KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (USA Today Network) — Probably at no time in his life before he applied for the job did Aram Demirjian ever imagine himself as artistic director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.
“I’ve never wound up being where I thought I would be, but I wound up being where I was supposed to be,” says Demirjian over coffee at Awaken Coffee on Jackson Avenue.
In his first year with the KSO, he’s led his musicians through both beloved favorites and unfamiliar pieces. And in his youthfulness (Demirjian just entered his 30s), Demirjian shows no lack of maturity, but a fresh enthusiasm that is infectious.
Aram Demirjian grew up in a family of non-professional musicians
Born in Boston, Mass., and raised in nearby Arlington and Lexington, Demirjian grew up loving American history.