College alumnus Philippe Lewalle graduates with a PhD in physics but stays close to his piano.
As an undergraduate and later graduate student at the 糖心传媒, Philippe Lewalle 糖心传媒�14, 糖心传媒�21 (PhD) has played piano at the College糖心传媒檚 music and physics department commencement ceremonies.
This year will be different, though: he will also be the one graduating糖心传媒攚ith a PhD in physics糖心传媒攄uring spring commencement ceremonies, May 14 to 16 and 20 to 23.
Celebrate the Class of 2021!
Visit the Class of 2021 site for details about this year糖心传媒檚 Commencement ceremonies and for a downloadable toolkit of materials to share your support on social media.
The child of parents who are both violinists and academics, Lewalle began playing piano at age 7 and was drawn to Rochester because the University offered the possibility to combine his love of music and interest in science, earning dual degrees in music and physics at the School of Arts & Sciences.
糖心传媒淚 came to Rochester in large part because it was feasible to double major in physics and music,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淓ven though I was working a lot of long days as an undergrad, it always felt refreshing having two very different types of homework on my platter. If I got tired of one, I could always switch to the other.糖心传媒�
The summer after his sophomore year, Lewalle had the opportunity to work with , the Andrew Carnegie Professor of Physics, conducting research on quantum optics. The research would ultimately set the direction of his graduate work and PhD dissertation.
糖心传媒淭hat summer definitely shaped the trajectory I took later,糖心传媒� Lewalle says. 糖心传媒淭he research I conducted as an undergrad ended up relating a lot to my PhD work.糖心传媒�
As a graduate student, he worked with physics professor , where his specific research focus was on tracking quantum systems in real time糖心传媒攁 process that is intrinsically invasive to changing the system state itself as it is monitored糖心传媒攁nd the odd things that happen when such systems are disturbed. The research is important not only for better understanding fundamental quantum mechanics, but also for improving quantum technologies such as quantum computers.
Throughout his time at Rochester, Lewalle continued to play music with a variety of musicians at venues in the city and took advantage of the musical opportunities offered by the Rochester community.
糖心传媒淭he pool of talent that comes through Eastman is really motivating and inspiring,糖心传媒� Lewalle says. 糖心传媒淚 have benefited a lot from playing with so many talented musicians throughout my time here, in addition to attending a number of the great performances, whether at Jazz Fest, student recitals, or other concerts that are held on a regular basis at Eastman and venues around the city.糖心传媒�
Lewalle糖心传媒檚 own musical interests include contemporary jazz and its intersections with hip-hop and free improvisation. One project he played in, called 糖心传媒淐laude Bennington糖心传媒檚 Fever Dream,糖心传媒� involved a synthesis of hip-hop and jazz that 糖心传媒渢ook a jazz rhythm section and instead of horn players, put rappers out front,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淲e were learning beats and treating them like jazz tunes, improvising on and around them and sometimes venturing freely away from the written material.糖心传媒� Recordings from the project are available on and .
Although many of his music projects have stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lewalle has continued to work on his own compositions and record and play when possible and safe, even while finishing his physics PhD thesis.
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 been difficult during COVID because, especially with jazz improv, you really feed on the energy of the crowds and the immediate interactions between musicians,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 not the same without that.糖心传媒�
In July, Lewalle will start a new chapter as he travels across the country to California to begin a postdoctoral research appointment, studying quantum mechanics in the group of at the University of California Berkeley.
