For Whitman’s senior music majors, the end of the year brings senior recitals––their last chance to perform for the Whitman community and watch their peers show off what they can do.

Beginning Sunday, April 15 at 3:00 p.m., with the recital of senior cellist Carrie Sloane, and ending with the recital of senior saxophonist Peter Qualtere-Burcher on Sunday, May 6 at 3:00 p.m., the seniors’ performances reflect not only their current talents and skills, but also their growth and progress from the beginning of their music studies at Whitman.

Qualtere-Burcher plans to perform both a sonatina composed by William Schmitt, and also a suite of his own composition. Inspired by Tibetan Buddhist monks as well as Christian monasteries––not to mention Thelonious Monk––his “Monk Suite” follows his “Pirate Suite,” which he wrote and recorded last year.

“The inspiration came from this idea that we all have sort of a pirate and monk inside us,” said Qualtere-Burcher. “It’s like the angel and the devil.”

Senior Elizabeth Fleming, whose recital will be performed on Sunday, April 29 at 3:00 p.m., found inspiration in her “Women as Composers class”, taught by her adviser, Chair of Music Susan Pickett.

“I became really interested in trying to forward the movement of getting works by these women composers published,” Fleming said.

After learning about Swedish composer Elfrida Andrée, whose works largely went unperformed for most of the twentieth century, Fleming decided to help edit her a cappella choir manuscripts in hopes of having them performed. The editing process, though “nitpicky,” resulted in pieces that will have their debut in Chism Hall later this month.

“It’s especially close to my heart because it’s a woman composer,” said Fleming, who plans to go to graduate school for music. “This is something that Elfrida had wanted and couldn’t do herself because she was a woman.”

Though the seniors each have a distinct and specific musical interest, their passion for music unites all of them.

“I’m gonna play music for the rest of my life, and that’s all I’m gonna do, basically,” said Qualtere-Burcher.

For a complete list of seniors’ recitals, visit the Whitman calendar.