One baton, six dozen musicians, infinite possibilities.

Senior Rohan Ramkumar lifts his baton, and with a swift flick of his wrist, the orchestra comes alive. There’s a meticulously crafted rhythm to it all: rich string vibrations, tinkling woodwind melodies, emphatic brass evocations and thrilling percussion accents. The notes flow together eloquently, shaping into something far more powerful that any individual instrument could produce. For him, this moment isn’t just about conducting — it’s about the seamless relationship he forms between the audience, orchestra and music itself, all unfolding synchronously. 

While Rohan has been creating music for thirteen years, a combination of monotony during COVID and the encouragement of his piano teacher led him to truly rediscover his love for music. This shift in mindset has also allowed him to see music as a means of connecting to both himself and others. With a multitude of talents as a concert pianist, conductor and composer, he believes music serves dual purposes, uniting people in camaraderie, but also driving introspection and growth.

“It’s a nice way to calm down and take time to do something I enjoy,” Rohan said. “It also gives me an opportunity to take my mind off anything, any other problems I have, and focus on something.”

To Rohan, music is fulfilling and enjoyable, even though it is occasionally arduous and time-consuming. He has met some of his closest friends and strengthened their bond by participating in music events; this year, they performed the piece “Pollyanna” at Hoscars together.

“I’ve met a lot of friends through music, both inside and outside of school,” Rohan said. “I’m part of chamber groups outside of school and playing with those kinds of people, it’s nice to play with your peers who can be on the same page as you.”

In his sophomore year, Rohan took on the challenge of conducting the orchestra. Leading such a large group of students with many distinctive opinions and viewpoints, it was no surprise that Rohan often noticed disagreements. Nevertheless, these experiences have pushed him to analyze and approach difficult situations in a more analytical and intentional manner.

“Sometimes, especially when you’re conducting, people don’t agree with you, or people have trouble doing what you ask,” Rohan said. “In those moments, you have to slow down and think about it and then understand where they’re coming from. And that helps you both get on the same page and helps you solve any problems.”

Orchestra director Jaco Wong attested to Rohan’s clear leadership in any group setting. Having mentored and watched his talent develop over the past three years, Wong commends Rohan’s accomplishments, both individually and with others. 

“He’s a great leader in the sense that he is well prepared,” Wong said. “He knows the material and musically, he’s able to hear a lot of things and then communicate it in a kind way. His sense of hearing the music as a whole and hearing the whole orchestra, translates to the rest of the students and how to put together a piece.”

Outside of a music setting, Rohan enjoys diving into mentally engaging topics, even writing an in-depth paper about torsion points in elliptic curves this past summer. The project was driven by a profound interest in mathematics and the challenge of exploring a complex subgenre of the field. Over a period of several months, he pushed his intellectual boundaries and gained an appreciation for the application of math in many fields. Close friend and classmate senior Grant Yang highlights Rohan’s dynamic passions and unique personality, which uplifts everyone around him.

“I don’t know how to describe his sense of humor, but he’s really into math,” Grant said. “He’s analytical. He would do something completely silly, and I appreciate it. Recently in class, he randomly opened up Minecraft and showed us his 8-bit adder that he built because that was tangentially related to what we were learning.”

Close friend senior Jason Shim admires Rohan’s ability to positively shape the environment around him. Throughout their friendship, Rohan’s continuous diligence and perseverance in any circumstance has simultaneously motivated Jason to work harder, especially when he’s tired or burnt out.

“In modern physics, when Dr. Nelson was asking for an example of a blackbody on a test, they all put Rohan,” Jason said. “To give a bit more context about this, a blackbody absorbs and reflects out energy. And Rohan is the perfect analog to a blackbody in that he’s very able to absorb the energy of people around him and reflect it back out as a reflection of a friend group or as a leader.”

In the future, Rohan plans to continue conducting and experimenting with music due to its positive impact on his life. Thus, he strives to use it as an agent for fostering mutual connection and learning among diverse individuals.

“I’ve gotten a lot more composed when I conduct,” Rohan said. “I know much more what I’m doing and why I’m doing it, and it helps the process go smoothly. I enjoyed conducting last year at the spring concert with orchestra. That was a fun experience, because I was in the moment and everyone was with me. I liked being able to feel the music play with everyone.”