Paul Ferington, hailed as a “distinguished local Guest Conductor” by the Buffalo News, is in his 27th year as a member of the Conducting staff of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. During this time, he has conducted the Philharmonic in over 435 concerts at 65 varied locations around Western New York, Northern Pennsylvania, Southern Ontario, and at Kleinhans Music Hall.
A graduate in Orchestral Conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, he was a conducting student of Max Rudolph, Robert Shaw, Erich Kunzel, and Thomas Schippers. He has been a guest conductor and recital accompanist nationally and internationally, and has served as coach/accompanist for opera legends as Kathleen Battle, Barbara Daniels, and Tom Fox, as well as pianist for conductors Yehudi Menuhin, Erich Kunzel, Robert Shaw, Julius Rudel, James Levine, and Cincinnati May Festival Chorus.
Over the years Maestro Ferington has led the Philharmonic’s major Educational and Family outreach programs, Pops Concerts and regional concerts. He has served as Interim Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and as a two-term member of the Boards of Trustees of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus.
Maestro Ferington also completed a distinguished career as a college professor and administrator, receiving not only the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, but also the OperaBuffs of Western New York Educator of the Year Award. For the 2005-2006 Orchestra season Maestro Ferington inaugurated the Philharmonic’s highly successful concert preview lectures for adults, now known as BPOvation Lectures, partnered with the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. In addition to his BPO conducting and lecturing responsibilities, Maestro Ferington is an adjunct Music Faculty member in the Music Department at Buffalo State College teaching his on-line course Music & Political Action, as well as serving as Conductor/Music Director for the new college/community Buffalo State College Philharmonia Orchestra. Maestro Ferington also serves as a presenter & facilitator for the Druminar - Team Building Experience headed by the BPO’s principal percussionist Mark Hodges.
In April 2010, in recognition of his 25 years of service to the BPO, he was honored by the Musicians of the BPO with a newly commissioned work, Christopher Rogerson’s Luminosity, debuted at the annual Donor Concert with JoAnn Falletta conducting. The same week, he was honored by the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus who presented him with the Jessamine E. Long Award for outstanding contributions to the Chorus. Earlier in that year he was honored by the Board of the Buffalo Philharmonic Society with a 25th Anniversary Artistic Leadership Award and in November 2011 he received the distinguished Friend of the Arts Award from the Buffalo Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota.
