Jeff Ferdon

Double bassist Jeff Ferdon began his studies with Donald Hergert and Ole Nelson in his hometown of Duluth, Minnesota. As a teen, he became a member of the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra and spent his summers studying at the Symphony School of America.  
 
Ferdon came to North Carolina when, as a finalist in the Minnesota Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition, he was awarded a scholarship position at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. There, he studied with Lynn Peters and was the recipient of the school’s Vittorio Giannini Prize. While a student at UNCSA, he was a member of the Greensboro and Winston-Salem Symphonies. 
 
Ferdon joined the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in 1985 and was eventually appointed to the position of 3rd chair double bassist, taking on the duties of Assistant Principal Bass. Though the appointment was meant to be temporary, it lasted 26 years and included 2 seasons serving as Principal Bass. Aside from his work with the CSO, he also performs throughout the region as a chamber musician and soloist. 
 
As a teacher, Ferdon has served as double bass coach for the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras and Youth Orchestras of Charlotte, as well as adjunct instructor of double bass at Davidson College and UNC Charlotte. 
 
Ferdon's wife, Ellen, is a violist with the CSO, and they cherish sharing their careers as members of the same orchestra. Away from music, Ferdon enjoys running, baking, solving word puzzles, and, most of all, spending time with his grandson Benjamin. 

Do you have any pre-performance rituals? 

By nature, I’m pretty disorganized and forgetful. It wasn’t until I had a couple of embarrassing gaffes — one that included receiving applause from the audience after forgetting my bow — before I realized I needed to double-check to make sure I remember everything. 

What's an interesting tidbit about how you chose your instrument? 

Like most public-school kids, I was given a chance to choose an instrument to play after attending a chamber music concert. During the performance, I remember watching the bassist play this giant instrument with such ease and grace. Even though that poetic memory made a lasting impression, I was, honestly, just a typical 11-year-old boy who wanted to play the largest instrument on stage.  

What would you be doing if you weren’t a professional musician? 

A pastry chef or a wildlife biologist. 

What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you? 

At one time, I held FCC licenses as an amateur (“ham”) radio operator, and I’m still fluent in Morse code.