Graduate Conducting Program
Offering tracks in choral and orchestral conducting, the Graduate Conducting Program of the Bard College Conservatory of Music is a two-year curriculum that culminates in the master of music (MM) degree.
Led by renowned conductors James Bagwell and Leon Botstein, the program equips its graduates with the broad-based skills and experience necessary to meet the special opportunities and challenges of a conducting or conducting-related career in the 21st century.
The program’s two tracks (concentrations)—orchestral conducting and choral conducting—have significant overlap.
The program balances a respect for established traditions with the flexibility and curiosity needed to keep abreast of evolving musical ideas.
Unique to the program is its access to the varied resources at Bard: the Conductors Chorus, the Orchestral Conductors Ensemble, the orchestra and chorus of the Bard Music Festival, and other affiliated music programs.