YSM celebrates Class of 2025 at 132nd commencement
On Monday, May 19, the School of Music celebrated its 132nd commencement ceremony, conferring 77 Master of Music degrees, 31 Master of Musical Arts degrees, two Doctor of Musical Arts degrees, and one Certificate in Performance.
New Haven offered a clear and pleasant summer day for the occasion — an auspicious sign for the celebrations to come. Families, friends, and faculty filled Sprague Memorial Hall to honor a class that has shown an unwavering commitment to creativity and service.
In his address to graduates, Dean José García-León invited the Class of 2025 to reflect on how far they had come. “A journey of a thousand miles is already behind you,” he said, drawing on a well-known proverb. “You have faced challenges. You have put in the hours. You have made music that spoke to others and perhaps, even surprised yourselves at times. And in doing so, you have proven that taking one step at a time can lead you to success.”
He closed his remarks with a charge to the graduates: “Let your music give wings not only to your imagination, but to the lives of those you encounter. And when you meet uncertainty … remember: just one step. That’s all it takes to start the journey and move forward.”
As part of the ceremony, the School presented several awards:
- The Harriet Gibbs Fox Memorial Prize, awarded to the first-year student with the highest grade-point average, went to composer Maya Miro Johnson ‘26MM.
- The Emily Anne Payne Dean’s Prize, the School’s highest award for excellence, was given to percussionist Jesse Meng-Chieh Chiang ‘25MMA.
Dean García-León also presented the Samuel Simons Sanford Medal — the School’s highest honor that recognizes distinguished contributions to musical arts — to violinist Itzhak Perlman and music educator Toby Perlman. Longtime guitar faculty member Benjamin Verdery was also awarded the Sanford Medal earlier this year, during the School’s annual Honors Banquet. These honorees join a remarkable roster of past Medal recipients, including Aaron Copland, Benny Goodman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Emanuel Ax.
Following a longstanding YSM tradition, those gathered joined in singing Schubert’s An die Musik, conducted by Rachel Segman ‘25MM, and featuring violist Wanxinyi Huang ‘25MMA and pianist Leanne Jin ‘25MMA. Processional and recessional music was performed by the YSM Brass Ensemble, featuring student trumpeters Katie Hillstrom ’26MMA and Benjamin Ray ’27MDiv, Dylan Prothro, and Visiting Associate Professor of Trumpet Kevin Cobb; student horn player Lily Judge ’26MM and Professor in the Practice of Horn William Purvis; and student trombonist Alex Felker ’26MM and Lecturer in Trombone Scott Hartman.
The Class of 2025 joins a global network of YSM alumni, prepared by their training that balances technical rigor with creativity and public service.
