Hundreds of eyes are watching, waiting. With calm concentration but also collected resignation, senior Vinayak Sinha picks up his bassoon. His eyes are closed, he readies the reed and he begins to play. With intense concentration, he draws out the sinews of note after note — each one catching the audience in the overwhelming embrace of his rhapsody.

Vinayak joined Harker’s orchestra as a frosh after moving from New Jersey. While he gained technical exposure to a wide range of pieces, the most important lesson he learned was how to work with others. As one of the few bassoonists in the ensemble, Vinayak needed to master the deceptively challenging act of deep listening.

“The pieces sometimes aren’t that difficult, but the point is that the orchestra is a group of musicians coming together to form a bigger instrument, like keys on a piano,” Vinayak said. “It’s non-verbal, listening to what other people are playing and adapting, getting to know other people and their playing. You can learn to account for that and play as a group rather than play as an individual.”

Close friend senior Yash Greene, who became friends with Vinayak in orchestra and Aerospace Club, affirms his easygoing nature — an attitude that helped him collaborate with students both within and beyond his musical interests.

“He’s very confident, he’s very outgoing,” Yash said. “Being in the orchestra with him is great. Ever since frosh year, he’s been a staple of the orchestra. Anytime he has a solo, everyone’s always complimenting his music. He’s a fun person to be around. When I’m in a boring activity, if I’m with him, it makes it more enjoyable.”

During his time in orchestra, Vinayak stepped up to play several solos, including his performance of “The Kalendar Prince” from Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade during the orchestra’s 2025 Chicago trip. A winner of the orchestra’s senior concerto competition, he also performed the first movement of Carl Maria von Weber’s Bassoon Concerto at Harker’s Chamber Music Concert this spring. Despite these high-stakes performances, Vinayak learned to adapt to unexpected situations.

“You want to have full mastery over the piece, but the concert is more about what you can do in the moment, because there are so many things that can go wrong,” Vinayak said. “Your reed might break. But you need to be ready to adjust for that and be ready to adapt when that happens. It’s just a different game. You try to prepare as much as you can, and then you have to make those decisions very quickly.”

Vinayak’s easy-going spirit has allowed him to assist other bassoonists and musicians. In addition to starting a wind quintet, he bonded with underclassmen bassoonists while leading sectionals and even mentored middle school players.

“After I leave Harker, I want there to be more bassoonists,” Vinayak said. “I don’t want the orchestra to miss out on that element of playing. Getting to perform in front of the middle schoolers last year was a way to continue that pipeline. That applies to every instrument, not just the bassoon. I want everyone to get a chance to hear what a full orchestra sounds like, to listen to the full breadth of a piece.”

Outside of orchestra, Vinayak participates in many sports, including water polo and soccer. He finds that the collaboration integral to bassoon-playing translates well to these athletic pursuits. Soccer teammate and close friend senior Vouk Praun-Petrovic commends the camaraderie that they share on the team.

“We’re the dynamic duo on Harker’s soccer team, and we definitely had the best bromance,” Vouk said. “He very much strives to be his best self every game. He’s always trying to improve himself, which is inspirational. His sense of humor is also so unique and original that it has also rubbed off of me.”

Math department chair and Aerospace Club adviser Anthony Silk, who taught Vinayak in AP Calculus BC, honors that same buoyant outlook.

“My advice for him is to be who you are, don’t try to become something different,” Silk said. “One of his greatest qualities is that he’s personable and interesting and interested, and when you’re around him, you feel like he cares about you as a person and what you’re interested in. That wonderful, engaging personality is a lovely quality to have.”

Vinayak’s persistence and affability have carried him to impressive heights — performing before large crowds, leading fellow musicians and playing both soccer and the bassoon with purpose. Yet for him, these pursuits have never been about external rewards.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about during concerts because you have to imagine that you’re playing for yourself,” Vinayak said. “There are no expectations to meet except your own. That’s what inspires me: getting it done and the sense of satisfaction when you’re able to complete something challenging.”