<p>I have heard that it is not possible to play in a Bard orchestra unless you are a music major in the conservatory. Is this really true? My daughter is a recreational cello player who will want to major in something else, but would like to enjoy playing in an orchestra.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>anyone know the answer to this?</p>
<p>The people in music at Bard are very friendly and helpful. Call over there and ask to speak to someone about the orchestra. Melvin Chen is the assoc. director of the Conservatory and should be able to answer your question if nobody else can.</p>
<p>As Skie says, the best way to find out is to ask directly. Note that Bard Conservatory is fairly new and they still do not have a full-sized symphonic orchestra.</p>
<p>She should realize that this is going to be a major time commitment, particularly if she is at the recreational rather than pre-professional level. Conservatory orchestras are designed to go through a lot of repertoire in a small amount of time. They will probably expect her to be taking lessons at the college level, will have at least five to six hours of rehearsals in a normal week and more than that leading up to a concert, at least two and likely three major concerts per semester and will expect her to work on the orchestral rep on her own outside of rehearsals in addition to her standard daily practice routine. When you call, you may want to ask if there are any other performance opportunities for a cellist at the recreational level.</p>
<p>Thanks! That's a good idea.</p>