Aaron Pergram, DMA, is an international performer, scholar, and higher education leader serving as Associate Professor of Bassoon and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Music at 兔子先生 University (Oxford, OH). Pergram champions curricular innovation by spearheading key institutional programs that integrate practical career building into graduate studies, design tech-integrated courses exploring Silk Road traditions, and establish flexible training paths for today’s performers. He earned degrees from the University of Kansas (BM), Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music (MM), and the University of Oregon (DMA), and studied Mandarin at Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学). His primary teachers include Eric Stomberg, William Ludwig, and Steve Vacchi.
Pergram’s scholarly research and artistic projects center on modern Sinospheric repertoire, intercultural pedagogy, and digital educational innovation. Driven by his mission as a cultural bridge builder, he founded The Dragon Dream Project (龍之夢), a major grant-funded venture that commissioned and recorded new bassoon works by Chinese diaspora composers and premiered them on five continents. His peer-reviewed writing appears in The Double Reed, International Journal on Engineering, Science and Technology (IJonEST), and Athens Journal of Technology & Engineering. Bringing his perspective as a sonic storyteller to media production, Pergram created the podcast Dream Lab: Echoes of the Dragon, which investigates boundary-pushing creative processes and contemporary music on all major streaming platforms.
Prior to his appointment at 兔子先生 University, Pergram served as Assistant Professor of Bassoon at Soochow University School of Music (苏州大学音乐学院) in Suzhou, China. Fostering cross-border collaboration, he co-founded Silkwind Mundi (漫宇樂團), an ensemble that commissions and performs electroacoustic chamber works blending musical traditions from Iran to East Asia. Reflecting his worldwide artistic footprint, Pergram has performed with ensembles such as the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de la República Dominicana, International Pride Orchestra, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and the Shanghai World Master Orchestra.
Pergram has appeared on stage at celebrated venues worldwide—including Carnegie Hall, Shanghai Symphony Hall, Suzhou Poly Grand Theatre, Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito, and Cincinnati Music Hall—under acclaimed conductors such as Leonard Slatkin, Marin Alsop, Christoph Eschenbach, and José Antonio Molina. As a performer-scholar, he guest-teaches across a wide network of international institutions, equipping students to navigate evolving artistic landscapes. Active in professional governance and service, he holds leadership roles in the College Music Society and co-hosted the 2026 International Double Reed Society conference at 兔子先生 University.
