From the Nominator

"It has long been a tradition that the undergraduate Yale Symphony Orchestra (YSO) travels abroad in the summer. I was lucky enough to make it into the orchestra, where I played second violin. In my freshman year, we flew to the UK and played several concerts in Scotland and England. That was 43 years ago. 

Hundreds of YSO players have now traveled to dozens of different countries to perform. In my "From the Editor" page, I described the sights and surprises of our trip. (For one thing, I learned that I had a very strong stomach.) I also did my best to describe the experience of making music. It's an experience that can deliver a kind of exaltation.   

We received several letters about the piece from YSO alumni, most of them joyous memories about their YSO days (and some of them complaining that their friends had not been named). We also received a letter from none other than John Mauceri, a Yale alumnus and major conductor who has produced over 70 albums and won many prestigious awards. He wrote about the power of music and noted, "The vast majority of YSO alums are not professional musicians but were able to continue their extraordinary musical expertise at Yale while studying to be doctors, lawyers, philosophers, physicists, historians, and authors.""

From the Judges

This column leads the reader to a call to action subtly and effectively. Through a lens of nostalgia and storytelling, the piece demonstrates the lifelong impact of student programs like the Yale Orchestra and the need for philanthropic support. We appreciated learning about the responses from readers, who clearly identified with the piece.