School of Music awards prizes at annual honors dinner

The School of Music held its annual honors dinner on Sunday, May 5. The event offered tributes to distinguished alumni and faculty, and honored outstanding students.

The Cultural Leadership Citation was awarded to James D'Addario. D'Addario is the CEO of D'Addario Strings, one of the world's largest manufacturers of instrument strings, and (with his wife) co-founder of the non-profit James D'Addario Family Foundation.

The Ian Mininberg Distinguished Service Award was given to Vincent Oneppo ’73MM, who served Yale throughout his rich career and continues to aid the School even after his retirement in 2010.

This year's Gustave Stoeckel Award was given to Boris Berman, a member of the YSM faculty since 1984. He is currently the coordinator of the piano department and the artistic director of the Horowitz Piano Series.

The School's most prestigious honor, the Samuel Simons Sanford Award, was presented to composer David Kurtz ’80MM. Kurtz is the winner of numerous Emmy Awards for his work on television shows such as The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. Kurtz has also contributed to the music for movies including The Big Chill, Instant Justice, and Hunk.

Finally, Dean Blocker announced the Yale School of Music student prizes for 2013. The winners are as follows:

Brass and Woodwinds

Thomas Daniel Nyfenger Memorial Prize, to a student who has demonstrated the highest standard of excellence in woodwind playing:
» Ashley Smith John

Swallow Prize, to an outstanding brass player whose artistry and dedication have contributed to the department.
» Hana Beloglavec

Composition

Woods Chandler Memorial Prize, for the best composition in a larger form written during the year.
» Michael Gilbertson

Rena Greenwald Memorial Prize, for the best piano composition written during the year.
» Paul Kerekes

John Day Jackson Prize, for outstanding chamber music compositions written for strings, with or without other instruments.
» Polina Nazaykinskaya

Frances E. Osborne Kellogg Memorial Prize, for the best composition written in a contrapuntal style.
» James Rubino

Ezra Laderman Prize, for the best compositions written for musical theater or voice.
» Stephen Feigenbaum

Guitar

Eliot Fisk Prize, to an outstanding guitarist whose artistic achievement and dedication have contributed greatly to the department.
» Marco Sartor

Organ

Charles Ives Prize, to an outstanding organ major.
» Benton Blasingame

Julia R. Sherman Memorial Prize, for excellence in organ playing.
» Robert Bennesh

Piano

Charles S. Miller Prize, to a gifted pianist who has done outstanding work during the first year of study.
» Sean Chen

Elizabeth Parisot Prize, to outstanding pianists in the School of Music.
» Melody Quah
» Yevgeny Yontov

Strings

The Georgina Lucy Grosvenor Memorial Prize, to be awarded to the violist in the graduating class whose performances while at Yale have exhibited the highest potential for success as a soloist or chamber musician in the field.
» Kendra James

Aldo Parisot Prize, to gifted cellists who show promise for a concert career.
» Jennifer Jinhee Park
» Bo Zhang

The Broadus Erle Prize, to an outstanding violinist in the School of Music
» Melanie Clapies
» Corin Lee
» Cordelia Paw

Voice

David L. Kasdon Memorial Prize, to an outstanding singer in the School of Music.
» Alexander Hahn

Phyllis Curtin Career Entry Prize, to assist in launching the career for a graduating voice student who demonstrates exceptional talent as an artist and promise for a professional career.
» Vivien Shotwell

Master of Musical Arts

Friedmann Thesis Prize, for a MMA thesis notable for its distinguished research, original perspective, in-depth engagement with its subject, and well-crafted presentation.
» Marco Sartor
» Matthew Welch

School Prizes

Philip Francis Nelson Prize, for a student whose musicianship is outstanding and who demonstrates curiosity, talent, and the entrepreneurial spirit in the many dimensions of the music profession.
» Lauren Hunt

Presser Foundation Music Award, for an outstanding returning student, to advance his or her music education.
» William Gardiner

Yale School of Music Alumni Association Prize, to students who have not only excelled in their respective fields, but have also made important contributions to the general life of the School.
» Elizabeth Garrett
» James Jeonghwan Kim
» Henry Kramer
» Shawn Moore
» Esther Park
» Adrianna Tam
» John Taylor Ward
» Virginia Warnken