Orchestra Policies: Undergraduate
Orchestra Calendars: please check your ASIMUT
Orchestra Programming Suggestion Form
Orchestra Fall 2026 – Spring 2027 Seating
Orchestra Music on google classroom
Welcome Letter from Director of Orchestra Studies Erica Kiesewetter
Fall 2026-Spring 2027
Dear Bard Conservatory Orchestra members (including pianists),
Welcome in advance to the Bard Conservatory Orchestra! I am the Director of Orchestral Studies. Nicolas Gomez Amin is our assistant conductor, Hsiao-Fang Lin is the orchestra manager, and Viktor Toth is the librarian assistant. We are looking forward to getting to know and hear from you. We would like to tell you a few things about the orchestra to help you to prepare for the rehearsals and concerts.
Before we get into details of the orchestra, here are two important links you should save to your phone and computer:
- We will post music and some notices on orchestra google classroom: https://classroom.google.com/c/ODU0ODE4MjA5OTIx?cjc=hryxcw2r
- Here is the orchestra internal wikis page:
https://blogs.bard.edu/conservatory-wiki/programs/orchestra-studies-program/
You can find the orchestra policy, protocols, absences request form, seating assignment, and music link on this website.
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 this academic year. 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 (7pm, August 19 in Bito CPS), this will give you an idea of how to prepare the placement audition.
This coming semester there will indeed be auditions (on Sept 4, 5, 6), but in certain sections where there are many known players who have already won principal spots the first concert will be assigned. 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/11djRomO6nOAvI3CAVbypmnvMmZVpYI-XkqcfMbDr2NQ/edit?usp=drive_link
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 ahold of their comments in the weeks after the audition. The repertoire varies from instrument to instrument; in the strings 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 2026 Audition Repertoire (please use your Bard account to access the list)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1U0rpgDndvpHPXdng_0LPZBpo0smiEpny?usp=sharing
*If you cannot access any google folder, you can use this link to access the audition folder:
https://pan.baidu.com/s/1lzE0StXS391PZidcFzmQFw (passcode: bcom)
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 on asimut.
*please note that all the schedules are on asimut system, not google calendar. You should always check your conservatory schedule (including your lesson and orchestra rehearsals and concerts) on asimut.
Please feel free to email any of us with any questions, and see you soon!
- Erica Kiesewetter, Director of Orchestra Studies <[email protected]>
- Hsiao-Fang Lin, orchestra manager <[email protected]>
- Viktor Toth, librarian assistant <[email protected]>
- Nicolas Gomez Amin, assistant conductor and orchestra assistant < [email protected]>
Here is the rep for 2026-2027
| October 25 and 26 at the Fisher Center, Bard | Family Weekend Concert with Leon Botstein
|
| Dec 11 and 13 at the Fisher Center, Bard | Concert with Leon Botstein
|
| Mar 13 at the Fisher Center, Bard | Concert with Leon Botstein at the Fisher Center
|
| May 8 at Fisher Center | Concert with Tan Dun
|
Here is the seating chart for Fall 2026: (it will be updated after the placement audition, please use your Bard email account to access this file)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11djRomO6nOAvI3CAVbypmnvMmZVpYI-XkqcfMbDr2NQ/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, but please try to put in your request at least 2 week or even a month in advance.
*Important: Students should not accept outside professional engagements that occur during the school year without first receiving permission from the conservatory.
Rehearsal Dress Code
no hats or sunglasses unless you have a doctor’s note.
CONCERT Dress code:
– Only black or clear see-through water bottles are allowed on stage, no labels should be shown on the bottle.
– No Perfume or strong cologne
– No sandals or sneakers
– No skinny jeans, leggings, slit skirt
– All outfits must have black socks or hosiery and polished black shoes (no open-toe)
– All clothes need to be plain black (without any pattern/ other colors/ decorations/ sequins etc)
Category A: BLACK TUXEDO
– Black tuxedo with dinner jacket
– White dress shirt
– Black bow tie
– Tux Pants
– Patent Leather Shoes
*please check here for more information about Tuxedo:
– https://theblacktux.com/blogs/style/tuxedo-styles
Category B: ALL BLACK
- Long-sleeved and Ankle length black dress with full skirt
OR
- Black full palazzo pants/tailored long black pants/ long loose skirt
Long-sleeved blouse (no decolletage, no sheer fabric)
OR
- Professional black suit (trousers and jacket)
black collared dress shirt
no tie
OR
- Wide-leg, black jumpsuit with a black blazer