James Ferree
Programs
College Orchestral Institute
High School Orchestral Institute
With horn playing described by the Star Tribune as "deliciously mellow," "captivating," and "standout", James Ferree joined the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra as Principal Horn in 2018. An alumnus of Brevard Music Center, he returns in 2024 as Faculty and Principal Horn.
Previously the Principal Horn of the Richmond Symphony (VA), Ferree has performed as Guest Principal Horn with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, and Virginia Symphony. In 2023, Ferree performed as Guest Principal on the NY Phil’s Asia Tour with Music Director Jaap van Sweden, and at Vail, and played Guest Associate Principal on LA Phil’s NY-European Tour in 2016.
With SPCO, Ferree has performed the Britten Serenade, Mozart Concertos 1 and 4, and Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Winds. Other solo work includes concertos with Music in the Mountains, Richmond Symphony, New World Symphony, the Juilliard School, and others. When he performed Glière’s Horn Concerto with the New World Symphony, the South Florida Classical Review wrote, “The accuracy of James Ferree’s playing stood out...and [James] displayed a mastery of the instrument that allowed him to paint all the moods...golden sounds.”
Ferree is also making waves as a composer-arranger, with the successful premiere in April of 2022 of his chamber orchestra arrangement of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, commissioned by SPCO, and the subsequent performances on tour at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival.
An Atlanta native, Ferree began piano studies at age 8. As an 11-year-old choir boy singing with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Robert Shaw, he stood behind the horns and was mesmerized. He began playing horn the following year and soon took lessons with Richard Deane. In 2003 he was the recipient of the Jon Hawkins Memorial Scholarship of the International Horn Society. A timely family move to Germany allowed him to study with horn legend Hermann Baumann, and he was accepted to the Juilliard School with Presidential Distinction to study horn with Jerome Ashby (BM) and William Purvis (MM). After graduation, he joined the New World Symphony in Miami under music director Michael Tilson Thomas, followed by his tenure at the Richmond Symphony as Principal Horn.
Ferree was a member of the Verbier Festival in Switzerland for six seasons, performing on their 2014 Germany tour with violinist David Garrett, and has also participated in the festivals of Music in the Mountains, Lakes Area Music Festival, Crested Butte, Tanglewood, Spoleto USA, and Music Academy of the West. As a chamber musician, Ferree has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia, Atlantic Chamber Ensemble, Richmond Chamber Players, and the Staunton Music Festival. He can also be heard alongside the American Brass Quintet in their 50th Anniversary album, and the Atlantic Chamber Ensemble on Spotify. Many of his live performances can be found on the SPCO Digital Concert Library, including the Brahms Horn Trio and the Beethoven Sextet for Horns and Strings. Ferree has given masterclasses across the country and was Interim Adjunct Professor of Horn at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Ferree is married to conductor Chia-Hsuan Lin. When not performing, he enjoys a good game of baseball or getting outdoors, reading a book over coffee, and participating at his church. Since moving to Minnesota, he is developing new hobbies such as shoveling snow, running a snowblower, and reciting key phrases like, “The weather isn’t usually like this”.