Bio

Canadian Wesley Ferreira is quickly becoming one of the prominent clarinetists of his generation. Born in London, Ontario to parents of Portuguese heritage, Ferreira leads an active and diverse career performing worldwide as soloist, orchestral and chamber musician, and as an engaging adjudicator, clinician, and conductor. He joined the music faculty at Colorado State University in 2011 as Assistant Professor of Clarinet following four years in the position of single-reeds instructor and director of bands at Mount Allison University. He has been featured soloist with numerous wind bands and orchestras in North America and Europe, and has been broadcast nationally on both Canadian and Australian Broadcasting Corporations. International conference performances include the International Clarinet Association's annual ClarinetFest (2009, 2010, 2011), the Canadian University Music Society (2011), and the International Clarinet and Saxophone Festival in Xi'an, China (2005). Ferreira has given performances and masterclasses at colleges and universities throughout North America.  He demonstrates a commitment to teaching and pedagogy, and contributes regularly to The Clarinet and Canadian Winds journals. Equally at ease performing the masterworks as well as contemporary pieces, Ferreira shows avid support for new music by frequently commissioning and premiering works.

He has held conducting positions with numerous ensembles and has ongoing engagements at Southampton Summer Music and with the Portuguese Heritage Band Project. As conductor of the Portuguese Heritage Band Project, he has released two recordings in a series entitled Across the Ocean: The Music of Bandas Filarmonicas (2007, 2010). These recordings feature original works for the genre as performed by authentic musicians from various bandas in Ontario. Ferreira has worked as program administrator of the University of Western Ontario New Horizons Band program and was Associate Artistic Director at Stratford Summer Music in 2008. He has served as Vice-President of the New Brunswick Band Association and is the current President of the Canadian Association of Bandas Filarmonicas. Ferreira holds degrees from the University of Western Ontario (B.Mus.) and Arizona State University (M.Mus.) studying with clarinetists Robert Riseling and Robert Spring, respectively.