John E. Ferritto, 72, of Hudson, died Jan. 7, 2010, at The Hospice Care Center in Akron after a lengthy illness.
A child prodigy, his musical genius was first seen at age 5, when, upon returning home from seeing a movie, he played the musical theme on the piano. A native of Cleveland, Mr. Ferritto was a conductor, composer, pianist, violinist, violist and teacher who graduated with honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music in piano and violin and received a master's degree in composition from the Yale School of Music. He conducted the U.S. Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra in Germany and studied at the American Academy in Rome and at Tanglewood with Gunther Schuller and Erich Leinsdorf.
Mr. Ferritto served as associate conductor of the New Haven Symphony, conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the North Shore (Chicago), Conductor Laureate of the Springfield (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Heights Chamber Orchestra, director and conductor of the American Federation of Musicians Congress of Strings in Cincinnati, and director of the Kent Sinfonia and the Kent/Blossom Music program, as well as professor emeritus of music at Kent State University. He was a member of the theory, composition and conducting faculties at the University of Chicago, the University of Texas at Austin and Kent State University.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Marcia Leigh Ferritto; his daughter, Annie Fullard-Rosenthal (husband James) of Shaker Heights; and grandson, Samuel Rosenthal.
Services have taken place. Interment was at Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Ignatius High School and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Arrangements were by Fioritto Funeral Service in Lyndhurst.