives Decoration Day

·       Ives Three Places in New England

·       Beethoven Symphony 9
November 4 Cage Tribute concert with Tan Dun at the Fisher Center

·       Program TBD
December 3

 

 Concert with Leon Botstein at the Fisher Center

·       Nutcracker complete

 

Here is the seating chart for Fall 2022: (it will be updated after the placement audition, please use your Bard email account to access this file)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13KPgvYBKIrvHUYKgooApI3uiZ0PrdvAL9tVbI3sMru0/edit?usp=sharing

  

THE ABSENCE REQUEST FORM

Absence Request Form is available online at:

Bard Conservatory Absence Request Form

https://blogs.bard.edu/conservatory-wiki/resources-and-guides/absence-request/

 

An Absence Request Form must be submitted and approved by the Conservatory in advance of accepting any outside commitments.

 

 

ABSENCES FOR PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Any absence for outside professional activities (even very brief periods of time, e.g., auditions, performances, etc.) will only be deemed an excused absence upon Conservatory approval, following submission of the completed Absence Request Form as stated above. We will do our very best to respond to requests as quickly as possible.

Students are expected to be in residence, living on or near campus while school is in session, and any absence from a curricular activity (for non-emergency reasons) requires submission of an Absence Request Form in advance in order to be considered an excused absence. This includes playing in students/faculty recitals, concerts, and any other outside engagement.
*Important: Students should not accept any outside professional engagements or events/performances that conflict with your current class/rehearsal schedule that occur during the school year without first receiving permission from the conservatory.

 

 

Concert Dress Code

Category A

Black tuxedo with white shirt and black bow tie, black socks and polished black shoes.

Category B

Ankle length black dress with full skirt or black full palazzo pants, tailored black pants, or long skirt and blouse (sleeves past elbow, no décolletage, no sheer fabric), black hosiery, formal black shoes

OR

Professional black suit with black shirt

OR

Wide elegant long black pants or long sleeved, wide-leg, black jumpsuit

No Perfume or strong cologne

No sandals or sneakers

No skinny jeans, leggings, slit skirt

 

PDF Download of Welcome Letter:

[gview file=”https://blogs.bard.edu/conservatory-wiki/files/2022/07/2022-2023-Welcome-Letter-from-Director-of-Orchestra-Studies-Erica-Kiesewetter.pdf”]

 

By admin4ws