YSM Class of 2016 presents gift to School

In May, the Yale School of Music's Class of 2016 became the first graduating class to present a gift to the School. More than half the class' 98 members contributed to the gift, which exceeded $1,000. A seat in Sprague Hall (seat C101) will be adorned with a plaque identifying the Class of 2016 as having made a contribution to the School.

Acknowledging the gift during the School's Commencement ceremony in May, Dean Robert Blocker said to the graduating class, “You’re starting a very, very important tradition, and the tradition is more about staying connected to your School and to this community and what has become your family than it is giving a gift.”

Donna Yoo '09MM, the School's Director of Communications and Alumni Affairs, said, “Any gift from alumni, no matter the size, is a reflection of their connection to the school. I look forward to continuing this special relationship with the Class of 2016 and working with them to continue building a vibrant community for all YSM graduates."

Guitarist Solomon Silber '14BA '16MM was among those who contributed. "That is the forge through which we've all passed as musicians," Silber said of his alma mater. "It's helped to mold us into what we are."

It's fitting, Silber said, that a seat in Sprague Hall will acknowledge his class' gift. "I gave the best of myself on that stage," he said, "and I was pushed to do so by the School's faculty and students."