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
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 eight GCP readings each semester. Below are the dates for the fall semester.
9:30-12:30 Olin Hall
Friday Sept 16th
Friday Sept 30th
Monday Oct 17th
Monday Nov 7th
Friday Nov 11th
Monday Nov 14th
Monday Nov 28th
Monday Dec 5th
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 Lilly Cadow, and possibly Erica Kiesewetter and Hsiao-Fang Lin before accepting, and give Lilly your schedule once approved.
Conservatory Orchestra Rehearsal Rules
- 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 is allowed.
- There is no cell phone/electronic device use allowed during rehearsals.
- Do not leave the stage during rehearsal unless it’s an emergency. Please wait until the break to leave the stage, use the bathroom, etc.
Seating auditions
All orchestral instrument players are required to audition at scheduled times. Each audition will be 10 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 Brightspace website 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 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.
- 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 Form must 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:
Bard Conservatory Absence Request Form
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 Brightspace site. https://bardcollege.brightspace.com/d2l/home/11550
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.
Sectionals
Most concerts will have at least one sectional for each section (Strings, winds and brass.) Please come especially prepared to these; these are meant to refine style, not learn notes!
DRESS CODE for the concert:
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:
Must be Ankle length black dress (no sheath dress) with full skirt or black full palazzo pants, tailored leg long black pants, or leg-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
Grades
APS and IAP students receive 3 credits for taking CNSV 562 Graduate Orchestra. Grades are given and appear on transcripts. Attendance, preparedness, attitude, professionalism and audition preparedness all count towards the grade.
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.
Please feel free to contact Erica Kiesewetter , Director of Orchestral Studies, with any questions or concerns.