Bard Conservatory Celebrates 20 Years with Landmark Lincoln Center Concert on October 29

Dual Milestone Event Honors Bard College Conservatory’s 20th Anniversary and Leon Botstein’s 50th Year as President, Highlighting a Half-Century of Classical Music and Higher Education

On the evening of October 29, 2025, Bard Conservatory of Music will mark its 20th anniversary with a landmark performance “Innovation and Legacy: An Anniversary Celebration with Bard Conservatory Orchestra” at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, celebrating two interwoven milestones: the Conservatory’s founding in 2005 and President Leon Botstein’s 50th year of leadership at Bard College. The celebration marks a historic moment of leadership and legacy, reflecting Bard’s longstanding commitment to the transformative power of classical music in higher education and in society as a whole.

In keeping with this vision, the evening’s program offers a dialogue between eras, cultures, and ideas. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, a universally beloved cornerstone of the classical canon, will be conducted by President Botsteinand performed by the Bard Conservatory Orchestra and a distinguished chorus, including soloist, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, artistic director of Bard’s Graduate Vocal Arts Program. In conversation with this, the North American premiere of Tan Dun’s Choral Concerto: Nine reimagines the ideals of Beethoven’s final symphony through a contemporary global lens. Bard Conservatory Dean Tan Dun will conduct his work, bringing his powerful new composition to North American audiences for the first time. Together, these performances underscore Bard’s ongoing mission to blend tradition and innovation in music education and performance.

While the 20th anniversary of the Conservatory marks a milestone in its own right, the concert also honors Leon Botstein’s extraordinary five-decade presidency, a tenure that has shaped Bard into a cultural and intellectual force. Under his leadership, Bard has redefined the role of the liberal arts in public life, with classical music as a cornerstone of that vision. From the founding of the Bard Music Festival in 1990 to the launch of the Conservatory in 2005 and onwards, Botstein has championed and invested in an educational model that places the arts, especially music and the performing arts, and humanities as an integral part of liberal education. 

“The placing of the making and study of the arts as equal partners alongside the sciences, the study of society, and the humanities in a college and university context is extremely timely. It makes for better artists, viewers, and listeners, and strengthens forms of life that are ever more essential to the preservation of freedom and democracy. Bard is proud to be in the vanguard of this effort,” says Bard College President Leon Botstein, who has served in this role since 1975.

Conservatory Dean Tan Dun reflects, “Leon Botstein is my hero, and I am so honored to be performing ‘Nine and Nine’ with him and the Bard Conservatory Orchestra at Lincoln Center to celebrate 20 and 50 years of passion for music, peace, and a beautiful future.”

Since its founding in 2005, Bard Conservatory of Music has established itself as a leading institution for musical excellence, fostering a new generation of artists through ambitious programs, and a depth of esteemed faculty. The Conservatory integrates rigorous musical training with a full liberal arts education, offering students dual degrees and close mentorship from international performers and scholars with a model that prepares graduates not only for performance careers but also for meaningful engagement with public life and culture. This anniversary concert stands as a testament to the Conservatory’s commitment to artistic innovation, intellectual depth, and international collaboration. 

To mark the landmark occasion in style, tickets for this benefit concert will be available to the public starting at just $20, a symbolic nod to the Conservatory’s 20th anniversary, with exclusive opportunities for patrons to support the Conservatory at higher levels, including premium seating options. All ticket proceeds will directly support the future of Bard Conservatory and its educational mission, ensuring the continued cultivation of young musical talent for years to come. This one-night-only performance will take place at 7:30 pm on October 29, 2025, at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Doors open at 7 pm. For more details and to reserve tickets, visit Lincoln Center.