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. 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.