On Sunday, May 18th, the Class of 2025 was celebrated by the Department of Music with a commencement ceremony in Hertz Concert Hall. Family and friends cheered on loved ones in a warm, uplifting ceremony that highlighted the bright future awaiting these students.
Department Chair David Milnes kicked off the festivities, speaking on the importance of the day and the significant accomplishments of the students. With much of the Music Department’s faculty in attendance, Professor Milnes touched on departmental highlights over the past academic year, including the opening of the Helen and Thomas Wu Performance Hall, the arrival of new faculty member Matthew Evan Taylor, and other achievements.
Following Professor Milnes’ remarks, the 2025 Department Citation & Matthew William Fisher Memorial Award in Music recipient, Lara Öge, addressed her fellow students. Lara spoke about the centrality of music in her life, as well as the many friendships it helped her forge during her time at Berkeley.
After Lara came Ph.D. graduate Jonathan Turner, who was receiving his doctorate in Ethnomusicology. Jon’s research investigates how the creative processes of both musicians and those who make and maintain their instruments are influenced by economics, climate change, pedagogical structures, automation, and cultural politics of technology. In speaking about his experience at Berkeley, Jon praised his colleagues in the graduate department and thanked them for their camaraderie, inspiration, and impact on his graduate studies.
Once these speakers finished, graduates were awarded their diplomas. The doctoral candidates in attendance—Nathan Corder, Virginia Georgallas, Andrew Harlan, Danniel Ribeiro, and Jonathan Turner—were hooded by their faculty advisors. After the doctoral candidates, congratulations were given to three students receiving Masters of Arts—Rodney Padovani Casanova, Landry Krebs, and Ahkeel Mestayer Velasquez—an important milestone in their path to a doctorate. These graduate presentations were followed by the Department of Music’s largest graduating class ever, with more than 50 undergraduate students walking across the stage to receive their diplomas and congratulations from Chair Milnes.
A reception for these graduates and their families immediately followed the commencement ceremony just outside of Hertz Hall. Students, their families and friends joined faculty and staff to celebrate the occasion on a perfect Berkeley spring day.
Congratulations to all of our graduates. Photos from the commencement and reception are linked below.