By David Poulos, Contributing Writer
Orazio Thomas ’25, a double major in math and music with a minor in east Asian studies, performed his junior recital on Dec. 1 in Paul Recital Hall. The music Thomas picked for the recital is all based around the title he chose, “Déclamé,” a French word meaning “to declaim.” Thomas selected three pieces to perform on the saxophone for his recital.
“The music I picked for my recital is all based around the title I chose… The first movement of the first piece is titled [as] such, and it is a musical marking near the end of my last piece. My second piece can be interpreted as a declamation of grief,” Thomas said.
Orazio Thomas ’25 (Photo Courtesy of Orazio Thomas)
The recital began with “Brilliance,” which contains four movements and is composed by Ida Gotkovsky. The second piece performed was “Cyberbird Concerto,” which was composed by Takashi Yoshimatsu. The final piece performed, “Prelude, Cadence, et Finale,” was described as ending with the third movement, titled Finale: “…[building] on the two prior movements to bring the piece to an energetic and exciting end.” It led to a standing ovation for Thomas.
Reflecting on his time attending Gettysburg College, Thomas expressed his appreciation for the vast opportunities he was given for musical participation as well as the chance to broaden his horizons and discover his passions.
“As for my journey, I actually came to college without auditioning, but decided to audition for a music major after arriving on campus, and since then I have realized music is what I want to do with my life,” Thomas said.
Thomas also spoke on how, as a junior at Gettysburg College, he has found himself with many occasions to apply what he has learned.
Thomas explained, “As a music major, you spend your first two years taking core classes, and I feel that Junior year is when you really get the opportunities to apply these basics. For me, this meant Composition Lessons, Music Theory 5 – Orchestration, and of course, my recital.”
Thomas then offered advice for current or future conservatory students: “I think the conservatory offers a lot of amazing opportunities for students, so you should definitely look for and take advantage of them.”
Thomas hopes to attend graduate school for music after his time at Gettysburg College.
