Sunday, June 5, 2016

New Conductor Announcement!

The news is out! The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra has named Aram Demirjian as its 8th Music Director, after an exhaustive search stretching back to October of 2014. Holding a master's in conducting from New England Conservatory, he will be making a jump from his post at the Kansas City Symphony where, among other things, he initiated a weeknight concert series entitled “Classics Uncorked,” akin to our “Scotch and Strings” and “Beer and Beethoven” endeavors. His youthful enthusiasm and genuine personality were hits with the selection committee. There is a subtle circularity to Aram's appointment here. One of his mentors, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra music director Robert Spano, can claim as his first music teacher Bernice Dryer, the mother of the recently deceased KSO violinist Norris Dryer.

From the musicians' standpoint, the wide range of the candidates' conducting styles and the spectrum of repertoire they've chosen have forged the orchestra into a formidable performing unit. (Cue Dwight Schrute from The Office giving that speech- “WE ARE WARRIORS!!”) We eagerly await the repertoire choices Maestro Demirjian (pronounced “de-MURR-gin”) makes to complement the solo repertoire which was chosen last November.


It has been a long journey with many high points. We can't wait to see what the Maestro has in store for us!


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