John E. Ferritto (January 20, 1937 – January 7, 2010) was an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
composer, conductor, and music professor.
He graduated with honors in piano and violin performance from the
Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) is a private music conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1920 by Ernest Bloch, it enrolls 325 students in the conservatory and approximately 1,500 students in the preparatory and continuing educatio ...
, and also holds a
M.M. in composition from
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
, where he studied piano with Ward Davenny, conducting with Gustav Meier, and composition with
Mel Powell
Mel Powell (born Melvin Epstein) (February 12, 1923 – April 24, 1998) was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, and the founding dean of the music department at the California Institute of the Arts. He served as a music educator for over ...
. He also studied at the American Academy in Rome and at
Tanglewood
Tanglewood is a music venue in the towns of Lenox and Stockbridge in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. It has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1937. Tanglewood is also home to three music schools: the T ...
, with
Gunther Schuller
Gunther Alexander Schuller (November 22, 1925June 21, 2015) was an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, educator, publisher, and jazz musician.
Biography and works
Early years
Schuller was born in Queens, New York City, ...
, and
Erich Leinsdorf
Erich Leinsdorf (born Erich Landauer; February 4, 1912 – September 11, 1993) was an Austrian-born American conductor. He performed and recorded with leading orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and Europe, earning a ...
.
He made his conducting debut with the U.S.
Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra
The Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra was the only symphonic orchestral ensemble ever created under the supervision of the United States Army. Founded by the composer Samuel Adler, its members participated in the cultural diplomacy initiatives of ...
on tour in Germany, France, and Italy. He was associate conductor of the
New Haven Symphony, Conductor of the
Chamber Orchestra of the North Shore in Chicago, and director/conductor of the American Federation of Musicians Congress of Strings in Cincinnati.
As a guest conductor, he has appeared with the Radio Television Orchestra of Bucharest, the State Orchestra of Greece, the
Toledo Symphony
The Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts was created in 2019 when the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and the Toledo Ballet merged. Based in Toledo, Ohio, it operated with a $13.2 million budget in its fiscal year 2020 and maintains the two brand n ...
, the
Columbus Symphony Orchestra
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Columbus, Ohio. The oldest performing arts organization in the city, its home is the Ohio Theatre. The orchestra's current Executive Director is Denise Rehg. Ross ...
(Ohio), the Charleston S.C. Symphony, the
Michigan Chamber Orchestra,
Eastern Music Festival, the
New Haven Opera, the
New Haven Ballet, and the
American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...
. He has conducted the Orchestras of both the Peabody Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music, and is the former director of the Kent/Blossom Summer Music program.
Additionally, he was Conductor Laureate of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra in
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County, Ohio, Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River (Ohio), Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, approxim ...
, after serving as Music Director and Conductor, a post he held from 1971.
He served on the theory and composition faculties at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
, the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
, and was Professor Emeritus of Composition at
Kent State University
Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in As ...
.
Ferritto was married to the
violist
; german: Bratsche
, alt=Viola shown from the front and the side
, image=Bratsche.jpg
, caption=
, background=string
, hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71
, hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow
, range=
, related=
*Violin family ...
Marcia Ferritto.
John Ferritto died on January 7, 2010.
Selected works
* ''Pavane, Toccata and Saraband'' for piano (1963)
* ''5 Madrigals'' for mezzo-soprano solo (1964)
* ''Affigliazione'' for flute and piano (1966)
* ''Diffusione'' for clarinet, violin, double bass, guitar and percussion, Op. 2 (1966)
* ''Quattro diversioni'' for clarinet, viola and piano, Op. 3 (1966)
* ''Cinque caricature'' for cello and piano (1966)
* ''Quattro madrigali'' for baritone, alto flute and bass clarinet, Op. 5 (1967)
* ''Addio C.M.'' for clarinet solo, Op. 6 (1967)
* ''4 Duos'' for soprano recorder and guitar, Op. 7 (1967)
* ''Canzone'' for unaccompanied viola, Op. 8 (1968)
* ''Oggi'' for soprano, clarinet and piano, Op. 9 (1969)
* ''Frammento'' for trumpet, vibraphone and double bass, Op. 10 (1970)
* ''Omaggio a Berio e Fellini'' for orchestra, Op. 11
* ''Sogni'' for soprano, viola (offstage) and orchestra, Op. 12 (1972)
* ''Quartetto'' for flute, horn, viola and piano, Op. 13 (1974)
* ''Intersezione'' for violin solo, Op. 14 (1975)
* Concertino for oboe, alto saxophone, bass, and percussion, Op. 15 (1976)
* Concerto for cello and orchestra, Op. 17 (1979)
* Sextet for woodwind quintet and piano, Op. 18 (1980)
* ''Celebrations'' for orchestra, Op. 19 (1983)
* ''Fantasy Duo'' for viola and piano, Op. 20 (1984)
* String Quartet, Op. 21 (1988)
* ''Movement'' for viola and percussion orchestra, Op. 22 (1989)
* ''Michris'' for flute and marimba (1989)
* ''Duo Toccata'' for viola and cello, Op. 24 (1990)
* ''Concerto fiori'', for oboe and string orchestra, Op. 25 (1991); for Sara Bloom
* ''Colors'' for orchestra, Op. 26 (1992)
* ''Sonata Fantasy'' for clarinet and piano, Op. 29 (1993)
* ''Vignettes'' for 2 violins, viola and cello (1993)
* ''Semi-Suite'' for 2 pianos (1995)
* ''Variations on John Brown's Body'' for orchestra or band
* ''Ballad in Blue (In Memoriam
Morton Gould
Morton Gould (December 10, 1913February 21, 1996) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, and pianist.
Biography
Morton Gould was born in Richmond Hill, New York, United States. He was recognized early as a child prodigy with abilities ...
)'' for string orchestra (1997)
* ''Aneurysm No. 6'' for percussion quartet, Op. 31 (1997)
* ''Walking My Dog'' for flute (piccolo), violin and piano (1998)
* ''Dialogues I'' for marimba and string quartet, Op. 33 (1998)
* ''Dialogues II'' for alto saxophone and string quartet, Op. 34 (2000)
* ''Violin and Viola Duo'', Op. 35 (2000)
* ''Sax Quartet'', Op. 36 (2000)
* ''Dialogues III'' for horn and string quartet, Op. 37 (2001)
* Woodwind Quintet for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon, Op. 38 (2001)
* ''Abstractions'', Duo for viola and piano, Op. 39 (2001)
* ''Violette'' for 2 violas, Op. 40 (2001)
* ''Scherzo, Canzona, and Burlesco'' for bass clarinet and percussion, Op. 41
* ''Sempre Berio'' for bassoon and chamber ensemble, Op. 43 (2003)
* Piano Quintet
Recordings
*1974 - Ferritto, John. ''Oggi''. New York: Composers Recordings.
External links
John Ferritto at the American Composers AllianceObituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferritto, John
1937 births
20th-century classical composers
21st-century classical composers
American male classical composers
American classical composers
American male conductors (music)
Cleveland Institute of Music alumni
American people of Italian descent
2010 deaths
21st-century American composers
20th-century American composers
20th-century American conductors (music)
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American male musicians
Pupils of Gunther Schuller