▁eventually ▁taking ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁Music ▁Com position . ▁ ▁Career ▁Whit acre ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁first ▁work ▁he ▁sang , ▁Moz art ' s ▁Re qu iem , ▁changed ▁his ▁life . ▁He ▁studied ▁composition ▁with ▁Ukrain ian ▁composer ▁Vir ko ▁B ale y ▁and ▁ch oral ▁conduct ing ▁with ▁David ▁We iller , ▁comple ting ▁his ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁Whit acre ▁cred its ▁We iller ▁with ▁the ▁insp iration ▁that ▁put ▁the ▁young ▁composer ▁on ▁the ▁musical ▁path . ▁At ▁ 2 1 , ▁he ▁wrote ▁his ▁setting ▁of ▁" Go , ▁Lov ely ▁Rose " ▁for ▁his ▁college ▁cho ir ▁and ▁presented ▁the ▁composition ▁as ▁a ▁gift ▁to ▁David ▁We iller . ▁Whit acre ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁ear n ▁his ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁Com position ▁at ▁the ▁Ju illi ard ▁School , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁with ▁John ▁Cor igli ano ▁and ▁David ▁Diam ond . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 3 ▁he ▁completed ▁his ▁first ▁piece ▁for ▁Wind ▁Orchestra , ▁" G host ▁Train ", ▁which ▁has ▁now ▁been ▁recorded ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 ▁times . ▁Tom ▁Les lie ▁contributed ▁to ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁writing ▁for ▁wind ▁ens emb les . ▁While ▁at ▁Ju illi ard ▁he ▁met ▁his ▁future ▁wife , ▁sop rano ▁H ila ▁Pl it mann , ▁and ▁two ▁of ▁his ▁closest ▁friends , ▁compos ers ▁Steven ▁Bry ant ▁and ▁Jonathan ▁New man . ▁He ▁lived ▁in ▁the