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Bard Conservatory Orchestra
- Music Director – Leon Botstein
- Director of Orchestral Studies – Erica Kiesewetter <[email protected]>
- Orchestra Manager – Hsiao-Fang Lin <[email protected]>
- Orchestra Librarian – Sebastian Danila
- Assistant Orchestra Librarian – Viktor Toth
- Assistant Conductor and Orchestra Assistant – Nicolás Gómez Amin
APS and IAP Orchestra Policy
APS and IAP students are required as part of the APS and IAP curriculum to play all regular Conservatory Orchestra concerts. Examples of “regular Conservatory Orchestra Concerts” are: regular Fisher Center concerts, Prison concerts, Benefit concerts, Graduate Conducting Program (GCP) concerts, Conservatory Orchestra run-out/tour concerts, Winter Songfest etc.
In addition to the regular Conservatory Orchestra curricular concerts APS and IAP students are asked, as part of their music curriculum, to participate in up to eight GCP readings each semester. Below are the dates for the fall semester.
9:30-12:30 Olin Hall
Friday, September 12th
Friday October 3rd
Friday October 24th
Friday October 31st
Friday November 7th
Friday, November 21st
Monday, December 1st
Friday December 12th
Please note that some players may be asked to participate in The Orchestra Now (TON) rehearsals and concerts for an honorarium. If you are asked please understand that your first commitment is to the conservatory, and you should not accept anything that would cause you to miss any type of rehearsal, lesson, class, or seminar. You should check with Philip McNaughton, and possibly Erica Kiesewetter and Hsiao-Fang Lin before accepting, and give Philip your schedule once approved.
Conservatory Orchestra Rehearsal Rules
- Generally the stage is open 30 minutes before rehearsal starts. You are welcome to practice your orchestra parts, write in fingerings and bowings etc. at that time. No solos/ concerti or other orchestra excerpts that’s not on the current concert program etc.
- You should be in your rehearsal seat at least 5 minutes before downbeat.
- Practice good hygiene, and do not wear perfumes or colognes to rehearsals or performances.
- Always come to rehearsal prepared with a pencil, your instrument, your mutes, and anything else you need to play your parts.
- There is no food or drink allowed on stage or in the backstage wing space at the Fisher Center. Only water in a closed container on stage is allowed, except for reed cups.
- There is no cell phone/electronic device use allowed during rehearsals. (iPad for reading your music upon approval.)
- Never leave the stage during rehearsal unless it’s an emergency. Please wait until the break to leave the stage, use the bathroom, etc.
- Rehearsal Dress Code: no flip-flops, short shorts, hats, caps, or sunglasses on stage unless needed for medical reasons.
- You are expected to have learned your part before the first rehearsal. If you are a principal player, it is also advised to study the scores so at least you have a sense of when to play. Listening to recordings is useful but only to a degree, as there is no guarantee tempi will be the same, even with a recording by the same conductor!
- Music will be posted well in advance on the Google Classroom site. Confer with Viktor Toth if you would like to have the actual part before the first rehearsal.
- Bring your necessary mutes (String players please have the kind that attaches to your strings) and pencils!!
- Posture is very important to play well, and in the case of string players to convey back the specific energy and mood of a piece. Please refrain from crossing your legs or slumping. If you are having trouble getting comfortable you can talk to the stage crew about getting a different chair at least 15 mins before the rehearsal. (Also feel free to discuss sitting and playing with Erica if you are a violin/viola player, she has some helpful ideas about this if you are not used to playing sitting down.)
- If you need a particular chair please work this out with the stage crew and Hsiao-Fang at least 15 mins prior to the rehearsal. If you can’t make this request at least 15 mins before the rehearsal, we will have to wait until the break to help.
- Approach rehearsal with a positive attitude and a will to improve the orchestra’s collective rendering of the work at hand. We all want to make the most of the time we have together making music.
- Show respect at all times to your colleagues and the conductor. Be engaged and alert, doing so even if you don’t quite feel like it, it has been proven to create that very state.
- Needless to say, no chatting, and please avoid distracting your neighbor with foot-tapping, leg shaking, and the like.
- Even though you think that looking at a player when they have a solo is supportive, it can be unnerving. String players please do not turn around to look at a solo wind player!!
- Leave all personal items in the designated backstage or dressing room area. (Low strings have an area for cases.)
Seating auditions
All orchestral instrument players are required to audition at scheduled times. Each audition will be 10-15 minutes long and include required excerpts. This audition gives the faculty an opportunity to get to know each player both for orchestra and chamber music placement. Please refer to the Google Classroom site and recent emails for more details. A student who is clearly unprepared can be failed on an audition; if this happens the student must re-audition, or risk failing the semester.
Attendance
- The integrated curriculum and the interdependent and collegial nature of the Conservatory program makes attendance at, and promptness to, all lessons, coachings, classes, rehearsals and required performances mandatory.
- 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 Formin advance in order to be considered an excused absence.
- Early departures for, or late returns from, vacations – whether for reasons of reduced travel cost or for another reason – are not considered valid excuses for missing classes, rehearsals, or performances. Please note that we always have a rehearsal on the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week.
- Medical appointments should be scheduled outside of class or rehearsal time if at all possible. If such an appointment must interfere with a class or rehearsal, an Absence Request Formmust be submitted in advance.
- In the case of illness or family emergency, please do your best to notify your assigned conservatory advisor and the appropriate instructor (Erica Kiesewetter and Hsiao-Fang Lin) immediately by phone or e-mail.
- Unexcused absences or excessive tardiness may result in grade penalties, loss of scholarship, probation or, in extreme cases, dismissal from the Conservatory.
THE ABSENCE REQUEST FORM
Absence Request Form is available online at: 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.
*Important: Students should not accept outside professional engagements that occur during the school year without first receiving permission from the conservatory.
Music
Music and often scores for each concert will be available on the Orchestral Training and Repertoire google Classroom site. https://classroom.google.com/u/0/c/NjE1NzU4MzI4MjA0
If you are a principal string player for a concert please confer with Erica and the other principal players regarding bowings. You’re responsible for bringing your music to all rehearsals.
Tuning
- Arrive promptly for rehearsal, with plenty of time to unpack your instrument and warm up.
- BCCO tunes to A 440.
- Only tune, and softly, during the tunings; no warming up or practicing.. Wait to really hear the oboe A before you join in.
- In general try to warm up at a reasonable volume so that your colleagues may do the same.
Concert Dress Code
Only black or clear water bottles are allowed on stage, no labels should be shown on the bottle.
Category A
Black tuxedo with dinner jacket, white shirt and black bow tie, black socks and polished black shoes.
Category B (this is the dress code when we perform opera)
Must be Ankle length black dress (no sheath dress) with full skirt or black full palazzo pants, tailored leg long black pants, or long loose skirt (all black long dress or pants must be leg lengthening without any pattern/ other colors/ decorations) and blouse (sleeves past elbow, no decolletage, no sheer fabric), black hosiery, formal black shoes (no open toe).
OR
Professional black suit without any pattern/other colors/decorations (black dress shirt and blazer, black trouser that are leg lengthening and slightly flared silhouette, black hosiery, formal black shoes (no open toe)
OR
Wide elegant long black pants or long sleeved, wide-leg, black jumpsuit with a black blazer (all black long dress or pants must be leg lengthening without any pattern/other colors/decorations)
No Perfume or strong cologne
No sandals or sneakers
No skinny jeans, leggings, slit skirt
Ensemble
- Enjoy taking on different roles, as leaders and section players. Creating a supportive community within and without your section will help build your team, And pay off musical benefits!
- There is a chain of command from conductor to principal player to section.. If you have a question the principal may be able to ask the maestro/maestra if it is urgent, otherwise wait til the break.. Section players should address questions to their leader ..
- Erica and Nico are in the audience to help with balance, note issues, etc. Feel free to be in touch with us. Occasionally we will send notes to a section with some observations.
- No foot tapping!!
- Most concerts will have at least one sectional for each section. Please come especially prepared to the sectionals. Sectionals are NOT to learn notes, but to work on style and ensemble.
- Parts may be taken home, but it is also advised to have a method whereby you have a practice part with fingerings etc., so you can transfer these to the real part, or bowings to your practice part.
- Treat everyone with the respect you hope to be treated with yourself.. If you are exhausted after a long day, hide your yawn behind your hand or instrument. And try to get engaged; the more you are into the music the more energy you will get back from the experience!
Strings specific
- String players note that the standard is to write fingerings on top of the note if you are an outside player,bottom if you are an inside player . Inside player always turns the pages.
- String players don’t be a stand hog, and inside players work out with your stand partner when they would like the page turned. This is especially important for assistant principals, but really for all.
- String principal players depending on the program you may need to create bowings for some pieces; please confer with Erica and Viktor about this.
- String players pass along bowings as needed to the stand behind you.
Conductors
- Listen and note what the conductor is saying at all times, even if you do not play at that particular spot. This musical decision may affect something elsewhere in the piece. You are encouraged to bring or borrow scores, especially if you are not involved in one or more movements.
- Stop when the conductor stops!!
- If there is a question for the conductor, always start with “Maestro(a),” if you are a section player the question needs to go through the principal player; it is not standard protocol for a section player to address the conductor.
- In order to keep the rehearsal moving along it is recommended to save most questions for the break or after rehearsal, if that is possible. The artistic team will be more than happy to answer a note or balance question, or arrange for you to meet with the maestro/a if that is the best solution.
Concerts
- Be on time or early to call time
- Be sure to check the dress code; if you are not sure if your clothes are appropriate check with Hsiao-Fang in advance!
- Tune well Before the concert starts. We tune to A 440.
- Follow the concertmaster for standing up when the conductor enters, and sitting down. Be alert to solo and/or section bows as indicated by the conductor .
Stage Crew and BCCO team
- There are many people working to make the rehearsals and concerts run smoothly. They want to help, please be sure in return to treat them with courtesy.
Grades
- Grade is based on; Attendance, promptness to rehearsals and concert call times, preparation in auditions and rehearsals, professionalism and courtesy to your colleagues, conductors and team.
Other
Periodically throughout the year there will be opportunities for audition practice, either to prepare for specific auditions or to gain experience in general. Check the website for specific information.