On Sunday, May 21, the Yale Institute of Sacred Music honored its thirty-six newest graduates at a commencement dinner at the New Haven Lawn Club. Of the degrees awarded, fourteen received the Master of Arts in Religion, two the Master of Sacred Theology, three the Master of Divinity, fourteen the Master of Music, two the Master of Musical Arts, and one person was awarded the Doctor of Musical Arts degree.
In his post-dinner remarks, ISM director, Professor Martin Jean, reflected on both the negative and positive impacts of building walls. He encouraged the graduates that everything they had studied and worked so hard to achieve has the “potential of transcending the borders we have created.”
Graduates were joined by family and friends, some of whom had travelled from as far away as Australia. After being presented with their certificates, ISM faculty members announced this year’s prize and scholarship recipients—all are listed below.
On Monday, May 22, ISM students joined the university-wide commencement proceedings on Old Campus. ISM students affiliated with the Yale Divinity School also attended a separate ceremony in the Sterling Divinity Quadrangle and Yale School of Music ISM students attended a ceremony in Morse Recital Hall.
Warmest congratulations to all the graduates listed below! View a photo slideshow of the graduation events here.
2023 ISM Graduates
Mathew Bickett, Master of Arts in Religion
Emily Boring, Master of Arts in Religion
Blake Bruchhaus, Master of Arts in Religion
Clare Byrne, Master of Arts in Religion
Christy Charnel, Master of Sacred Theology
Fiona Chen, Master of Arts in Religion
Kalvin Cummings, Master of Arts in Religion
Joshua Ehlebracht, Master of Music
Moe Graviet, Master of Arts in Religion
Elisabeth Gray, Master of Divinity
Sea Han, Master of Music
Emily Helferty, Master of Music
Haven Herrin, Master of Divinity
Madeleine Hutchins, Master of Arts in Religion
Margaret Kearney, Master of Arts in Religion
Noah Klein, Master of Music
Isaac Lee, Master of Musical Arts
Michael Lukin, Master of Musical Arts
Mattias Lundberg, Master of Music
Vi Lynk, Master of Sacred Theology
Molly Yuko McGuire, Master of Music
Jacqueline Nappi, Master of Music
Matthew Newhouse, Master of Music
Meredith Noorda, Master of Arts in Religion
Jane Potthast, Master of Arts in Religion
Marika Proctor, Master of Arts in Religion
Ryan Rogers, Master of Music
Vienna Scott, Master of Arts in Religion
Deborah Stephens, Master of Music
Jared Swope, Master of Music
Nicolaas Tjoelker, Master of Music
Nyoman Usadhi, Master of Arts in Religion
Christine Veillon, Master of Divinity
Mengfei Xu, Master of Music
Yiran Zhao, Master of Music
Recipients of 2023 Prizes and Scholarships
Robert Baker Scholarship
Colin Miller
Hugh Porter Scholarship
Juliet Papadopoulos
Louise E. MacLean Scholarship
Clara Poteet
Mary Baker Scholarship in Organ Accompanying
Luke Brennan
Hugh Porter Prize
Haven Herrin, Mathew Bickett
Edwin Stanley Seder Prize
Moe Graviet, Kathryn Muensterman
Aidan Kavanagh Achievement Prize
Emily Boring
Richard Paul DeLong Prize
Mattias Lundberg
Liturgical Studies Prize
Blake Bruchhaus
Hugh Giles Prize
Margaret Winchell ’24
John W. Cook Prize in Religion and the Arts
Meredith Noorda
Margot Fassler Prize in the Performance of Sacred Music
Matthew Newhouse, Yiran Zhao
Director’s Prize
Meredith Noorda, Isaac Lee, Madeleine Hutchins
Students’ Choice for Best Colloquium Presentation
Yiran Zhao, Moe Graviet, Madeleine Hutchins
ISM Student Community Award
Sully Hart
Faculty Prize
Emily Helferty