Bradley Aikman

As a performer, Bradley Aikman has experience in symphonic, opera, and ballet repertoires with NYC’s premier ensembles. He is currently an associate member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and principal bass of the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra.  Other orchestral appearances include the New York Philharmonic, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the New York City Ballet, the Minnesota and Sarasota Orchestras, and the Pittsburgh Symphony.  Bradley is also a former principal bass of the Albany Symphony.

He can be heard on several Grammy winning recordings with the Met, including Terence Blanchard’s, Champion, Philip Glass’s Akhnatan, Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and the Ring Cycle from 2012.  He also performed on the Albany Symphony’s Conjurer by John Corigliano. He has participated in the Albany Symphony’s tradition of recording American composers such as 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 also performed in South America, Asia, and Europe.  Some notable performances include the Metropolitan Opera’s Japan tour of 2011, and the New York Philharmonic’s residencies and tours in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Vail, Colorado in 2018 and 19. 

He is currently on the faculty of  The Allen-Stevenson School (NY), and has a private studio in Westchester, NY.  Bradley has served as the faculty at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and the Bard College Conservatory.  He has also given classes 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.

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