Thyra Altunin

Meet Thyra, a Music and Classics major.

Thyra came to Pitt looking to build on her passion for classical music, having played the piano since she was five years old. One of the first places Thyra visited on campus was Heinz Memorial Chapel.  The chapel’s high ceilings, repeated arches, and three-pedal organ make it the perfect venue for a classical concert. At Pitt, the Music department offers students like Thyra the opportunity to take organ lessons right inside this historic building. In her words: “It was a dream come true and I jumped on it. Playing here, you can hear the sound reverberating around you. I imagine that I’m playing in the time of Bach and suddenly he’s going to walk in and give me feedback on how I’m playing.” Pitt also gave Thyra the opportunity to pursue her passion abroad, traveling to Italy for a six-week internship at The Paideia Institute for Classical Music in Rome. “Our office was a couple blocks from the Vatican. As a student it helped me to grow and realize these times were real and not just something I read about in a textbook,” Thyra added.

Education doesn’t get more hands on than that.