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About Dr. Aaron Pergram

Aaron Pergram joined the faculty at Miami University as Assistant Professor of Bassoon in 2019. Before coming to Oxford, he served on faculty for five years at Soochow University in Suzhou, China. Pergram received degrees from the University of Kansas (BM), Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music (MM), and the University of Oregon (DMA). His prominent teachers include Eric Stomberg, William Ludwig, and Steve Vacchi.

As a global performer, Pergram has appeared on stage with the World Master Orchestra (Shanghai), Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (WA), Eugene Opera, Oregon Mozart Players, Oregon Festival of American Music, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Natchez Opera Festival, and many other ensembles. He has been a featured performer in China at several notable venues including the Suzhou Poly Grand Theatre, Jinji Lake Concert Hall, Shanghai Symphony Hall, and Hangzhou Grand Theater among others.

Outside of North America, his musical journeys have taken him to various places in Asia including Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and much of Mainland China. A proponent of new music, Pergram promotes an expanded canon of core repertoire pieces including works by women and people of color. New music aside, he also greatly enjoys performing early music from the standard bassoon repertoire or his transcriptions. As a teacher, Pergram has given master classes at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, University of Oregon, Northwest University for Nationalities, Zunyi Normal College, Shenyang Conservatory of Music, Anhui Normal University, Shenzhen Arts School, and Dulwich College Suzhou.

Fluent in Mandarin, Pergram refined his Chinese studies in the nation’s capital at Beijing Normal University. He first began performing in China in 2005 and maintains strong connections with the Mainland as a performer and guest lecturer. In 2012 he authored his doctoral lecture-document “A Chinese-Western Method of Bassoon Pedagogy in English and Chinese: Incorporating Folk Songs from the Peoples of China, Taiwan, Mongolia, and Tibet.” Presented in English as well as both simplified and traditional Chinese, this approach includes thirty progressive lessons, forty etudes, and many resources for the aspiring bassoonist.

A member of the International Double Reed Society and the College Music Society, Pergram has research interests in bassoon pedagogy, music for bassoon by Asian composers, and topics in music and health. In addition to utilizing traditional musical practices in teaching the art of performance, Pergram is actively engaged on various social media platforms, believes in the power of integrating technology with education, and encourages interaction with the online global community as a meaningful way of learning. Pergram is a native of the Cincinnati, Ohio area.