![[Graduation Ceremony BGM] Guaranteed to move you! A comprehensive introduction to classic tear-jerkers!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PGgdHflOCmc/hqdefault.jpg)
[Graduation Ceremony BGM] Guaranteed to move you! A comprehensive introduction to classic tear-jerkers!
BGM to add a flourish to a moving graduation ceremony.For teachers sending off their graduates, choosing the right music to color this milestone in the children’s lives can be a real challenge.So in this article, we’ve gathered a selection of classic, go-to pieces that are perfect for graduation ceremony BGM!We picked several tracks of different types—from orchestral works that lend a brilliant touch to the entrance scene to gentle, wistful piano pieces suited to quieter moments—so please use them as a guide for your music selection.We hope the ceremony will become a lasting memory, accompanied by music, for the children, their families, and the teachers alike.
[Graduation Ceremony BGM] Guaranteed to Move You! A Roundup of Tear-Jerking Classic Standards (1–10)
Symphony No. 2, Movement IIISergei Rachmaninov
Among the large-scale symphonies by the Russian Romantic composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, the third movement of his Symphony No.
2 is exceptionally beautiful.
Premiered in February 1908, this work became a landmark piece that helped him overcome past harsh criticism and regain his confidence as a composer.
The clarinet’s long-breathed melody seeps into the heart like an endless song, gently embraced by the warm sonorities of the strings.
Played during diploma presentations or recessional scenes, it can create a moving atmosphere befitting the children’s departure on their next journey.
Like a melodyJohannes Brahms
The moment you try to put it into words, it disappears.
Such delicate feelings are depicted in music in the first song of Johannes Brahms’s collection Fünf Lieder, Op.
105.
Based on a poem by Klaus Groth, something that flits through the heart flows like a melody, blossoms like a flower, and drifts like a fragrance—yet the instant it is spoken, it fades like mist.
This paradoxical beauty is woven in sound.
Premiered in Vienna in February 1887, the work is written for low voice and piano, and it holds a deep afterglow within restrained emotion.
Played in a quiet graduation moment—say, during the presentation of diplomas—it can gently let feelings that words cannot fully convey seep into the heart.
The Londonderry Air (Danny Boy)Airurando min’yō
This is a famous piece, cherished around the world as a traditional folk melody from Northern Ireland.
Its long-breathed melodic line and lingering resonance naturally evoke emotions such as nostalgia, parting, and prayer.
It spread explosively in 1913 as “Danny Boy,” with lyrics by British songwriter Frederick Weatherly, and has since continued to inspire a wide variety of lyrics and arrangements.
Its range of settings—from solo voice to full orchestra—and its establishment as ceremonial music are part of its appeal.
For graduation ceremonies, it offers a gentle sonority suitable for quiet moments or recessional scenes.
The melody, which combines a warmth that seems to watch over children as they embark on a new path with the poignancy of farewell, will resonate deeply with both guardians and teachers.
Liebestraum (Dream of Love)Franz Liszt
The gently flowing piano melody softly envelops the listener’s heart.
Released to the world by Franz Liszt in 1850, this piece was originally composed as a song and later arranged for solo piano.
Its sweet yet faintly wistful resonance perfectly suits the atmosphere of a graduation ceremony, where farewells and new beginnings intersect.
From a quietly introspective opening, it builds passionately before settling back into calm—a structure that paints a drama reminiscent of reflecting on days spent at school.
Beloved across many settings, it has been used in commercials and wedding-related videos.
Why not let its tender tones grace solemn yet warm moments—such as the conferral of diplomas or the recessional?
Symphony No. 9 “From the New World,” Second Movement “Largo”Antonín Dvořák
The second movement of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No.
9, “From the New World,” composed in 1893.
Characterized by the poignant melody of the English horn, this work has a quiet, meditative atmosphere.
In Japan, it is well known with the lyrics “Tōki yama ni hi wa ochite” and is also recognized as music that signals it’s time to head home in the evening.
Composed during Dvořák’s stay in America, the piece reflects influences from African American spirituals and Native American music, yet his originality shines through.
It premiered to great acclaim at Carnegie Hall in New York on December 16, 1893.
With its nostalgic, unhurried character, it’s also a perfect choice for graduation ceremony background music.
String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11 – II. Andante cantabilePyotr Tchaikovsky
String Quartet No.
1 in D major, Op.
11, composed in 1871 by Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
Among its movements, the independently beloved slow second movement stands out.
As indicated by the direction “Andante cantabile,” it features a melody that draws out the singing quality of the strings to the fullest, resonating deeply in the heart.
There is even an anecdote that the great writer Tolstoy was moved to tears upon hearing this movement.
In 1888, Tchaikovsky himself arranged it for cello and string orchestra, allowing it to be performed in a wider variety of settings.
Eschewing flashy virtuosity, its long-breathed legato lines leave space that anyone can connect to some part of their own life.
It is an ideal piece of background music for moments when emotions quietly swell, such as diploma presentations or recessional scenes.
Pavane for a Dead PrincessMaurice Ravel
A signature work by Maurice Ravel in which quiet elegance melds with distant nostalgia.
Composed in 1899 as a solo piano piece and premiered in Paris in April 1902, it is said to have been inspired by the image of a young princess dancing at the Spanish court.
Though suffused with sadness, it never becomes heavy; its restrained beauty is part of its appeal.
Ravel later arranged the piece for orchestra himself, adding the horn’s gentle melody and the harp’s delicate hues, which gave the work a more expansive sonority.
Featured in numerous films, including Porco Rosso and Birdman, it has long provided a quiet backdrop for scenes of parting and remembrance.
It is an ideal choice for solemn yet warm occasions, such as processions of graduates or diploma presentations.
Opera ‘Lohengrin’ – Elsa’s Procession to the CathedralRichard Wagner
In August 1850, the opera Lohengrin by the German master Richard Wagner premiered.
Because the composer himself was in exile due to political circumstances, the work was presented on the Weimar stage under the baton of his friend Franz Liszt.
The solemn processional music heard in Act II accompanies the scene in which the bride, Elsa, proceeds to the cathedral.
Rather than dazzling brilliance, it conveys a sense of prayer and dignity with its imposing sonority, weaving rich harmonies and a songlike melody into a leisurely tempo.
Its stately atmosphere makes it perfect for graduation ceremonies as well.
Why not accompany the proud entrance of the graduates with this majestic music?
Amazing GraceSakkyokusha fushō
This is a classic hymn beloved around the world and covered by many singers.
The original lyrics were written by the English clergyman John Newton and are said to have been sung for the first time at a worship service in January 1773.
The melody familiar today spread in 19th-century America as a folk tune, eventually joining with the lyrics to become a global standard.
Widely used in films, TV dramas, memorial services, and other scenes symbolizing prayer and renewal, this piece is also a perfect fit for the solemn mood of a graduation ceremony.
Why not play it, filled with gratitude and hope, for children setting out on a new path?
String Quartet No. 2, Movement III: “Nocturne”Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin
The third movement of String Quartet No.
2 in D major by Alexander Borodin, a leading composer of 19th-century Russia, was composed in 1881 as a gift to his wife, Ekaterina, and premiered in St.
Petersburg the following year, 1882.
The way the cello’s sweet melody is taken up by the violin is like an intimate conversation.
Serene yet deeply expressive, this piece is perfect for creating a solemn yet warm atmosphere at moments such as the presentation of diplomas or the recessional.
Its gently flowing lines will bring a quiet sense of emotion to the hearts of the departing children and those who watch over them.