Graduating Artist Feature: Aram Karpeh

In elementary school, Aram stumbled upon a YouTube video of Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Double Bassist Joseph Conyers playing Danny Boy and he immediately told his mother that he had to learn how to play an instrument. In 5th grade, he started learning the bass at Freire Middle School as part of Play On Philly’s El Sistema-inspired program. In 6th grade, he became a member of PMAY and is the longest participating member of the program thus far.

Aram first studied privately with Joanne Bates (first woman to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra Bass Section) at Temple Music Prep in middle school and played with Philadelphia Sinfonia and All City Orchestra. He has also studied with retired Philadelphia Orchestra Double Bassist, Robert Kesselman and currently, recently tenured Bassist, Michael Franz and being part of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and Project 440. “I was so lucky to have many supportive teachers throughout middle and high school, who passed me on to the next teacher to learn different things. Ms. Joanne really helped me establish my fundamentals, Mr. Rob challenged me with repertoire and raised my practice level and Mr. Mike showed me what it took to prepare and be successful in auditions.”

Being a part of PMAY meant that Aram made many lifelong friends in music. “I’m so thankful that I was able to participate in so many summer camps like Sewanee and Kinhaven, that let me experience new culture and meet many high level musicians.” But not everything was easy, especially during the pandemic. “As a middle schooler, I did not really understand why I had to do so many assignments that were not directly related to the bass like concert reports or attending masterclasses by other instruments other than my own. I got overwhelmed easily. But as I got more serious, I realized that being a professional was not just about making music. I learned to communicate, network and that I needed to go above and beyond in a highly competitive field. I thought about writing a long list of complaints last year but at the end of the day, my personal struggle was necessary.”

Aram hopes to be an orchestral bassist in the future but he is also interested in championing solo bass repertoire. He feels that Bass pedagogy has advanced really quickly in recent years and he’s excited to learn how to teach at a high level, compose and freelance. Aram will be attending the Peabody Institute of Music at Johns Hopkins to major in music on a full scholarship in the fall of 2024.