Spring is senior recital season at Beloit College, a chance for student musicians to showcase their work. Given the nature of our liberal-arts institution, it’s no surprise that not all of these musicians are music majors. Such is the case with Ellery Hamann’12, who has been playing oboe since sixth grade.

“Playing quickly became one of my favorite activities, and within no time, something I couldn’t imagine living without,” he says. He continued to play throughout high school, “Yet, in the end, I never prepared a senior recital.”

Coming to Beloit, with the exception of two years of playing in the Beloit College orchestra, his playing has been mostly confined to small practice rooms, until now.

“Sometime last year, my choir director, Susan Rice, encouraged me to share the music I am learning in my lessons. With that encouragement, coupled with the regret that I never did a senior recital in high school, I chose to prepare one this year – even though I am not a music major, nor required to give a recital,” Hamann explains. “Since September, I have been working on the music for my recital. It is exciting to finally come out of the practice room, as it were, and finally have the chance to share my love for playing.”

Sunday’s performance will include solo oboe and English horn (one of the oboe’s relatives) and oboe trio music, including: Telemann, Mozart, Beethoven, and some lesser-known composers: Erik Satie and Thomas Walmisley. The recital also features Professor Ian Nie on piano, fellow student William McAneny on oboe, and music teacher Suzanne Geoffrey on English horn.

Ellery Hamann’s recital is Sunday (April 15) at 2 p.m. at the Hendricks Center for the Arts, choral room 204.