Lamont Staff Profile: Andrew Ferdig

When Andrew Ferdig talks to prospective students about the Lamont School of Music, he isn’t just describing a program—he’s describing a place that shaped his life.

“Lamont was my musical home and the reason I had a successful performance career,” he says. “That’s why I wanted to come back and make that dream possible for other musicians.”

Now serving as Lamont’s Manager of Admission, Ferdig is often the first person students and families meet. But his path to that role began just a few miles away, in Morrison, Colorado.

Ferdig began his musical journey as a singer, participating in elementary school music programs and the Colorado Children’s Chorale. Like many fourth graders, he was eventually asked to choose an instrument. He picked the clarinet.

That decision didn’t last long.

“I hated swabbing the moisture out,” he recalls. “I saw the percussionists in the back, and that seemed easier.”

He laughs at the memory, especially given how things turned out: “Now I show up to a gig two hours early to set up all the instruments, and the clarinetist gets to walk in five minutes early!”

Ferdig switched to percussion in sixth grade and never looked back, immersing himself in band, marching band, and drumline throughout middle and high school. It was during those years that he began to realize there was a much larger musical world beyond what he had known.

His first connection to Lamont came through the Lamont Summer Academy, where he studied with percussionist John Kinzie. Though he initially planned to attend college out of state, Ferdig reconsidered when he realized that a top-tier music school was just 20 minutes from home.

He enrolled at the University of Denver as a percussion performance major, living on campus while his family remained close enough to attend his concerts. At Lamont, Ferdig encountered a new level of musical rigor and possibility. Performing with an orchestra for the first time was a pivotal experience.

“It was life-changing to finally perform the music I had fallen in love with as a child,” he says.

Early on, Kinzie assigned him to a percussion quartet with another freshman and two seniors. “I remember feeling completely in over my head,” Ferdig says. “I’d go and practice my part every evening. That was the most challenging piece I’d ever been given, especially with peers much more advanced.”

But the experience proved formative. “With dedication and time, you can rise to those challenges,” he says. “It ended up being the most rewarding performance of my career to that point.”

That sense of growth—and the supportive environment surrounding it—defined his time at Lamont. He began to see a future for himself as a professional musician, not as an overwhelming prospect, but as an achievable goal.

“Lamont provided the community that didn’t make that feel overwhelming,” he says. “It was so welcoming, letting you find your own musical voice.”

After completing his undergraduate degree, Ferdig stayed at DU for a Performance Certificate, focusing on preparing for graduate auditions. He went on to pursue his Master of Music and an Artist Diploma at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where he immersed himself in a vibrant musical community and studied with three teachers: Ed Stephan, John Soroka, and Christopher Allen.

“Getting viewpoints from three different teachers was awesome,” he says. “And Pittsburgh is an incredible place to be for a young musician.” 

During this time, he won the principal percussion position with the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra and began building a professional network that led to opportunities across the country, including performances with the Louisiana Philharmonic and fellowships at the Aspen Music Festival and National Repertory Orchestra.

By 2019, Ferdig was freelancing and completing his final year at Duquesne, poised for a full-time performing career.

Then the pandemic hit.

Like many musicians, he lost his performance income almost overnight. To make ends meet, he took a job at Whole Foods—what began as a temporary solution soon became an unexpected avenue for growth. 

Over three years, Ferdig rose from cashier to Customer Service Manager and eventually to a regional consultant role, helping improve operations across multiple stores. In the process, he discovered a new skill set.

“I had developed some administrative skills and realized I was good at that part,” he says. “I wanted to continue developing that in an arts administration role.”

At the same time, he remained connected to music, subbing with the Colorado Symphony and staying active as a performer.

In November 2022, Ferdig returned to Lamont as Manager of Admission, a role that brings together every facet of his experience.

As Lamont’s primary recruiter, he travels nationwide to meet prospective students, manages the application and audition process, coordinates visits and tours, and creates marketing content to showcase the school. He also taught himself the Adobe Creative Suite to design recruitment materials and produce video content.

“Lamont’s heart is the whole reason why I’m here,” he says, “and my goal is to show that.”

Ferdig also continues to perform actively, embodying the kind of multifaceted career he encourages in students. He subs with the Colorado Symphony, serves as principal percussionist with the Greeley Philharmonic, and performs with other regional ensembles.

“We talk about portfolio careers all the time,” he says. “I’m living the career I talk about.”

That philosophy is central to how he advises prospective students.

“What I tell applicants is that we want them to be able to pursue anything they want, and we give them the tools to do that,” he says. “My own experience reflects that.”

Outside of music, Ferdig has also rekindled a long-dormant creative passion: watercolor painting. Introduced to the medium in high school, he set it aside during his intensive years of study before returning to it as a way to decompress.

“It’s nice to have an artistic outlet that you’re not making money on,” he says.

That interest has grown into a significant leadership role. Ferdig joined the Colorado Watercolor Society, began volunteering, and was eventually invited to serve on its board. He has now been its president for three years.

“I never thought that would happen,” he says. “But when you are open to new things and put yourself out there, it can happen.”

That openness continues to shape his creative work. He is currently exploring ways to combine his visual and musical interests, including plans to collaborate with an art gallery on performances that integrate percussion with visual art, and commissioning new works designed for that setting.

For Ferdig, returning to Lamont isn’t just a professional milestone. It’s a continuation of a story that began years ago in a summer program, when he first discovered what was possible.

Now, he’s helping others do the same, welcoming them into the community that once welcomed him, and showing them, as he puts it, “that they can pursue anything they want.”