Winner of the 2020 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award from The Solti Foundation U.S., conductor Aram Demirjian has built a reputation as an insightful interpreter of the symphonic repertoire and drawn praise for his “rejuvenating” (Washington Post) leadership as Music Director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Widely considered an engaging, “even electric” (San Francisco Classical Voice) presence on the podium, he is sought after for his “graceful, energetic direction” (Sarasota Herald Tribune), dynamic programs that broaden the idea of what one can expect to see on the symphonic stage, and distinctive ability to speak to, cultivate, and connect with audiences.

As the eighth Music Director of the KSO, Aram has led the orchestra to new artistic heights and national distinction for its achievements. Under his leadership, the KSO was selected in 2020 as one of four orchestras to be featured at SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras, presented by The Kennedy Center and Washington Performing Arts. In 2022, Aram and the KSO were featured on the PBS show Craft in America, which profiled the creation of Michael Schachter’s Violin Concerto: Cycle of Life, a joint commission by the KSO and Knoxville Museum of Art, premiered by Tessa Lark and inspired by the work of East Tennessee glass artist Richard Jolley. The KSO is also a regular presence on the nationally-renowned Big Ears Festival.

Notable upcoming projects in the 2024/25 season and beyond include a KSO-commissioned concerto for West African drums and orchestra by Derrick Skye, featuring the Knoxville-based drum ensemble Indigenous Vibes; Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream featuring Appalachian Ballet Company; participation in the League of American Orchestra’s Toulmin Orchestral Commissions Program for the second time; and large scale works including Mahler's Fifth and Carmina burana.

Aram is increasingly in demand for his interpretation of Handel's Messiah, which he has led in recent years in Knoxville and as guest conductor with the Kansas City Symphony, Nashville Symphony, and forthcoming in December 2024 with the Seattle Symphony, where he makes his debut. Further guest conducting engagements in the 24/25 calendar include a debut with the Utah Symphony on the Deer Valley Music Festival, subscription debuts with The Florida Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Billings Symphony, and a concert presented by WNYC and St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Aram holds a joint B.A. in Music and Government from Harvard, and a M.M. in Orchestral Conducting from New England Conservatory. www.aramdemirjian.com.