When Aaron Thammavongxay ’25 arrived on campus almost four years ago, he had no idea that music would become a central part of his Swarthmore experience. “I’ve never been sure how Aaron does it all,” marvels fellow musician and former frisbee teammate Kai Williams ’24. As a frisbee team captain, biochemist, First-Year Orientation director, and Editorial Assistant for this very newsletter, Thammavongxay’s time at Swarthmore has been multifaceted. So, too, has his unique journey through Lang Music, which has been defined by a series of fortunate encounters with professors, instructors, and peers. 

Growing up, Thammavongxay received some musical instruction in piano and bassoon, but experienced years of interruption due to the pandemic. He knew he wanted to become a doctor by the end of high school, yet it was neither music nor medicine that led him to Swarthmore. “It was kind of by accident,” he recounts. While researching colleges on a platform that his high school provided, he jokingly set filters for schools with small class sizes and an ultimate frisbee team. This search led him to Swarthmore.

Upon arrival, Thammavongxay followed through and joined the Earthworms, Swarthmore’s Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team. Academically, he discovered that his passions and professional aspirations intersected in the Biochemistry major. Other classes that piqued his interest naturally formed an Asian Studies minor. It wasn’t until later, however, that Thammavongxay found his path to a Music minor. 

“When I came to [Swarthmore], I didn’t even know if I was going to continue doing music,” he admits. He decided to take Music 11 (Harmony, Counterpoint and Form I) and its counterpart, Music 40A (Elements of Musicianship) primarily because “there was a spot in the schedule.” These classes turned out to be crucial. “It was my first time learning music theory,” Thammavongxay explains, noting that working with Professors Jon Kochavi and Andrew Hauze ’04 was particularly inspiring. Around this time, Thammavongxay was recruited to play piano in a senior thesis production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, put on by Marie Inniss ’23. “That was a really memorable and enjoyable experience,” he recalls.

When the time came to formulate his sophomore plan, Thammavongxay’s experience taking Music 12 and Music 40B, coupled with performing in Cinderella, inspired him to declare a Music minor. He has since enjoyed bridging his academics with his passion for music. 19th-Century Music in Europe and the United States with Professor Barbara Milewski was “especially interesting because [the class covered] a lot of the composers that I enjoyed listening to.” In particular, Thammavongxay appreciated the “great discussions” he had with Milewski and his classmates. “I was excited to go to that class,” he emphasizes. 

Thammavongxay began in his junior year to venture more into music performance. The Music 48 (Individual Music Instruction) program enabled him to take piano lessons at no cost with instructor Marcantonio Barone. “It was my first time taking lessons in four years,” Thammavongxay comments. “Working with [Barone] has been very fulfilling. He does demand a lot and pushes me to do better, but it’s been a really enjoyable experience.” Echoing this sentiment, Barone notes that “Aaron’s lesson is always one of the highlights of my week. His love of music, his dedication to his work, and his gracious personality have made him a joy to teach.”

Since beginning his studies with Barone, Thammavongxay has explored more collaborative performance opportunities. In his junior year, he and Kielor Tung ’25 premiered an original work by Kai Williams ’24 for his senior recital. “Having the composer in the room with you when you’re rehearsing was a cool experience,” Thammavongxay underscores. Last fall, he partnered with soprano Maria Fan ’25 through the Fetter Chamber Music Program to perform a selection of pieces from Schumann’s Dichterliebe, Op. 48. With his current Fetter collaborator, Yixin Cui ’25, he is exploring songs by Messiaen and Lili Boulanger: “It’s outside my comfort zone. I’ve never played that era of music before and I don’t have too much experience accompanying singers . . . this has definitely pushed me a lot.” Thammanvongxay may not have accompanied many singers, but he’s done his fair share of singing. He joined the Swarthmore Chorus his junior year, and was made tenor section leader last semester, highlighting that Chorus Director Nathan Reiff created a very welcoming environment.

Now, music permeates Thammavongxay’s life. “Music is my favorite department at Swarthmore,” he declares. He can often be found in Lang Music preparing for his many upcoming performances, including a Lunch Hour Concert in Parrish Hall on Monday, April 14 at 12:30 PM with violinist Calder Balfour ’28. 

Thammavongxay’s journey as a solo pianist at Swarthmore will culminate in his senior recital on Friday, April 25 at 4:30 PM in Lang Concert Hall. The program features a collection of pieces from the turn of the 20th Century. To punctuate his Swarthmore musical journey in this way seems “fitting considering how much I’ve improved and learned since coming to Swarthmore,” he remarks. Close guidance from Barone during this process has “opened my mind a lot about approaching music in general.” In true Swarthmore fashion, this learning goes both ways; Barone is “grateful to [Thammavongxay] for having acquainted me with several very fine pieces that I hadn’t known previously,” including an étude by Chaminade on this recital program. Thammavongxay’s senior recital is not one to be missed – in the words of Barone, “it’s going to be an inspiring afternoon of great music and beautiful playing!”

Following graduation, Thammavongxay will work for a year as a medical assistant near Boston while applying for medical school. “I’m not sure how feasible it will be, but I would like to keep music in my life next year and throughout medical school,” he asserts. “I’ll see what the community has to offer wherever I find myself.” And with such a diverse range of Swarthmore experiences under his belt, Thammavongxay will undoubtedly have much to offer in return.  

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Favorite music course at Swarthmore: 19th-Century Music in Europe and the United States (MUSI 022) with Professor Barbara Milewski.

Favorite music-making experience at Swarthmore: Working with Kielor [Tung ’25] to perform Kai’s [Williams ’24] senior composition from last year.

What you’ll miss most about Swarthmore: The people – the passionate intellectual curiosity that the campus has. 

What sound or noise do you love?  The shuffling when you bridge a deck of cards.

What sound or noise do you hate? The Tristan chord. 

What's the last song/piece you played on your phone? Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53.