The intricate 16th notes of Bach’s “Erchallet ihr lieder” blur together as the members of choral group Capriccio rehearse for their next concert. The challenging phrasing feels like a barrier, and the choir’s focus slips as the room’s energy slowly drifts. Sensing the disconnect, student leader Carissa Wu (’26) pauses to listen. After brainstorming with the group, she introduces a new ritual: a minute of silence followed by shared notes on each piece before rehearsal begins. After she implements this plan, the choir begins to flourish, and the once daunting melodies feel more like something they can shape together.

Carissa began performing in Harker’s choirs in fourth grade, and she joined the former upper school choir Bel Canto in ninth grade. Following that, she auditioned for the soprano and alto choir Cantilena, performing with the group for her sophomore year. She became student leader of Capriccio, the successor to Cantilena, in her junior year.

While she originally did not see herself in a leadership role, Carissa’s bond with the choir during her time in Cantilena led to her group members nominating her as the leader for the next year. In this role, Carissa thought on her feet during difficult moments to help the group focus and unify the team.

“Performing arts definitely make me someone who’s more willing to try things because I’m less scared of pushing myself,” Carissa said. “It’s really helped me learn how to work through challenges because last year, when I was student leader, I had to do a lot of problem solving and getting the group together. In performing arts everyone is so close that it gives you the space to do that.”

Vocal music teacher Jennifer Sandusky taught Carissa in choir for the past four years and highlights her persisting maturity and growth in leadership skills over time.

“The amount of work she did for Capriccio to lead them was really impressive,” Sandusky said. “Everybody strives for these leadership qualities, but it seems in Carissa, it comes very naturally. There’s a lot of patience and respect in how she treats her peers.”

Beyond the logistical challenges of leadership, Carissa finds a deep emotional payoff in the shared effort involved in delivering a performance. She participated in the spring musical for the past three years, and this year she sang with the choral performance group Downbeat.

“It’s really satisfying to get to an end goal with a group of people that you spend a lot of time with, especially in musicals and choir,” Carissa said. “You’ve worked so hard to get a show and then you finally get to perform it in front of your friends and family and they get to see what you’ve been working on. The feeling of performing on stage is like a high to me.”

Junior Beibei Shen spent the past two years in both Capriccio and Downbeat with Carissa, where they performed in the alto section together. She attests to Carissa’s skill as both a leader and a friend.

“Carissa is probably the single upperclassman that I’ve looked up to the most,” Beibei said. “I’ve always had her support relating to music or choir, and she’s someone that I can turn to for advice or just good friendship. It’s just so nice to have someone there to always freely share your thoughts with.”

While the performing arts offer her a high-energy, collaborative experience, Carissa finds a more introspective outlet through the visual arts. She has been painting for as long as she can remember, but more recently turned to installations and sculptural art. This shift arose from her desire to incorporate everyday materials, like food packaging, into artwork.

Carissa aims for her artwork to reflect what she sees in society and comment on the hidden contradictions of life. In one piece she made out of wooden skewers and matchsticks, she sculpted a hand reaching out with a burning finger, representing how progress can also cause endangerment.

“Visual arts lets me approach the world in a different way versus just writing about it or talking about it,” Carissa said. “I often use recycled items that I can repurpose into art. Finding ways to turn something that doesn’t seem that important or seems like it should go in the trash into something that can communicate a message about the world is really rewarding.”

Whether she’s sculpting or finding the silence to master a complex Bach piece, Carissa’s ability to find meaning in the details hasn’t gone unnoticed by those closest to her. Close friend Selina Wang (’26) has observed how Carissa’s artistic lens translates into her daily life.

“Carissa is a great storyteller, and she can make even very ordinary everyday experiences into something incredibly vibrant,” Selina said. “That’s something really unique that stands out about her as both an artist and as a friend, and it seems like a skill that she has curated over the years.”

Carissa’s work points back to a singular driving force: her desire to channel her thoughts and experiences into art and to help those around her achieve the same goal.

“What ties my passions together is the desire for self-expression,” Carissa said. “Expressing myself creatively is something that comes naturally to me, and I don’t ever want to take that part of myself away. Creativity is not exactly a learned skill; it’s innate for me. That’s why it’s been important to express myself, and it has really grown me as a person.”