It is with deep sadness that the University shares the loss of a student, SoYoon “Joy” Rhee. Joy passed away Monday in Korea after a battle with blood cancer. She had been on medical leave since the summer of 2023.
Joy had been a Voice Performance major at The Hartt School since 2019, and was originally slated to finish in fall 2023.
Joy’s voice professor, Sondra Kelly, says Joy will be missed by all who knew her. “Her attitude and perseverance made her a great student to teach,” Kelly says. “She was on her way to a wonderful career in music, which she loved so much. Her American name was so fitting: she was pure joy.”
Sondra Kelly, Voice Professor“Her attitude and perseverance made her a great student to teach. She was on her way to a wonderful career in music, which she loved so much. Her American name was so fitting: she was pure joy.”
We grieve alongside Joy’s family and friends, and express our heartfelt condolences in this incredibly difficult time.