Bradley Aikman

Academic Program Affiliation(s): Bard Conservatory of Music, Bard Conservatory of Music: Double Bass

Biography:

As a performer, Bradley Aikman has experience in symphonic, opera, and ballet repertoires with NYC’s premier ensembles, including the Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the New York City Ballet. Other orchestral appearances include the Minnesota and Sarasota Orchestras, and the Pittsburgh Symphony. He is also the principal bass of the Albany Symphony (NY), and a member of the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra. He can be heard on two Grammy winning recordings: the Met’s Ring Cycle from 2012 and The Albany Symphony’s Conjurer by John Corigliano. He has participated in the Albany Symphony’s tradition of recording American composers including John Harbison, Michael Torke, and George Tsontakis. Bradley has also recorded numerous television and film scores, including an episode for Mozart in the Jungle where he performed at the infamous Rikers Island. Most recently, he recorded Mahler’s Sixth Symphony with the Minnesota Orchestra. Mr. Aikman has recorded for Naxos, Bis, Albany Records, and Exton labels. Mr. Aikman has performed chamber music at Carnegie’s Weil Recital Hall, the Sarasota Music Festival, the Saratoga School of Dance, and Montauk’s Third House. When he was assistant principal bass with the New Haven Symphony, he performed the east coast premiere of Charles DeRamus’ Greta’s Dream for double bass quartet and narrator. He has performed in North and South America, Asia, and Europe, most notably on the Metropolitan Opera’s Japan tour of 2011. He is currently on the faculty at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, The Allen-Stevenson School (NY), and has a private studio in Westchester, NY. Bradley has taught and given coachings at The Orchestra Now (TŌN), S.U.N.Y. New Paltz, the Metro Bass Workshop, and the Empire State Youth Orchestra. He was awarded a full-tuition Whitaker Scholarship to attend the Manhattan School of Music. This allowed him to complete both a master’s and professional studies degree in Orchestral Performance while studying with Timothy Cobb. Previously, he earned a Bachelor’s of Music Education at Ithaca College.