Thomas Whitman (b. 1960) began his musical studies with cellist Harry Wimmer. He studied composition with George Crumb, Gerald Levinson, Max Lifchitz, and Richard Wernick, among others.  A Luce Scholar in 1986-87, he studied in Bali, Indonesia, with the late I Madé Gerindem.  Other prizes and honors include an ASCAP Foundation Grant; artist residencies at  MacDowell and Yaddo; and commissions from many ensembles, including Orchestra 2001, Network for New Music, North/South Consonance, Mélomanie, and Dolce Suono Ensemble.  Whitman’s compositions include chamber music, dance and film scores, and six operas.  On the faculty of Swarthmore College since 1990, he is the founder and co-director of Gamelan Semara Santi, the Philadelphia area’s first Indonesian percussion orchestra. He has also taught Indonesian performing arts for many years as a volunteer in urban public schools. Selected recordings are available on Avie, North/South, and Albany Records.