Melony Dodson talks with Maestro Aram Demirjian and internationally-renowned cellist, Zlatomir Fung, who performs Elgar's Cello Concerto with the KSO on October 16 and 17, 2025.
Melony Dodson talks with conductor, Aram Demirjian and principal horn, Jeffery Whaley, about the Knoxville Symphony's Chamber Series concert featuring music of Richard Strauss, Mozart, and Florence Price.
Matthew Motley speaks with composer Jennifer Higdon and KSO Music Director Aram Demirjian about Higdon's new piece, their long history of collaboration, and the symphony's 9 for 90 commissioning project.
Every Important Occasion in Life Must Have Music: The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra at 90 - Through conversations with CEO Rachel Ford and Music Director Aram Demirjian, observing rehearsals, and attending their recent concert on Market Square, K.W. Leonard delves into the orchestra’s past, future, and the significance of this milestone year.
In this episode of Voices of the Valley, anchor Tearsa Smith talks with Aram Demirjian, the Music Director at the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra about his love for music and about his mindset when taking the helm of KSO and continuing its successful path.
Melony Dodson talks with Maestro Aram Demirjian about the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra's January Masterworks program, featuring Mahler's Symphony No.5. In this interview, Maestro Aram Demirjian gives some tips on understanding the music of Mahler, particularly the fifth symphony. Demirjian says that Mahler wanted to encompass the entire world in his symphonies and that his symphonic output follows the trajectory of his own life. Four words are used to summarize Mahler's fifth symphony: messy, real, beautiful, and powerful.
The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 2024-2025 season on Thursday and Friday, September 19th and 20th. On the program is Beethoven's Symphony No.5, Kauyumari by Gabriela Ortiz, and George Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F, featuring Natasha Paremski. As usual, performances are at 7:30pm and will be given in the magnificent Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville.
“Beethoven’s Fifth,” offers Demirjian, “is arguably the most well-known, well-loved, ubiquitous piece in the entire symphonic repertoire — and yet it never feels old, tired, or overstated. Quite the contrary — it seems to get more exhilarating with every fresh exposure to it. Such is the magic of true masterpieces — they contain seemingly endless depths to mine.”
40 Under 40: Aram Demirjian hits all the right notes with Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.
There are moments during rehearsals and concerts when one connects with another performer for an instant… a millisecond. And in that musical heartbeat, a world of communication passes between the two. In the twinkling of an eye magic happens.
Old friends Stefan Jackiw and Aram Demirjian talk to Charlotte Wilson about the Knoxville Symphony's second masterworks concerts featuring Beethoven's Pastoral and Bruch's Scottish fantasy.
Realizing that the bewildering array of choices can be daunting, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Maestro Aram Demirjian took the time to answer in-depth some questions about the KSO season’s major concerts, the artists, and the often amazing connections that ticket buyers may want to consider.
PBS series Craft in America, episode “HARMONY,” traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee to profile Aram and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra about composer Michael Schachter’s new violin concerto “Cycle of Life,” co-commissioned by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and Knoxville Museum of Art.
“Our 21/22 season is all about music we love and people we love,” said Music Director Aram Demirjian. “The music was selected, programs crafted, and partnerships forged to emphasize joy, beauty, and a sense of community and togetherness that have been at a remove for so long. I cannot wait to share it with Knoxville.”
Recipient of the 2020 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award from the Solti Foundation US, Aram will give the keynote speech at the Foundation’s Virtual Gala on Wednesday, October 21, at 7pm. The evening will also include Aram conducting a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Andante cantabile (arr. Stokowski) with the New England Conservatory Symphony.
The digital performance will be used by 36 schools in the East Tennessee area, for both digital and in-person ceremonies and features audio and video of the KSO musicians performing the celebratory classic. “We hope this small gift will help make summer graduation ceremonies an even richer experience for the students and scholars of the Class of 2020,” said Demirjian. “We celebrate with you in spirit and music – congratulations!”
Amidst the chaos of COVID-19 and the disruption it has caused for live performances, there has been some good news for music director, Aram Demirjian. The young conductor of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra has been named the eleventh recipient of the Sir Georg Solti conducting award. Aram spoke with Melony Dodson, host of Morning Concert on WUOT 91.9FM.
The Solti Foundation U.S. has named Aram Demirjian the 11th Solti Fellow in the Foundation’s 20-year history. The largest grant currently given to American conductors in the formative years of their careers, the prestigious $30,000 grant is given annually to a single promising American conductor 38 years of age or younger. A recipient of The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award may use the financial portion of the grant in various ways to specifically advance his/her career, whether it be further studies, language study, purchases of scores, or travel.
“During this time of social distancing, it is uplifting to be able to share positive news,” said Foundation Board Chair Penny Van Horn. “We have observed Aram’s growth as a conductor over the past several years, first awarding him a Career Assistance Award in 2017, and are pleased to now award him with The Solti Fellow. He has grown steadily in his craft and is innovative in his approach to classical music. Congratulations, Aram! We look forward to seeing what your future holds.”
Program includes Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet Overture-Fantasy, selections from Swan Lake, Khachaturian’s “Lezginka” from the opera Gayane, and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with soloist Ran Dank.
The San Diego Symphony will start a bold new chapter with the July 10 opening of its new, year-round $45 million outdoor concert and events venue, The Shell…named both for its design and in honor of its waterfront location between Coronado and the San Diego Convention Center. The new venue will boast a 13,015-square-foot outdoor stage, ensconced by a 57-foot steel shell that measures 33,000 square feet, weighs 270,000 pounds, and is covered with two layers of a white, PVC-like fabric. Its appearance may remind some concertgoers of a more intimate version of the iconic Hollywood Bowl, relocated to a panoramic bayside setting.
Aram conducts the SD Symphony’s annual “Beethoven by the Bay” performance on August 16, 2020, featuring Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.