We asked a few of the new and returning members of the Yale Voxtet to reflect on their experiences so far this semester. The Yale Voxtet is the Institute of Sacred Music’s select group of eight singers who specialize in early music, oratorio, and chamber ensemble. They are students of Professor James Taylor and are candidates for graduate degrees in voice at the ISM and in the Yale School of Music.
Photo: from left to right, Fredy Bonilla, Ellen Roberston, Sandy Sharis, and Michaël Hudetz.
From the first-year members
Fredy Bonilla, baritone, M.M. Voice ’25. The past three months have been a whirlwind. I moved across the country, sold most of my things, and moved to the north. Having spent all my life in Texas, the culture shift is real. I got my undergraduate degree ten years ago, so learning to shift from being a “working professional” to 
“student” has been hard. Yale Divinity and Music schools are full of brilliant and talented students, so it feels challenging to keep up with everyone, especially those in the world of academia. It’s a bit like drinking out of a fire house as I learn the “ways of Yale.” I even got the dreaded COVID, but the Yale staff, faculty, and my colleagues, offered grace, support, and tools for recovering physically, musically and academically. Despite some setbacks, I’ve had wonderful experiences. In January I did not imagine I would be making my New York debut in October as a soloist under Masaaki Suzuki! I am surrounded by thoughtful professors that are making me strive for goals I haven’t set for myself, making me go outside of my comfort zone. It’s been a giant mix of emotions, so much has happened in a short amount of time. I look forward to having my bearings and seeing what I can achieve here.
Ellen Robertson, soprano, M.M.A. Voice ’25. The first few months of singing in Voxtet have been demanding yet rewarding. As both of my previous degrees were in opera, moving towards focusing primarily on early music and art song repertoire has been a challenging and exciting transition. The program has a nice mix of individual attention from my teacher, coaches, and directors, in addition to lots of small group chamber singing and unique performance opportunities; this year already, the Voxtet members have sung as a group inside Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and also as soloists in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center! I’m looking forward to honing my skills as an ensemble singer, as well as developing my own distinctive voice in repertoire styles that are new to me.
From the returning members
Sandy Sharis, mezzo-soprano, M.M.A voice ’24. This year it has been rewarding to take ownership of, and build upon, what I learned during my f
irst year. I’m able to prepare repertoire much more quickly than before and feel that I can make informed stylistic decisions in early music now. I’m especially looking forward to all of our chamber music and continuing to collaborate with our friends in Juilliard415! Our first big performance, Handel’s L’Allegro, il penseroso, ed il moderato, had many rewarding components, such as combining forces with Schola, Masaaki Suzuki, and Juilliard415, and performing in Alice Tully Hall. It’s been extremely gratifying to reap the benefits of our hard work throughout this program thus far, and it makes me all the more excited for the rest of the year!
Michaël Hudetz, tenor, M.M.A. Voice ’24. The second year on one hand is great: you really understand the expectations of the program, you feel confident in your skills to deliver, and you are usually given bigger 
opportunities. On the other hand, the pressure is on as the end of the degree draws near; being at Yale means you are acutely aware that you are expected to make something of yourself after this program, and that is a tall order which your Yale connections and talent alone cannot completely simplify. Suddenly concerts feel more like auditions, and you live in the uncertainty of your future prospects, instead of enjoying the beauty of the moment; to be able to collaborate with such outstanding musicians is magical. I know I will dearly miss my time here, and all the people I am used to seeing every day. I think the program throws a lot at you, and that’s fantastic preparation for life as a professional musician.
So far this year the Voxtet has performed as their own chamber ensemble, and as part of Yale Schola Cantorum where Voxtet members were soloists for L’allegro, il penseroso, ed il moderato. On Nov. 17, Voxtet will join with The Sebastians as they perform their fall concert, The Spirit of France, which includes Charpentier’s Couronne de fleurs, H 486, Purcell’s Ye tuneful muses, Z 344, and Lully’s Regina coeli from Petits motets, LWV 77/12. The concert will be in Sprague Hall at the Yale School of Music. View details here.
In addition to performing a variety of chamber music programs, the group sings, tours, and records as part of Yale Schola Cantorum in New Haven, New York, and in Europe. After graduating from Yale, Voxtet members often embark on careers as professional choristers and soloists. The other members of the Voxtet are Veronica Roan, Juliet Papadopoulos, Peter Schertz, and Trevor Scott.
Learn more about the Yale Voxtet. If you’re interested in applying to Yale, view our application details (deadline for ISM and School of Music is December 1).
— by Fredy Bonilla
Concert photos taken by Harold Shapiro.