In front of an ensemble-filled stage, junior Casper Stockman led the performance with bassoon arrangements of some of his favorite songs, ranging from Vivaldi to Sondheim.

On the evening of Tuesday, June 3, Stockman took over the George H. Slick auditorium to perform his George Slick Fellowship recital. 

“I just loved every moment of it,” Stockman said. “It was just such a pleasure to be able to play with all these wonderful musicians and to be able to play in front of people that I know and just love to be with.”

The show was initially arranged with no set concept, but it slowly came together as pieces selected by Stockman were arranged for the ensemble and put into the program. 

“I was working with pieces I love and like, no matter the arrangement, the original versions of these pieces are dynamite,” Stockman said. “I was building off of it in a way that you’d have to mess these pieces up a lot to make them no longer enjoyable.”

The recital was arranged across three acts featuring pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Duke Ellington, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Stockman arranged the various works of music to be adapted for his ensemble.

“It took forever,” Stockman said. “The majority of it is note-for-note work. The [majority of the songs] all of just took a lot of work to try to match the original sound of the piece while still adding a little bit of twist and a little bit of uniqueness.”

Stockman noted the piece “Golden Slumbers” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney as a favorite moment in the show. 

“I was able to turn toward the orchestra and close my eyes and just take it all in,” Stockman said. “You get the ‘this is really happening feeling.’ I’ve listened to the recordings so many times, and being able to hear the brass and hear the strings work in person is just an unreal experience.”

During the first and third acts, Stockman performed with an ensemble of over 30 student and alumni musicians, as well as his bassoon teacher, Dr. Roberta Winemiller. The second act shifted to a smaller group of six student musicians.

“The school is just bursting at the seams with talent and skill,” Stockman said. “All the musicians just came together. It’s not for any reason in particular other than just them being amazing, and just they’re all incredible.”

Music teacher Mr. Nicholas Pignataro has supported Stockman and seen him grow throughout his fellowship. Stockman was recently announced as one of three marching band drum majors for the 2025-2026 school year, as well as a vice president of the student council.

“I’ve known him as an exceptional bassoonist,” Pignataro said. 

Pignataro commented on Stockman’s talent as a student musician, noting how his talent shaped his recital.

“He’s an excellent arranger and composer,” Pignataro said. “He takes music from other composers and blends it into his own, and blends it into his own style, the composition is that he’s creating unique works.”

Junior Andre Fan, a student who performed in the ensemble, shares the same sentiment about his musical talent.

“He’s always been very musical,” Fan said. “He has always been able to bring out music and then be able to bring out his emotions through that music.

The George H. Slick Fellowship, created to honor Dr. George H. Slick, Superintendent of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District from 1978 to 1996 and 2006 to 2007, is to “recognize the importance of the art and artists and the integral part they play in the lives of our students.”

Students apply for the fellowship in their freshman year, and the winners are chosen by a committee of faculty and administrators. Recipients receive support towards a recital or exhibition in their junior or senior year. Stockman was announced as the fellowship recipient in spring 2023.

“This endowment is not meant to champion one part of the vicious curriculum or life or for others, rather, it is intended to recognize the importance of the arts in the nation as far as the greatness,” George Slick committee co-chair Mr. Steven Fischer, said.

During intermission, Fischer announced freshmen Richard Kim and Shannon Yue as the fellowship recipients and Malcolm Rodgers as the grant recipient. 

“I have been a member of this committee for the past few decades, and I can honestly say that this year’s applicants were among the most talented that we’ve had,” Fischer said.

As Stockman’s recital becomes one for the books, he shares some advice for future Slick recipients.

“Don’t be afraid to be yourself in creating the performance, and don’t neglect outlandish ideas just because they’re outlandish,” he said. “When you’re playing a difficult piece, just play it for yourself and not to impress other people. You can always change tempo and how fast you play the piece, but the best tempo is the tempo where you remain in control.”