May 8, 2025

Soprano Kathleen Kim has appeared as a regular guest at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in roles such as Tytania, Queen of the Fairies (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) under the direction of James Conlon; Olympia (Les contes d’Hoffmann) and Blondchen (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) under James Levine; Oscar (Un ballo in maschera) with Fabio Luisi; and Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos) under Kirill Petrenko. In New York, she also sang Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier) under Sebastian Weigle and La fée (Cendrillon) under the direction of Bertrand de Billy. In the 2023–24 season, she will return to the Metropolitan Opera to resume the acclaimed production The Hours, which celebrated its world premiere last season.

Kathleen Kim sang Violetta (La traviata) at the Korean Opera with great success and returned to the house last season as Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel). In Montreal, she thrilled audiences in the titular role in Lucia di Lammermoor and La fée in Cendrillon at the Opéra de Paris. Here, she triumphantly sung the virtuoso role of Madame Mao in John Adams’s Nixon in China under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel. In Europe, she appeared again as Olympia (Les contes d’Hoffmann) and Blondchen (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) at the Bavarian State Opera under the baton of Ivor Bolton, and guested at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. Other engagements included Oscar (Un ballo in maschera) in Brussels, Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos) in Frankfurt, and Tytania at the Glyndebourne Festival, where she also shone in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges.

New Music is also an integral part of Kathleen Kim’s work. Reprising the role of Madame Mao in Nixon in China, she performed at the Met under the direction of the composer, as well as at the BBC Proms. In Saint Louis, she sang the part of the Josephine in the world premiere of An American Soldier by Huang Ruo.

Kim was the guest soloist at the Independence Day Celebration Concert of the Seoul Philharmonic in 2010, conducted by Myung-Whun Chung. She has also joined them for Mahler’s Symphonies No. 8 and No. 2 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon.

Matías Tarnopolsky was appointed President and CEO of the New York Philharmonic in January 2025, joining Gustavo Dudamel, incoming Oscar L. Tang and H. M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Music and Artistic Director Designate, in authoring a new chapter in the Orchestra’s rich history. Tarnopolsky previously served as president and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts (2018–2024), working with Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin to present vibrant, multi-genre programming across multiple venues. In Philadelphia, Tarnopolsky forged a groundbreaking partnership between the world-renowned orchestra and the Kimmel Center. His previous positions include executive and artistic director of Cal Performances at the University of California, Berkeley, and leadership roles at the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, and BBC Symphony orchestras.

Born in Buenos Aires and raised in London, Tarnopolsky was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture, among other honors. Tarnopolsky serves on the Avery Fisher Artist Program’s executive committee, and the advisory councils of the Tianjin Juilliard School, Pacific Harmony Foundation, and Viñoly Foundation.

Shaina Taub is a two-time Tony Award-winning and Grammy-nominated songwriter and performer. She starred as Alice Paul in the Broadway production of Suffs, for which she won Tony Awards for both Best Book and Best Score; Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Book, Best Score, and Best Musical; and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music. For the cast album, she received a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album. She is an artist-in-residence at The Public Theater, where Suffs first premiered.

Taub has created and starred in acclaimed musical adaptations of Twelfth Night (Drama Desk and Drama League nominations) and As You Like It (Obie Award) at Free Shakespeare in the Park with part of the Public Works community that have since been produced by London’s National Theatre, the Young Vic, and hundreds more theaters and schools worldwide. She wrote the lyrics for The Devil Wears Prada with Sir Elton John, which opened in the West End in 2024. Her writing has earned her the ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, Johnathan Larson Grant, Kleban Prize, Fred Ebb Award, and the Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award.

Taub also performed in the original Off-Broadway productions of Hadestown and Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Lortel nomination), and played Emma Goldman in Ragtime at New York City Centre Encores. She co-starred in Bill Irwin and David Shiner’s Old Hats at the Signature Theatre, which featured her original songs. Her three solo albums include Visitors, Die Happy, and Songs of the Great Hill on Atlantic Records, as well as original cast albums for Twelfth Night, As You Like It, and Suffs. Her songwriting for television includes Sesame Street, Central Park, Julie’s Greenroom starring Julie Andrews, and the Emmy-nominated opening number for the 2018 Tony Awards, co-written with Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban. She has a longstanding concert residency at Joe’s Pub, made a solo debut in Lincoln Center’s Great American Songbook series, and has performed her music with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall.

Taub was included on the 2024 TIME100 Next list of rising leaders and has been recognized for her activism with the Workers Circle Activism Award; the League of Women Voters’ Tribute Award; Monumental Women’s Moving History Forward Award; NYU Trailblazer Award; and the Michael Friedman Freedom Award for activism from the NYCLU Artist Ambassadors program, which she co-chairs.

Eugenia Cho is a violinist from Michigan, currently completing her Master of Music degree in Orchestral Violin Performance at Manhattan School of Music. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Michigan, where her journey as a passionate orchestral musician truly began. Eugenia has performed with renowned ensembles and festivals across the country, and now plays with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra while also teaching students both in-person and online. Over the years, she’s had the honor of sharing the stage with incredible artists and mentors, each of whom helped shape her love for music and community. Whether performing, leading, or teaching, Eugenia strives to connect with others through music and inspire the next generation. She’s deeply grateful to be celebrating this milestone with her fellow graduates this May.
The Student Commencement Speaker selection process included open nominations by the graduating class and a short interview with the Dean of Students & Director of Student Engagement. The final decision was made by the Executive Board of the Student Government Association. Heartfelt thanks and gratitude to everyone who contributed and participated in the nomination and selection process.