Congratulations, Class of 2024!

By Joshua Simka

“On this day and in this place, we celebrate the achievements of these young students who will become graduates and join the continuum of Juilliard alumni,” said President Damian Woetzel to thunderous applause. He was speaking at Juilliard’s 119th commencement, which took place May 24 in David Geffen Hall. The ceremony honored this year’s 324 music, dance, and drama graduates and included speeches by school leadership, the conferral of degrees, honorary doctorates, and prizes as well as multidivisional artistic interludes.

This year, honorary doctorates were conferred upon seven artists, four of whom are Juilliard alums: Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Tania León; Paul Taylor principal dancer, educator, and community activist Carolyn Adams (faculty 1984-2011); Oscar-winning actor and producer Jessica Chastain (Group 32); and the nine-time Grammy-winning Emerson String Quartet—violinists Eugene Drucker (Pre-College ’68; Diploma ’72, Professional Studies ’73) and Philip Setzer (BM ’73, MM ’74); violist Lawrence Dutton (Pre-College ’72; BM ’77, MM ’78); and cellist Paul Watkins.

In addition to Woetzel, Vincent Mai, chair of Juilliard’s board of trustees, and piano alum Julie Choi, vice chair of the board, addressed the nearly 1,400 community members, families, and friends in attendance and more than 2,000 watching the livestream from around the world.

Mai lauded the graduates for their achievements and acknowledged the educators, family, and friends whose dedication and guidance have supported the students over the years. “I’m always struck by the way that you support and encourage each other, and you really are the best advocates for each other,” he said. “It really shows as a spirit of optimism that is very infectious,” he added, commending the graduates’ resilience given the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Choi emphasized generosity and enjoined graduates to pay forward the support from and sacrifices made by their families, teachers, and mentors. She drew inspiration from social scientist Adam Grant to underscore the success of givers over takers and the profound impact of generosity. “Show up with an open heart and open mind. Be curious. You'll be surprised by small and big moments just by listening. That spark of humanness will feed you.”

Performances by graduating students punctuated the proceedings, starting with Alan Truong (MM ’24, conducting) leading jazz and classical brass students in a selection from Wynton Marsalis’ (’81, trumpet) festive Herald, Holler, and Hallelujah!

Seated: Phillip Setzer, Eugene Drucker, Carolyn Adams, Jessica Chastain, Tania León, Paul Watkins, Lawrence Dutton; standing: Robert Mealy, Alicia Graf Mack, Evan Yionoulis, Damian Woetzel, Vincent Mai, Julie Choi, Weston Sprott, David Serkin Ludwig, Adam Meyer, Anthony McGill

There were also interludes celebrating each of the honorary doctorate recipients, beginning with Tengku Irfan (Pre-College ’16; BM ’20, BM ’22, piano; MM ’24, conducting) leading an excerpt from León’s Rítmicas. Dancers paid tribute to Adams in word and gesture set to a Bach violin and harpsichord sonata. Chastain was celebrated by Ana Karneža (MFA ’24, drama) delivering the epilogue to Aphra Benn’s Sir Patent Fancy set to a quintet of musicians performing Purcell’s Three Parts Upon a Ground. And in honor of the Emerson Quartet, the Edith Quartet played the intricate, fiery final movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 59, No. 3.

The commencement festivities had gotten underway early in the week with departmental celebrations and performances, including dance, chamber music, and orchestra commencement performances; a screening of the fourth-year drama students’ short films; and a performance by the interdepartmental Fiddle Club. The Juilliard Orchestra concert was conducted by Marin Alsop (Pre-College ’72, violin; BM ’77, violin, MM ’78, violin; honorary degree ’21), who led the soon-to-be graduates in the world premiere of Sercy, a Juilliard-commissioned work by Hilary Purrington (MM ’15, composition), as well as Strauss’ Don Juan and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra.

“Art is a world that can unite us,” Woetzel said as part of his address at the Geffen Hall ceremony. He offered advice as he urged the graduates to consider their path forward. “Embrace complexity. Think deeply. Allow yourself perspective, embrace nuance. Be large. To paraphrase Walt Whitman—contradict yourself. Change your mind. Come at it anew. Capture knowledge by making ever-distinctive choices.”

The ceremony, which began with Aaron Patterson (MM ’24, organ) playing his classmates in to Mad Rush by Philip Glass (Diploma ’60, MS ’62, composition), ended with Aletheia Johanna Teague (BM ’24, organ) joyously playing the new graduates out to selections from Florence Price’s Suite No. 1 for organ.

Joshua Simka (BM ’14, voice) is the assistant editor of the Journal

Commencement Prizes

In addition to 130 bachelor’s degrees, 30 graduate and artist diplomas, 156 master’s degrees, and 8 doctorates, the following prizes were awarded to graduating students:

Richard F. French Doctoral Prize
Marta Lambert (BM ’17, viola), dissertation: The Viola as a Voice of Lamentation: The Story Behind the Sound

Max Tan (Pre-College ’03, piano and ’11, violin; MM ’17, Artist Diploma ’19), dissertation: The Evolving Score of Chausson’s Poème, a Modern Expansion of the Musical Work Concept and Werktreue

John Erskine Prize
Horn player Colby Kleven and harpist Renée Murphy

Hector Zaraspé Prize
Dancer Mykiah Goree

Martha Hill Prize
Dancer Alejandro Vargas

Laura Pels International Theater Prize
Actor Daniel Velez

Michel and Suria Saint-Denis Prize
Actors Aidan Cazeau and Jater Webb

Peter Mennin Prize
Violinist Christina Nam and oboist Kara Poling (Pre-College ’20)

William Schuman Prize
Violinist Gabrielle Couillard-Després (BM ’22) and soprano Jazmine Saunders

Joseph W. Polisi Prize
Soprano Juliette Di Bello, dancer Joey Gertin, classical guitarist Alberta Khoury (BM ’18, MM ’19), and actors Naomi Okada and Marcus Stevenson

Florence and Paul DeRosa Prize
Singer Shelén Hughes

Arthur Rubenstein Prize
Pianists Tony Siqi Yun (Pre-College ’20) and Yinyu Lam (BM ’22)

Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowships
Dancers Kailei Lorraine Youmee Sin and Madison Goodman
Actors Ana Karneža and Kassandra Cruz
Jazz singer Nicole Maria Ordemán-Valdenciano

Norman Benzaquen Career Advancement Grants
Conductor Alan Truong
Violist Cameren Anai Williams (BM ’22)
Composer Katherine Elise Jenkins (BM ’22)
Guitarists Miles and Ziggy Johnston (both (MM ’21)
HP Violinist Ryan Cheng

The Robert Craft Igor Stravinsky Grants in Composition and Conducting
Composer Jordyn Marie Carmen and Conductor Tengku Ahmad Irfan (Pre-College ’16; BM ’20, MM ’22, piano)