Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music
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Former names
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Baldwin Institute |
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| Motto | Excellence... from Bach to Broadway |
| Type | Conservatory of Music |
| Established | 1899 |
| Affiliation | United Methodist Church |
| Director | Susan Van Vorst |
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Academic staff
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24 full-time and 36 adjunct faculty |
| Students | 260 |
| Location | Berea, Ohio, United States |
| Campus | Baldwin Wallace University |
| Affiliations | Riemenschneider Bach Institute |
| Website | BW Conservatory |
The Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music is part of the Baldwin Wallace University, in Berea, Ohio. The main building is Kulas Hall. The Conservatory is home to the Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival, the oldest collegiate Bach Festival in the United States. The nationally renowned Music Theatre program, directed by Victoria Bussert, draws hundreds of auditioners each year. The instrumental programs have produced extremely successful musicians; several BW alum presently play with the Cleveland Orchestra.
Today's Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music was established during the Baldwin Institute's existence. At the time, the undergraduate-only conservatory was founded in 1898 by Dr. Albert Riemenschneider. Before this time, music classes were offered at the Baldwin Institute for one dollar extra per term. In 1912, land donated by the citizens of Berea was used to expand the institution and improve the facilities for music. The Kulas Musical Arts Building was constructed, housing a $25,000 pipe organ.
In 1913 the Conservatory expanded into an adjacent residence hall (Merner-Pfeiffer Hall) and an enclosed bridge was constructed connecting the two buildings. This building was then renovated in 1939. In 2009, the Berea First Congregational Church became part of the college. Then in 2011 an expansion was done to connect the Kulas Musical Arts Building with the Berea First Congregational Church.
The Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music is home to the BW Bach Festival, the oldest collegiate Bach festival in the nation, as well as the second-oldest Bach festival in the nation. The festival was founded in 1932 by Professor Albert Riemenschneider (longtime Director of the College Conservatory) and his wife, Selma. The then Baldwin-Wallace Festival Choir and Orchestra presented the first Bach Festival in June 1933 and has continued on an annual basis ever since.
In 2007, the nation's oldest Bach Festival, The Bethlehem, and Baldwin Wallace performed together for BW's 75th anniversary of the festival. These two groups have worked together to celebrate the milestones of their festivals. The Bethlehem (Pennsylvania) choir was founded in 1898 by J. Fred Wolle. Riemenschneider, founder of the BW festival, was inspired by a 1931 trip to the Bethlehem Bach Festival. In 2012, internationally heiled Bach scholar Ton Koopman worked with the Conservatory's Motet choir.
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