Welcome to Longy School of Music of Bard College.

Today, the School carries with it the spirit of our founder, Georges Longy, and his core belief in the strength of a rigorous and versatile music education. But more than that, we share his vision for a curriculum that meets the needs of all of our students in a personal and practical way. At Longy, we’re committed to preparing our students to meet a changing musical landscape head-on, giving them the skills to perform, the ambition to teach, and the ability to reach audiences beyond those traditionally associated with classical music.

We require every student to live our bold mission—to prepare musicians to make a difference in the world—by serving the community around them. And we are the only conservatory in the United States weaving artistry and service together as an integral, required part of our curriculum. Each year, through our Master of Arts in Teaching degree program, Teaching Artist Program, and Teaching Fellowships, Longy students make their way into schools, community centers, after-school programs, and even prisons; places where great music is too often a rarity. The result is newfound opportunity and access to music in heretofore excluded communities and increased support—in short, a new future—for classical music.

And what we ask of our students, we give in return. Longy attracts some of the brightest music faculty in the world. GRAMMY award winners, Steinway Artists, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians, and master teachers work with our students one-on-one at our campuses in Cambridge and Los Angeles. Not only that, they practice what they teach, as active orchestra members and touring musicians or school principals and community center directors.

Today, Longy and its students stand at the vanguard of a movement to democratize the future of music and music education in this country. Just as 100 years ago Georges Longy broke new ground, we believe we have it in us to become the most exciting and distinctive leader in music education in the decades ahead.

Karen Zorn
President