Ryan Ferguson
Ryan Ferguson is a vibrant and versatile conductor with a passion for collaboration, research, and education. Ryan currently serves as Assistant Conductor of the Baltimore Philharmonia Orchestra and Director of Music at Saint James United Methodist Church (Marriottsville, MD) while regularly serving as guest conductor for orchestral, choral, and wind ensembles in the Baltimore/Washington Metro area.
Ryan completed graduate conducting studies at the Peabody Conservatory (Baltimore, MD) as a student of Harlan D. Parker. During his time at Peabody, Ryan served as an Assistant Conductor of the Peabody Modern Orchestra, Peabody Wind Ensemble, and Peabody Youth Orchestra. A native of Georgia, Ryan graduated cum laude with an Honors Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Science degrees from Shorter University, and a Master of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University.
Additional studies have taken place at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens
College, Smith College, and with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. Other teachers and conducting influences include Markand Thakar, Marin Alsop, Carolyn Kuan, Tong Chen, Diane Wittry, and Maurice Peress, among others.
As an advocate for music education, Ryan is on faculty as Director of Performing Arts at The Summit School (Edgewater, MD) and has served as Director of Bands & Orchestra and AP® Music Theory instructor at The Catholic High School of Baltimore (Baltimore, MD). In addition to his conducting duties, Ryan maintains an active schedule as a freelance hornist and pianist, and when he is not on the podium, he can be found cooking, reading, hiking, or road-tripping with his wife and mezzo-soprano, Alejandra.
