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Aram Demirjian Is The Recipient Of The 2020 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award

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. This prestigious award is the largest grant given to a conductor under the age of thirty-eight years old. The grant may be used  for career advancement, whether it be for furthering studies, purchasing scores, or paying for travel. Penny Van Horn, chair of the Sir Georg Solti Foundation Board, said of Demirjian "we have observed Aram's growth as a conductor over the past several years 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. We look forward to seeing what his future holds." Demirjian says that while this award is a great personal honor, he could not have won it without the KSO and the support of the community. Therefore, it is a reflection of the collaboration and relationship between conductor, orchestra, and the Knoxville community.

Congratulations, Maestro Demirjian and to the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra!

Melony calls the beautiful mountains of Boone, N.C., home, although she was born near Greensboro, N.C. There’s just something about those Blue Ridge Mountains that got in her blood and never left after she moved there to attend Appalachian State University (ASU). While at ASU, she majored in piano performance and music therapy and began to cultivate a love for accompanying and for collaborating with other musicians. This soon led her to earn a master’s degree in collaborative piano at the University of Tennessee, which she attended from 2006-2008.