Calvin Ludwig ’18, is a math and biology major from Poughkeepsie, New York
So, a math and bio double major! Has it been hard juggling so much music along with two non-music majors?
It definitely gets difficult at times to juggle all the things that I want to do – but I always try to keep a good planner, write things down, and make sure I know when my deadlines are. And if I know that there’s a Berkshire concert, or the competition, coming up, I plan my academics accordingly so that I don’t enter into a panic mode. And I’ve made it for almost four years now!
Speaking of which, do you know what you’ll be doing next year?
I’ll be working for one or two years at a biomedical research lab at Harvard. The principal investigator, Leonard Zon, works on lymphoma in zebra fish – which is the model organism we use to study lymphoma. And then afterwards, I’ve done all the necessary and ridiculous things I have to do to apply to medical school. So that is coming together towards the end of this year, and once I’m done at Harvard I’ll move on to medical school.
Wow, congratulations about all that! Now, can you tell me about the concerto you’re playing?
The piece is called Poem for Flute and Orchestra by Charles Griffes, who is an early 20th century composer in the realm of Debussy and that kind of impressionistic genre. Unlike some composers, he was actually quite popular in his own lifetime – he was able to garner enough support for his music to be performed. And another thing that I read about Charles Griffes is that, while he was not openly gay, he was not exactly quiet about it. And I think to be able to honor him in that way, by playing his piece as a supporter of LGBT rights, is really cool.
Is there any music you enjoy listening to outside of the classical genre?
Well I like dancing, so I like music that will get a group of people off their butts and onto the dance floor. I’ll listen to pop sometimes when I’m not feeling classical, but of course I listen to a lot of classical music as well. It’s good study music, and it inspires me.
Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
I guess just that I’m really excited to perform in my senior year. This music department is extraordinary, and being able to participate in such a profound way, when I’m not even a music major, has truly made my experience at Williams very special.
Come hear the multitalented Calvin Ludwig perform Griffes’s Poem for Flute and Orchestra on April 20th with the Berkshire Symphony!