For Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Music Director Aram Demirjian, “The sound of the symphony is his passion. And at a turning point in life, it was his comfort,” writes Robin Wilhout in Tuesday’s (5/31) WBIR-TV (TN). “Last summer, he paid a routine visit to his nurse practitioner…. ‘She noticed a suspicious bump on my neck,’ Demirjian said…. ‘It wound up the diagnosis was classic early-stage Hodgkin Lymphoma which, you know, I was not expecting to be thinking about in my 30s,’ said Demerjian…. Caught early, it is curable. But treatment can be hard… ‘So, music was a really wonderful way for me to both focus on something that I loved and also, sort of in my own quiet way, process what I was going through,’ Demerjian said. In January, Demerjian … rang a ceremonial bell to celebrate the end of his cancer treatment. Not even two weeks later he was back at the podium leading the orchestra…. ‘I’m grateful to be able to say that after those four months I am cancer-free,’ said Demerjian…. Demerjian has a message for everyone. ‘If you are fortunate to have regular access to health care, take advantage of it,’ Demerjian said.”
