Congratulations Class of 2023!

May 23, 2023

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