Yale Glee Club
Mozart Requiem
Friday, April 25, 2025 7:30 p.m. Woolsey Hall
Jeffrey Douma, conductor
Ave verum corpus, k618
Without pause
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
Requiem, k626 Mozart
Completed by Robert Levin
introitus
Requiem Aeternam
Alliese Bonner, soprano
Kyrie
sequence
Dies Irae
Tuba Mirum
Katie Gurney, soprano; Sarah Sparling, alto; Alex Whittington, tenor; Ava Dadvand, bass
Rex Tremendae
Recordare
Alliese Bonner, soprano; Anya Aitsahlia, alto; Jack Purdue, tenor; Even Brock, bass
Confutatis
Lacrymosa
Amen
offertory
Domine Jesu Christe
Cayley Tolbert-Schwartz, soprano; Ruthie Weinbaum, alto; Nate Stein, tenor; Kyle Thomas Ramos, bass
Hostias
sanctus
Benedictus
Claire Zhong, soprano; Alistair Lam, alto; John Raskopf, tenor; Ben Graham, bass
agnus dei
communion
Lux Aeterna
Alliese Bonner, soprano
Cum Sanctis Tuis
notes
“It is impossible to write anything about the Requiem without being controversial”
–Richard Maunder (2005)
in the landmark 1961 essay “Requiem, but no Peace,” Friedrich Blume summed up the many mysteries surrounding Mozart’s final masterpiece: “There is complete agreement on only one point…that it would never be possible to clear up completely all the doubts and questions raised by the Requiem.” Despite the impressive amount of documentary research undertaken in the years since Blume wrote, the situation has changed little, and there are still many things we do not and may never know.
We do not know, for example, when in the spring or summer of 1791 Mozart was approached with the Requiem commission, or when he began his work on the final score, though we do know that he had no shortage of projects to keep him occupied. He had begun work on Die Zauberflöte during the summer, but this work was abruptly cut off after the unexpected call to compose La clemenza di Tito for the Emperor’s coronation celebration. It does not seem likely that he would have had time to do much serious work on the Requiem score before the premiere of Die Zauberflöte on Oct. 1, nor does it seem likely that he would have been very productive after taking to his bed on Nov. 20. On Dec. 5, Mozart died, leaving the Requiem unfinished.
Contrary to the tantalizing suggestions of early biographers and contemporary playwrights, the Requiem’s commissioner was neither a ghost nor Antonio Salieri in disguise, but rather Franz Count von Walsegg of Schloss Stuppach, a wealthy industrialist and avid amateur musician whose wife died in February of 1791. Walsegg envisioned a dual memorial: a monument sculpted by Johann Martin Fischer and a requiem mass composed by Mozart. Whether out of respect for his departed wife, or so that he could pass the Requiem off as his own (a game the Count reportedly played often with his court musicians, who were all in on the joke), he insisted on anonymity as patron and that the Requiem never be published or sold to another, an agreement Mozart’s widow Constanze would later break several times over.
The most controversial questions, however, are concerned with which portions of the Requiem are in fact Mozart’s and which are the work of another. Based on Mozart’s incomplete autograph, we know that he composed the Introit himself, but probably received some help in the instrumentation of the Kyrie. In the majority of the Sequence (“Dies irae” through the eighth measure of the
“Lacrymosa”) and in the Offertory, we have direct evidence of Mozart’s hand in only the four vocal parts and bass line, and in occasional suggestions for instrumental motives. There is no direct evidence that Mozart had any role in the composition of the Sanctus, “Benedictus,” “Hosanna” fugue, or Agnus Dei. The “Lux aeterna” is a reprise of Mozart’s music from the Introit and Kyrie.
Left after Mozart’s death to care for two young children alone, Constanze set out to find someone capable of completing the Requiem in a manner that could be passed off as the work of her husband in order to collect the fee promised by Count Walsegg. Most scholars agree that she approached several musicians before finding someone one willing to accept the offer. One of the first was probably Joseph Eybler, who entered a few suggestions for instrumentation directly into the autograph, and even attempted a continuation of the soprano line in the “Lacrymosa” before abruptly abandoning the task after two measures.
The job eventually fell to the twenty-five year old Franz Xaver Süßmayr, an acquaintance of Mozart’s who had worked as a copyist on Die Zauberfl öte. It does not appear that Süßmayr was held in particularly high regard by Mozart. In one letter, for example, Mozart compares him to “a dying duck in a thunderstorm,” struggling to understand a passage of music. Süßmayr does appear to have been around during Mozart’s final weeks and may have even had a conversation or two about the Requiem with the master. This, together with the fact that his handwriting closely resembled Mozart’s, may have been why Constanze finally offered him the job. Some extraordinarily creative investigators have gone so far as to suggest that Süßmayr was having an affair with Constanze, and was secretly the father of the Mozarts’ younger son, Franz Xaver Wolfgang, although there is no credible evidence to support this claim.
In a letter to the publishers Breitkopf & Härtel dated 1800, Süßmayr wrote that the Sanctus, “Benedictus,” and Agnus Dei were “wholly composed anew by me,” but it has been suggested that his actual words (“ganz neu von mir verfertigt”) could be alternatively translated as “wholly prepared” or “wholly manufactured,” leaving room for the existence of sketches or verbal instructions from Mozart. Constanze would later recall handing Süßmayr “a few scraps of music” along with the incomplete Requiem manuscript, and the discovery in the 1960’s of a sketch in Mozart’s hand for an “Amen” fugue, undoubtedly intended for the end of the Sequence, supports her recollection.
Opinions vary widely on the quality of the Süßmayr movements, and debate about the defects in Süßmayr’s work is nearly as old as the Requiem itself. In 1825, Jacob Gottfried Weber, a lawyer with an interest in music, published a series of articles attacking the quality and authenticity of the Requiem, stating
that compared to Mozart’s other work, the Requiem was “the least perfect, the least finished: indeed, it is scarcely worthy to be called a work of Mozart’s at all.” His ideas created a genuine stir, with no less a figure than Beethoven joining the debate in defense of the Requiem.
The debate continues. Critics of Süßmayr’s contribution point to accidental clashes, glaring parallels, incorrect harmonies, premature resolutions, repetitive string writing, clumsy wind doubling, the absurdly brief Hosanna fugue (and its incorrect reprise in B b -major), and many other problems.
Over the past thirty years, modern reconstructions attempting to preserve Mozart’s work while correcting Süßmayr’s have proliferated, and today conductors have many options from which to choose when performing the Requiem. Tonight’s performance features a brilliant reconstruction by Harvard professor emeritus Robert Levin, completed in 1993 for Helmuth Rilling. Levin’s stated goal was “to revise not as much, but as little as possible, attempting in the revisions to observe the character, texture, voice leading, continuity and structure of Mozart’s original.” As evidence that Süßmayr was working from sketches, Levin points to the unusually high degree of thematic unity between movements of the Requiem, noting that the thematic connections extend into the Süßmayr movements (notice, for example, the quotation of the opening “Requiem aeternam” theme in the bass line of the Agnus Dei, the resemblance of the “Hosanna” fugue subject to the “Quam olim Abrahae” subject and the main “Recordare” theme, and the quotation of the soprano line from the “Dies irae” in the Sanctus).
Levin’s most significant new contribution to the Requiem is a complete “Amen” fugue based on Mozart’s sketch. Its dense chromaticism, skillful counterpoint, and dramatic edge make it a far more convincing end to the Sequence’s graphic evocation of the Day of Judgement than Süßmayr’s apologetic two-measure plagal cadence. Levin also extends the Hosanna fugue so that it is in better proportion to its surroundings. With the exception of a few other minor adjustments, Levin leaves the vocal writing intact. At the same time, he offers an extensive revision of Süßmayr’s orchestration that acknowledges the Requiem’s unique position within Mozart’s output and within the sacred choral tradition. Levin takes great care to keep Mozart’s beautiful choral writing in the foreground, while consistently finding solutions for the orchestra that are fresh, inventive, and thoroughly Mozartean.
Like other Requiem editions produced in recent years, Levin’s work gives modern audiences a chance to hear this beautiful music from a new perspective, but Süßmayr’s traditional version will undoubtedly continue to be performed in the future, as well it should. It is, after all, the only version completed by a
contemporary of Mozart’s, and its 200+ year reception history alone demands that its place in the repertoire be maintained. In the future, however, it may be that its place will be shared by others, the best of which shed their own light, from different angles and in different shades, on Mozart’s timeless genius.
As a prologue to the Requiem, we will perform Mozart’s last complete sacred work, the moving “Ave verum corpus,” composed in June of 1791, just as Mozart may have first begun to ponder his new Requiem.
–Jeffrey Douma
Anya AitSahlia is a senior in Silliman College majoring in Classics on the pre-medical track. Now in her fourth year in the Yale Glee Club, she is honored to serve as the choir’s president this year. She is deeply grateful to be concluding her time in Glee with Mozart’s Requiem and extends heartfelt thanks to her family and friends for their unwavering support.
Alliese P. Bonner is a sophomore in Berkeley College majoring in Music with a certificate in Education Studies. Now in her second year in the Yale Glee Club, she serves as the Wardrobe Manager. Other than Glee, she performs with the Yale Concert Band, Yale Opera, the Yale Baroque Opera Project, the Opera Theater of Yale College, and the Collegium Musicum. When she’s not playing flute or singing, she is a teacher’s assistant at Calvin Hill Daycare. You can probably find her spending her free time in either a vintage store or boba shop. She owes everything to the love and support of her family back home in Nashville and her friends here at Yale.
Even Brock is a bass and choral conductor completing their senior year with a major in music. Even has sung in the Yale Glee Club for the last three years and is singing this year in the Schola Cantorum. Their previous Yale vocal solos include roles in Bach’s BWV 39, Mendelssohn’s Psalm 22, Schütz’s Weihnachtshistorie, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and Cavalli’s La Doriclea. Even is a choral fellow at both Spoleto Festival USA and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. Next year, they are ecstatic to be pursuing an M.M. in Choral Conducting from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music under Joe Miller and Brett Scott.
Ava Dadvand is a senior completing a double major in classics and linguistics. This is her fourth and final year singing in the Yale Glee Club, and this year she is one of the Glee Club’s two student conductors. She is currently serving as a staff singer at Christ Church New Haven and at the Episcopal Church at Yale. She also plays the bass guitar and the pipe organ. In the fall, she will begin her PhD in Greek and Latin Languages and Literatures at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ben Graham is a first year in Davenport from Detroit, Michigan, and plans to major in Cognitive Science. He has loved his first year in the Glee Club and is currently a proud member of the Bass II section. On top of singing, Ben also plays viola and is in as many musical ensembles as he can fit into his schedule (Yale Symphony Orchestra, Yale Undergraduate Chamber Orchestra, Berkeley College Orchestra, chamber music class … and more!). The Mozart Requiem is one of Ben’s favorite choral works, and he cannot wait to share this performance with you all!
Katie Gurney is a junior in Timothy Dwight College majoring in math and on the pre-med track. She has been part of the Glee Club and Chamber Singers since her first-year and have done shows with Opera Theater Yale College. She is looking forward to this concert!
Alistair Lam, countertenor (sopranist), is a sophomore in Saybrook College from Hong Kong. He has performed at choral festivals worldwide, including as a soloist in Alberto Grau’s Opereta Ecológica en 4 Actos at Carnegie Hall in New York. He was awarded National Runner-up in The American Prize in Vocal Performance (Friedrich & Virginia Schorr Memorial Award for Art Song/Oratorio). At Yale, he has performed as a soloist in Marianne Martínez’s Mass No. 1 in C Major with the Glee Club, as Spirit in Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with the Yale Baroque Opera Project, and with Collegium Musicum, an early music ensemble. A member of the University Church and Episcopal Church choirs, he studies voice with Janna Baty.
Jack Purdue is a senior in Saybrook College majoring in the Humanities. This is Jack’s fourth and final year in the Glee Club, and it has been one of his favorite experiences while at Yale. Jack has also played in the Yale Symphony Orchestra as a Double Bassist and sings in the Glee Club Chamber Choir, the Yale Baroque Opera Project, Yale Repertory Chorus, and many other groups on campus.
Kyle Thomas Ramos is a junior in Pauli Murray College, pursuing a simultaneous B.A./M.A. in Political Science with a research focus on the interbranch nomination politics of the federal judiciary. He serves as Head Tour Guide for the Yale Office of Undergraduate Admissions and represents his peers on the Yale College Council as the Academic Policy Director. A John Heinz Government Service Fellow and a Millstone Fellow for Public Service, Kyle Thomas has worked at the U.S. Department of State and will join the U.S. Department of Justice this summer. Outside the classroom, Kyle sings with the Yale Glee Club and has served as their Social Chair and Alumni Coordinator.
John Raskopf is a sophomore Music Major in the Education Studies Intensive Certificate program. He is the current Music Director of the Yale Spizzwinks(?) and a Co-President (and frequent conductor) of the Yale Undergraduate Chamber Choir. He is one of the Community Engagement Officers for the Yale Glee Club and volunteers at Career High School. He has been a counselor for summer programs including Interlochen Arts Camp, where he will return for summer 2025. He is a staff singer at Christ Church New Haven and has sung in many Yale and Yale-adjacent choirs, including the master’s degree recitals of Alex Whittington and Rachel Segman. He studies voice with Janna Baty.
Sarah Sparling is a first-semester senior majoring in Linguistics. Her experiences in the Yale Glee Club inspired her to get more involved in choral music, which has ended up being a very meaningful part of her Yale experience. She is grateful for the privilege to perform such an iconic piece tonight.
Nate Stein is a first year in Saybrook college studying Political Science. He’s been singing since he was little in church choirs and school choirs, and before coming to Yale, he sang in his high school’s chapel choir and a cappella group. At Yale, he sings with the Glee Club, the Spizzwinks, and the combined choirs at Trinity on the Green Episcopal Church. In addition to music, Nate works with several journalism, free speech, and political organizations on campus.
Cayley Tolbert-Schwartz is a first year in Jonathan Edwards College majoring in Chemistry and Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. Originally from Los Angeles, she has adapted surprisingly well to the weather on the east coast! When she is not rehearsing with the glee club or doing schoolwork, you can find her at rehearsal for the rather large number of musicals and operas that she is in.
Ruthie Weinbaum is a senior majoring in History. Some of her favorite memories with the Yale Glee Club include performing with the Art of Music Foundation in Nairobi, singing Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, and working with Chanticleer. In Glee, she has served as Stage Manager, Quote Meister, and Fantasy Football League Commissioner. Outside of YGC, Ruthie sings jazz with Redhot & Blue, sings with the Repertory Chorus and Recital Chorus of the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, and fantasizes about public transportation. Next year, Ruthie will be moving to Brooklyn to work with trafficking victims. She is so grateful to close out her time in YGC with a piece as incredible as Mozart’s Requiem!
Alex Whittington is a second-year M.M. candidate in Choral Conducting at Yale, where they also received their M.A. in Music History and B.A. in Music. A New York native, Alex’s musical background was primarily shaped by their upbringing as a ballet dancer, pivoting later to voice, conducting, and composition. Their main area of study is Puerto Rican choral music, focusing on edition-making and reconstructions of works by Felipe Gutiérrez y Espinosa. For the 2023–2024 academic year, they served as the director of the Marquand Chapel Choir and the interim director of music at Christ and Holy Trinity Episcopal in Westport, CT. In the fall of 2024, Alex began their tenure as the choirmaster of Christ Church New Haven. Alex’s professional ensemble credits include the Yale Schola Cantorum and Puerto Rico-based ensemble Orfeón San Juan Bautista.
Claire Zhong is a first-year in Branford College from North Vancouver, Canada, taking Directed Studies and planning to study Applied Math and History. She recently performed in Trial by Jury with the Opera Theater of Yale College and has a background in musical theater and classical piano. Beyond music, she is involved in the Yale Scientific Magazine, Yale Net Impact, and Yale ViTA. Claire is thrilled to perform Mozart’s Requiem with the Glee Club and thanks her voice teacher, Leah Brzyski, and her family and friends for their support.
text and translation
Ave Verum Corpus, k618
Ave verum Corpus, natum de Maria Virgine, vere passum, immolatum in cruce pro homine, cujus latus perforatum, unda fl uxit et sanguine: esto nobis praegustatum in mortis examine.
Requiem, k626 introitus
Requiem Aeternam
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Te decet hymnus Deus in Zion et tibi redetur votum in Jerusalem exaudi orationem meam, ad Te omnis caro veniet
kyrie
Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.
sequence
Dies irae
Dies irae, Dies illa
Solvet saeclum in favilla
Teste David cum Sibylla
Quantus tremor est futurus
Quando judex est venturus
Cuncta stricte discussurus!
Hail, true Body, born of Virgin Mary, who has truly suffered, was sacrificed on the cross for mortals, whose side was pierced, whence flowed water and blood: be for us a foretaste (of heaven) during our final examining
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
A hymn befits thee O God in Zion and to thee a vow shall be fulfilled in Jerusalem hear my prayer, for unto Thee all flesh shall come
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy
Day of wrath, that day shall dissolve the world into embers as David prophesied with the Sibyl.
How great the trembling will be, when the Judge shall come, the rigorous investigator of all things!
Tuba mirum
Tuba mirum spargens sonum
Per sepulcra regionum
Coget omnes ante thronum
Mors stupebit, et natura
Cum resurget creatura, Judicanti responsura.
Liber scriptus proferetur
In quo totum continetur
Unde mundus judicetur
Judex ergo cum sedebit
Quidquid latet apparebit:
Nil inultum remanebit
Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?
Quem patronum rogaturus?
Cum vix justus sit securus
Rex tremendae
Rex tremendae majestatis, qui salvandos salvas gratis, Salva me fons pietatis
Recordare
Recordare Jesu pie,
Quod sum causa tuae viae, Ne me perdas illa die.
Quaerens me, sediste lassus:
Redemisti crucem passus: Tantus labor non sit cassus
Juste judex ultionis, Donum fac remissionis, Ante diem rationis.
The trumpet, spreading its wondrous sound through the tombs of every land, will summon
Death will be stunned, likewise nature, when all creation shall rise again to answer the One judging
A written book will be brought forth, in which all will be contained, and from which the world shall be judged.
When therefore the Judge is seated, whatever lies hidden shall be revealed, no wrong shall remain unpunished.
What then am I, a poor wretch, going to say?
Which protector shall I ask for, when even the just are scarcely secure?
King of terrifying majesty, who freely saves the saved: Save me, fount of pity.
Remember, merciful Jesus,
That I am the cause of your sojourn; Do not cast me out on that day.
Seeking me, you sat down weary; having suffered the Cross, you redeemed me.
May such great labor not be in vain.
Just Judge of vengeance, grant the gift of remission before the day of reckoning.
Ingemisco, tamquam reus: Culpa rubet vultus meus: Supplicanti parce Deus.
Qui Mariam absolvisti, Et latronum exaudisti, Mihi quoque spem dedisti.
Preces meae non sunt dignae: Sed tu bonus fac benigne, Ne perenni cremer igne.
Inter oves locum praesta, Et ab haedis me sequestra, Statuens in parte dextra.
Confutatis
Confutatis maledictis, Flammis acribus addictis, Voca me cum benedictis.
Oro supplex et acclinis, Cor contritum quasi cinis; Gere curam mei finis.
Lacrymosa
Lacrimosa dies illa, Qua resurget ex favilla, Judicandus homo reus. Huic ergo parce Deus.
Pie Jesu Domine, Dona eis requiem
Amen
I groan like one who is guilty; my face blushes with guilt. Spare thy supplicant, O God
You who absolved Mary [Magdalene], and heeded the thief, have also given hope to me. My prayers are not worthy, but Thou, good one, kindly grant that I not burn in the everlasting fires. Grant me a favored place among thy sheep, and separate me from the goats, placing me at thy right hand.
When the accursed are confounded, consigned to the erce flames: call me to be with the blessed.
I pray, suppliant and kneeling, my heart contrite as if it were ashes protect me in my final hour.
O how tearful that day, on which the guilty shall rise from the embers to be judged. Spare them then, O God.
Merciful Lord Jesus, grant them rest.
Amen Amen
offertory
Domine Jesu Christe
Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae, libera animas
ominium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni et de profundo lacu: libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eat tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum: sed signifier sanctus Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam: Quam olim Abrahae promisisti Et semini ejus.
Hostias
Hostias et preces tibi, Domini, laudis offerimus: tu suscipe pro animabus illis, quarum hodie memoriam facimus: fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam. Quam olim Abrahae promisisti, Et semini ejus.
sanctus
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis.
Benedictus
Benedictus qui venit
In nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.
Lord Jesus Christ, King of Glory, liberate the souls of all the faithful departed from the pains of hell and from the deep pit; deliver them from the lion’s mouth; let not hell swallow them up, let them not fall into darkness but let Michael, the holy standard bearer, bring them into the light which once thou promised to Abraham and to his seed.
Sacrifices and prayers of praise, O Lord we offer to thee. Receive them, Lord, on behalf of those souls we commemorate this day. Grant them, O Lord to pass from death unto life, which once thou promised to Abraham and to his seed
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
agnus dei
Agnus Dei,
Qui tollis peccata mundi, Dona eis requiem.
Agnus Dei, Qui tollis peccata mundi, Dona eis requiem.
Agnus Dei, Qui tollis peccata mundi, Dona eis requiem sempiternam.
communion
Lux Aeterna
Lux aeterna luceat eis Domine:
Cum sanctis tuis in aeternum: Quia pius es.
Requiem aeternam domine, Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant them rest.
Lamb of God, who takest way the sins of the world, grant them rest.
Lamb of God, who takest way the sins of the world, grant them rest everlasting
May light eternal shine upon them, O Lord, in the company of thy saints forever and ever; for thou art merciful
Rest eternal grant them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
yale glee club
164th season
Jeffrey Douma, Music Director
T. Sean Maher, Operations and Production Manager
Alex Whittington, Assistant Conductor
David Liebowitz, Student Conductor
Ava Dadvand, Student Conductor
President: Anya AitSahlia Manager: Ines Gilles
Archivists: Omeno Abutu, Angélique Wheeler
Stage Managers: Ruthie Weinbaum, Gui Pereira, Ben Weiss
Alumni Coordinators: Seung Min Baik Kang, Kyle Thomas Ramos
Web Manager: Catharine Lee
Publicity Chairs: Sophia Groff, Sarah Sparling
Social Chairs: Catalina Ossmann, Elizabeth Wolfram
Community Engagement Officers: Lukas Koutsoukos, John Raskopf
Wardrobe: Alliese Bonner
soprano i
Tamara Bafi ’27 Economics and Cognitive Science
Joleen Bakalova ’28 Anthropology; Global Affairs
Alliese Bonner ’27 Music*
Kinnia Cheuk ’26 English
Alex Hawley ’25 Statistics & Data Science
Anjal Jain ’26 Biomedical Engineering & Music
Erica Lu ’28 Economics; Film & Media Studies
Rhea McTiernan Huge ’27 Undeclared*
Lila Schweinfurth ’25 Computer Science and Mathematics; Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Elizabeth Wolfram ’27 Mathematics and Philosophy; Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
soprano ii
Violet Barnum ’25 Music
Kylie Berg ’28 Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Senlee Dieme ’26 History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health
Inès Gilles ’25 Sociology
Sophia Groff ’25 English
Katie Gurney ’26 Mathematics*
Aurelia Keberle ’27 Biomedical Engineering
Rose Kosciuszek ’27 Political Science
Catharine Lee ’27 Cognitive Science; Comparative Literature
Christina Logvynyuk ’25 Economics and East European Studies
Cayley Tolbert–Schwartz ’28 Applied Physics; Theater*
Claire Zhong ’28 Cognitive Science*
alto i
Omeno Abutu ’27 Music
Anya AitSahlia ’25 Classics
Ziqi Cui ’27 Undeclared
Logan Gilbert ’28 Mathematics and Music*
Mika Hiroi ’28 Undeclared
Alistair Lam ’27 Cognitive Science; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
Peighton Lotwis ’26 History; Music
Emily Patrick ’26 Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies with certificate in Education Studies
Sofia Sato ’28 Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
Sarah Sparling ’25.5 Linguistics*
Abigail Taylor ’25 English; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Angélique Wheeler ’26 History; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology*
alto ii
Alexis Cruz ’28 Astrophysics
Tesse Okunseri ’25 Neuroscience
Catalina Ossmann ’27 Cognitive Science
Aryana Ramos–Vázquez ’26 Biomedical Engineering*
Myla Toliver ’28 History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health
Hai Yen Tran ’26 Statistics and Data Science; Ethics, Politics, and Economics
Ruthie Weinbaum ’25 History
Thisbe Wu ’26 Art
Anna Zoltowski ’27 Classics
tenor i
Matthew Chen ’27 Ethics, Politics and Economics; Sociology
Schandy Cordero Schlatter ’28 Environmental Engineering
Ayush Iyer ’26 Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry; Economics
Jack Purdue ’25 Humanities*
Bill Qian ’26 Computer Science
John Raskopf ’27 Music
Gbemiga Salu ’27 Applied Mathematics
Nate Stein ’28 Ethics, Politics, and Economics; Undecided
Alex Whittington mm ’25 Choral Conducting
tenor ii
Jonathan Akinniyi ’26 Political Science; History
Charles Calkins ’26 History
Andrew Jean–Charles ’27 Ethics, Politics, and Economics
Tavian Jones ’26, Math, Physics, & Economics
David Liebowitz ’26 Architecture
Stephen Morris ’27 Political Science
Prithvi Vijay Narayanan ’28 Political Science*
Jaden Nicita ’28 Theater and Performance Studies
Max Ondik ’28, Political Science and East Asian Studies
Ari Panagiotis Tsomokos ’27 Undeclared
Bobby Xiao ’25 Computer Science and Economics
Andrew Xu ’27 Computer Science and Mathematics
Vincent Zhen Tan ’25 Humanities
bass i
Lukas Bacho ’25 Philosophy
Andrew P. Boanoh ’27 Political Science; Philosophy
Ava Dadvand ’25 Classics; Linguistics
Quinn Evans ’25, Environmental Studies & Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Aviv Fetaya ’26 Computer Science; Music
Creed Gardiner ’26 American Studies
Cameron Gray–Lee ’27 Undeclared
Alexander Kingma ’28 Computer Science and Mathematics*
Lukas Koutsoukos ’27 Ethics, Politics, and Economics
August Rivers ’28 Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
Everett Tolbert–Schwartz ’26 Applied Physics; Chemistry*
Jeffrey Yang ’28 Economics
bass ii
Seung Min Baik ’26, Economics; History*
Even Brock ’25, Math & Music
Benjamin Graham ’28 Statistics and Data Science*
Jiayang Jin ’27, Undeclared
Sohum Kapadia ’25, Cognitive Science
Deven Kinney ’24 Global Affairs and History; ’25 Master’s in Public Policy
Joshua Li ’26, Global Affairs; Astrophysics
Kyle Thomas Ramos ’26 Political Science
Liam Richardson ’25 Statistics & Data Science
Evan Stein ’28 Undeclared*
Lucas Vander Elst ’28 DS–Pre Med; Comparative Literature
Ben Weiss ’27 Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Benjamin Xu ’26 Computer Science and Mathematics
*Chamber Singer
violin 1
Gregory Tompkins**
Yaira Matyakubova
Stephanie Hug
Fiona Murray
violin 2
Patrick Doane*
Juliana Chen
Ariel Patkin
viola
Ellen Higham*
Linda Numagami
Katrina Smith
cello
Patricia Smith*
Jennifer Combs
Philip Boulanger
bass
Edward Allman*
orchestra
clarinet
David Shifrin*
James Forgey bassoon
Wayne Hileman*
Tucker Van Gundy trumpet
Kenneth Tedeschi*
Michael Flynt trombone
Yuki Mori*
Jude Morris
Felix Padilla timpani
Michael Singer* personnel manager
Marta Boratgis
** - concertmaster
* - principal
yale glee club
from its earliest days as a group of thirteen men from the Class of 1861 to its current incarnation as a 80-voice all-gender chorus, the Yale Glee Club, Yale’s principal undergraduate mixed chorus and oldest musical organization, has represented the best in collegiate choral music.
In recent seasons, the Glee Club’s performances have received rave reviews in the national press, from The New York Times (“One of the best collegiate singing ensembles, and one of the most adventurous … an exciting, beautifully sung concert at Carnegie Hall”) to The Washington Post (“Under the direction of Jeffrey Douma, the sopranos—indeed, all the voices—sang as one voice, with flawless intonation … their treacherous semitones and contrapuntal subtleties became otherworldly, transcendent even”).
The students who sing in the Yale Glee Club might be majors in music or biology, English or political science, philosophy or mathematics. They are drawn together by a love of singing and a common understanding that raising one’s voice with others to create something beautiful is one of the noblest human pursuits.
The Glee Club’s repertoire embraces a broad spectrum of music from the 16th century to the present, including motets, contemporary works, music from folk traditions throughout the world, and traditional Yale songs. Committed to the creation of new music, the Glee Club presents frequent premieres of newly commissioned works and sponsors two annual competitions for young composers. They have been featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition, WQXR’s “The Choral Mix,” and BBC Radio 3’s “The Choir.”
Choral orchestral masterworks are also an important part of the Glee Club’s repertoire; recent performances include Verdi Requiem, Mozart Requiem, Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms, Shaw Music in Common Time, Orff Carmina Burana, Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem, Bernstein Chichester Psalms, Britten War Requiem and Cantata Misericordium, Fauré Requiem, Haydn Missa in Tempore Belli, Missa in angustiis, and Creation, Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, Nänie, and Schicksalslied, Mendelssohn Elijah, Penderecki Credo, Aaron Jay Kernis Symphony of Meditations, Purrington Words for Departure, and choral symphonies of Mahler and Beethoven.
One of the most traveled choruses in the world, the Yale Glee Club has performed in every major city in the United States and embarked on its first
overseas tour in 1928. It has since appeared before enthusiastic audiences throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. Historically a leading advocate of international choral exchange, the Glee Club has hosted countless guest ensembles at Yale and at New York’s Lincoln Center in conjunction with its own international festivals. In 2012, the Glee Club carried this tradition forward with the first Yale International Choral Festival in New Haven, and in June of 2018 presented the third incarnation of the festival, hosting choirs from Sri Lanka, Mexico, Germany, and New York City, along with the Yale Alumni Chorus and Yale Choral Artists.
The Glee Club has appeared under the baton of many distinguished guest conductors from Leopold Stokowski to Sir David Willcocks to Robert Shaw. Recent collaborations have included performances under the direction of Marin Alsop, Grete Pedersen, Matthew Halls, Sir Neville Marriner, Dale Warland, Nicholas McGegan, Stefan Parkman, Simon Carrington, Erwin Ortner, David Hill, Craig Hella Johnson, and Helmuth Rilling.
The Yale Glee Club has had only seven directors in its 164-year history and is currently led by Jeffrey Douma. Previous directors include Marshall Bartholomew (1921–1953), who first brought the group to international prominence and who expanded the Glee Club’s repertoire beyond college songs to a broader range of great choral repertoire; Fenno Heath (1953–1992), under whose inspired leadership the Glee Club made the transition from ttbb chorus to mixed chorus; and most recently David Connell (1992–2002), whose vision helped carry the best traditions of this ensemble into the twenty-first century.
jeffrey douma
Jeffrey Douma is the Marshall Bartholomew Professor in the Practice of Choral Music at the Yale School of Music, and has served as Director of the Yale Glee Club since 2003. The Glee Club has been hailed under his direction by The New York Times as “one of the best collegiate singing ensembles, and one of the most adventurous.” He also heads Yale’s graduate program in choral conducting and serves as founding Director of the Yale Choral Artists and Director of the Chamber Choir and Choral Conducting Workshop at Yale’s Norfolk Festival.
Douma has appeared as guest conductor with choruses and orchestras on six continents, including the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore’s Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Estonian National Youth Orchestra, Daejeon Philharmonic Choir, Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Solistas de la Habana, Istanbul’s Tekfen Philharmonic, Norway’s Edvard Grieg Kor, the Symphony Choir of Johannesburg, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, and the Central Conservatory’s EOS Orchestra in Beijing, as well as the Yale Philharmonia and Yale Symphony Orchestras. He also serves as Musical Director of the Yale Alumni Chorus, which he has lead on eleven international tours. He served previously as Choirmaster at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, CT, where performances with the professional Schola Cantorum ranged from Bach St. John Passion with baroque orchestra to Arvo Pärt Te Deum, and recently served as Director of Music at the Unitarian Society of New Haven.
Choirs under his direction have performed in Leipzig’s Neue Gewandhaus, Dvorak Hall in Prague, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Notre Dame de Paris, Singapore’s Esplanade, Argentina’s Teatro Colon, the Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai, Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher and Alice Tully Halls, and Carnegie Hall, and he has prepared choruses for performances under such eminent conductors as Marin Alsop, William Christie, Valery Gergiev, Sir Neville Marriner, Sir David Willcocks, Dale Warland, Krzysztof Penderecki, Nicholas McGegan, Craig Hella Johnson, and Helmuth Rilling.
Douma has presented at conferences of the ACDA and NCCO, and the Yale Glee Club has appeared as a featured ensemble at NCCO national and ACDA divisional conferences. Active with musicians of all ages, Douma served for several years on the conducting faculty at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. He frequently serves as clinician for festivals and honor choirs. Recent engagements include conducting masterclasses at the China International Chorus Festival, the University of Michigan School of Music, the Jacobs School of Music at
Indiana University, the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Hochschule der Künste in Zurich, the Florence International Choral Festival, and the Berlin Radio Choir’s International Masterclass, as well as residencies at the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing and at Luther College as Visiting Conductor of the internationally renowned Nordic Choir.
An advocate of new music, Douma established the Yale Glee Club Emerging Composers Competition and Fenno Heath Award, and has premiered new works by such composers as Jennifer Higdon, Joel Thompson, Caroline Shaw, Dominick Argento, Paola Prestini, Ayanna Woods, Bright Sheng, Ned Rorem, Rodrigo Cadet, Ted Hearne, Han Lash, Martin Bresnick, David Lang, Derrick Skye, Rene Clausen, Bongani Magatyana, and James Macmillan. He also serves as editor of the Yale Glee Club New Classics Choral Series, published by Boosey & Hawkes. His original compositions are published by G. Schirmer and Boosey & Hawkes. A tenor, Douma has appeared as an ensemble member and soloist with some of the nation’s leading professional choirs.
In 2003, Douma was one of only two North American conductors invited to compete for the first Eric Ericson Award, the premier international competition for choral conductors. Prior to his appointment at Yale he served as Director of Choral Activities at Carroll College and taught on the conducting faculties of Smith College and St. Cloud State University.
Douma earned the Bachelor of Music degree from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from the University of Michigan. He lives in Hamden, CT, with his wife, pianist and conductor Erika Schroth.
yale glee club