Louis Sudler Prize in the Performing and Creative Arts (Est. 1980)

The Louis Sudler Prize in the Performing and Creative Arts is awarded annually to two graduating Seniors who, in the opinion of the Faculty, have demonstrated excellence or the highest standards of proficiency in performance or execution, and in the field of composition in one of the following general areas: architecture and design, creative writing, dance, film and video, music, theater, painting, sculpture, photography, and digital arts.

2026

Kai Chen, Pierson College

Kai Chen of Pierson College graduates with distinction with a degree in Art. A multi-disciplinary artist in painting, photography, and installation, their work presses against traditionally fixed images and addresses the alternative reality in which queer and non-binary artists may exists. Kai utilizes large-format film and pinhole cameras to build spirit-photography effects without digital manipulation.

Their sustained intellectual engagement across disciplines served them as artist, thinker, and presence in their community. As co-head of Yale Visual Artists, Kai organized a large-scale open-call exhibition with rare administrative and curatorial skill. They also served on the faculty search committee for the Painting and Printmaking department.

More than illustrative, Kai’s practice investigates with intentionality and rigor. For their accomplishments in visual art, Yale College is honored to award the Louis Sudler Prize for Excellence in the Performance and Creative Arts to Kai Chen.

Paul Ji, Morse College

Paul Ji of Morse College graduates with a degree in Music and Philosophy, with distinction in Music. A rising star among concert pianists, he has already launched an international career, playing with world-class orchestras and performing solo concerts in Vienna, Paris, London, and Beijng, and will make his Carnegie Hall solo debut next year.

Paul performs a repertory predominantly from teh 19th- and early 20th-century with an ease and joy that makes even the most challenging passagest seem simple. His technique is impeccable, exhibiting astounding virtuosity and musicianship. At the same time, he is a master of the singing piano tone that Chopin cultivated.

Paul’s accomplishments as an undergraduate include winning the William Waite Concerto Competition; performing Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto with the Yale Symphony Orchestra; winning an international concerto competition in Lucca, Italy; and being named a semi-finalist in teh 2025 National Chopin Competition. For his accomplishments in musical performance, Yale College is honored to award the the Louis Sudler Prize for Excellence in the Performance and Creative Arts to Paul Ji.

2025

Nicole Lam, Ezra Stiles College

Mazie Wong, Jonathan Edwards College

2024

Carter Sundown King, Pauli Murray College

Jordi Bertrán Ramirez, Trumbull College

2023

Diego Miró Rivera, Trumbull College

Annelise Ratner, Silliman College

2022

Chiara (Chia) Amisola, Saybrook College

Alex Whittington, Pierson College