Convocation 2024 celebrates individuality and the yield of collaboration

On Thursday, Sept. 5, the Yale School of Music community held its annual Convocation. It was a night marked by eager excitement and performances that captured the magic of unforgettable music-making.

Following Yale University Provost Scott Strobel’s formal installation of the entering class, YSM Dean José García-León delivered a thoughtful speech that celebrated the excellence the School sees in every student and the unique voice each brings to our field. “Your individuality is one of your greatest assets,” García-León said, “and one of the main reasons you were selected to join our School.”

García-León encouraged new and returning students to “think of the great composers and performers who have left a great mark on the world of music.”

“What made these great figures in musical history stand out was not their adherence to tradition for tradition’s sake, but their ability to bring something new, something uniquely their own, to our art form,” he said. “Your individuality is your most valuable asset. Never hesitate to let it shine through your music.”

García-León’s remarks framed music-making as a “form of communication,” encouraged resilience in the face of setbacks, and extolled the enlightenment that can result from shared artistic purpose. “The true beauty of music often lies in the connections it fosters between people,” he said. “Collaboration allows you to see the world — and the music — from different perspectives. … Through that sharing, we enrich each other’s lives.”

García-León’s words were amplified by performances — by faculty guitarist Benjamin Verdery, flutist Sophia Jean ’25MM, and pianists Ryan Sheng ’25CERT, Llewellyn Sánchez-Werner ’20AD, and Michelle Kim — that introduced new students to the YSM family, its inimitable artistic personalities, and the respect each musician has for one another and the art form itself.

Verdery, in addition to offering some background about the repertoire he performed, contributed a piece of wisdom that felt of a piece with García-León’s.

“The giants beside you might be some of your greatest teachers,” Verdery said in comments that also singled out faculty composer Martin Bresnick for insight he once shared with Verdery and other colleagues. Verdery’s shout-out might’ve reminded some of the faculty, staff, and guests gathered in Morse Recital Hall of a comment Bresnick made upon receiving the School’s prestigious Samuel Simons Sanford Medal during Convocation in 2019: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”

Throughout the concert portion of the program, applause for each performer was enthusiastic. The spirit of García-León’s words was captured in the music-making. Following the traditional singing of Schubert’s An die Musik, led from the stage by Jean and Sánchez-Werner, attendees followed the Yale Percussion Group, which played Brazilian rhythms, from the venue to a reception at the nearby Elm City Club. More than a few people could be heard discussing the magnificence of the evening’s performances and the words of love and support García-León had spoken minutes earlier.

“You have the power to shape the future of music in ways that are as unique and individual as you are,” he told students during his speech. “We believe in you as the next cultural and artistic leaders of our world. The world of music is yours to transform. Make it extraordinary. Make it as exceptional as you are.”