Lois Ferrari - Music Director of the Austin Civic Orchestra

Lois Ferrari is Associate Professor of Music at Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX and has been a member of the faculty since 1993. Dr. Ferrari conducts the SU Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, and also teaches beginning and advanced conducting.

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where she received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting, Dr. Ferrari was a recipient of a full doctoral fellowship and was appointed Assistant Conductor of the renowned Eastman Wind Ensemble. She also earned a Master of Music degree in conducting and a Bachelor of Music degree in both performance and music education from the Ithaca College School of Music. Her major teachers have included Donald Hunsberger, Rodney Winther, David Effron, and Donald Neuen.

Aside from her duties at SU and with the ACO, Dr. Ferrari maintains a healthy guest conducting schedule and loves to work with musicians of all ages. She also nurtures a strong interest in playwriting and screenwriting and has won several awards for her efforts. Originally a New Yorker, Dr. Ferrari now resides in Austin with her two cats, Buddha and Gandhi.

The 2006-2007 season is Dr. Ferrari's fifth season with the ACO. Local music critic Michael Barnes noted in October 2003 that the ACO was "the leading candidate for Austin's most improved music organization."