Jane Carroll, Story Editor
As the 2025–2026 school year comes to a close, New Canaan High School Orchestra Director Leo Ficks will retire after two decades of teaching, ending a career that has shaped countless student musicians.
Throughout his twenty years at NCHS, Mr. Ficks has grown the orchestra program with musical excellence and an array of talent from all strings and all grades.
In the most recent concert this spring, three seniors spoke about Mr. Ficks. The speeches about him were followed by a mix of classical and non-classical music. “I’m particularly proud of the pieces that we performed in the collaborative concert, because these compositions in their original forms are so challenging, even for professional orchestras, but we manage to put them together and immerse ourselves in that,” said Mr. Ficks.
Mr. Ficks music career started long before entering a classroom to teach young students. “I started playing violin when I was five. I went on to music school, and after I completed music school, my first real professional job was playing in the Honolulu Symphony,” said Mr. Ficks. “After I completed my masters I did computer programming full time. But I missed music, and so I got back into music and teaching, and along the way, I taught at university.”
For Mr. Ficks, music is more than a hobby but a way of life. He started playing in professional orchestras at the age of fourteen and then competed around the world. It has brought him into new careers, experiences and allowed him to meet all new people. “Music has been the thing that’s really carried me through all that, and had all these interesting experiences,” said Mr. Ficks.
NCHS Band Director Barry Zhou weighed in on how impactful Mr. Ficks has been for both the school and students. Mr. Ficks has consistently prioritized the needs of students and the department over his own. “He’s the kind of person that always tries to do the right thing for the greater good, even if it does not personally benefit him,” said Mr. Zhou. “Leo always does the little things that end up making the biggest difference. Whether it’s creating a new seating arrangement for his orchestra so the band can have more room, or spending more time curating the type of music that is played at concerts, he is always thinking of others.”
Mr. Ficks ensured that before he left NCHS, the music department could continue to thrive with both talent and the amount of students. “I recall him coming to me on my first day of teaching at the high school to tell me that his job for the next year is to mentor me and prepare me to keep the music department going once he retires,” said Mr. Zhou.
Senior Andrew Kim weighed in on his time with Mr. Ficks. “During my four years of orchestra I had the opportunity to learn about music, life and everything in between,” said Andrew. “ Those conversations that arise as you get to know him are priceless, ” said Andrew. “He is really a jack of all trades because of how knowledgeable he is. Mr. Ficks is the only person I could have a conversation with that ties in strings and astrophysics together.”
For Mr. Ficks, his teaching career goes far beyond the classroom. “The most valuable thing about teaching is not the teaching itself, but watching students come through the school and grow as both a musician and a person,” said Mr. Ficks. “During my twenty years here, I’ve continually been reminded about how much you can learn about yourself through other people, and for me I learn through my students.”
