Michael John Ferry

Biography

Michael John Ferry began studying the violin at 6 years old. He grew up in Upper Bucks County, PA, about 30 miles North of Philadelphia. Michael John quickly took on many leadership roles in his musical studies. At 16, he was appointed concertmaster of the prestigious Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, and he was also named first violinist of Settlement Music School’s Scholarship String Quartet. At 17, Michael John won first prize of the North Penn Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. Notable former teachers and coaches include Jascha Brodsky, Robert dePasquale, Joseph Primavera, and Sid Curtiss. Michael John decided to pursue academics instead of violin performance after high school, choosing Bucknell University over Cleveland Institute of Music. At Bucknell, Michael John studied both Biology and Music. Soon after arriving to Chicago in 2000, Michael John also received an M.A. from Northeastern Illinois University in Applied Music Pedagogy, where he studied with Joseph Glymph and Charles Pikler. Michael John has had numerous leadership roles throughout his musical endeavors in Chicagoland, including former concertmaster of the Classical Symphony Orchestra, the Protégé Philharmonic, and the West Suburban Symphony Orchestra. He is currently also concertmaster of the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Despite not making it into a career, music has always been one of the most important aspects of Michael John’s life. Michael John had a decade-long career with Gugenheim Partners as a trader and analyst of Asset-Backed Securities, before settling into his now nearly 15-year award-winning career as a Chicagoland real estate broker, where he feels right at home!