Fergus began his cello studies at the age of nine in Bega, New South Wales, through the Suzuki program at his primary school. Due to the lack of options for cello teachers in the area, his studies were put on pause for the next three years, until in 2017, he began making the three-hour journey to Canberra for monthly lessons with David Pereira. This played an important role in his passion and enthusiasm to continue studying cello, and the following year he was accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School to complete his remaining two years of high school under the tutelage of Rosanne Hunt.
In 2020 he began a Bachelor of Music at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, taking lessons from Richard Narroway. Fergus was a member of the university’s symphony orchestra every year since the beginning of his degree, where he performed as principal for three years. He took part in the String Quartet/Ensemble and Chamber Music subjects, gaining valuable performance experiences regularly, including travelling to Sydney to work with the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO), and to Texas for the Mimir Chamber Music Festival.
Throughout 2022-2024 Fergus played with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra and Melbourne Opera Orchestra, including a tour of NSW and Victoria with Andrea Bocelli and Delta Goodrem, and Wagner’s entire Ring Cycle. He has also participated in the Australian Youth Orchestra programs since 2021, which have taken him to Adelaide, Sydney, Perth, Hobart and Canberra, and have been some of his most treasured experiences.
In 2023 and 2024 Fergus has been teaching cello at primary and secondary school level, taking individual and groups lessons, and ensembles. This has been an eye-opening and inspiring experience. He plans to take what he’s learned into his own further study at ANAM in 2025, under the tutelage of Howard Penny.
FROM: VIC. Lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people.
Photo by Pia Johnson