“Henry is a true leader in every sense of the word. He has always presented an organized front and nailed his repertoire musically. But this past year, he helped Counterparts navigate the pandemic as music director and the entire Penn performing arts community as ACK chair. Somehow, Henry managed to put everyone else first before himself, helping us to all achieve our best outcomes at Penn during these unique circumstances, while still being accomplished himself. There is no one I trust more to lead people through thick and thin than Henry Platt. In addition, Henry is a kind and compassionate human in all walks of life. He is incredibly genuine and wears his heart on his sleeve. Henry is there to celebrate his friends’ successes and to be a support when they are going through hard times. He knows just what to say at every moment and will drop what he is doing to be with other people. Henry just has the gift of empathy and uses that to spread a lot of love, which is something you don’t find in most people. And of course, Henry’s talent can’t be understated. We’ve all seen him riff up a storm. He can also play with dynamics and rhythm in such a way that he can floor any audience. Henry can take any song and make it exciting and different, elevating anything he sings to a new level. This carries over into his arrangements, which always captivate Counterparts and get us excited to perform. There is always jazz influence in a Henry Platt arrangement!! Overall, Henry is a kind, caring, talented, smart, and self-starting person. He has certainly made an impact on Penn in numerous ways and the performing arts community owes a lot to his diligence and organization. He is an absolute star.”