News on your favorite shows, specials & more!
James Ross Headshot

James Ross

Get James Ross Email Alerts

Be the first to get news, photos, videos & more.

BIO

Conductor James Ross won scholarships to Harrow School and to Christ Church at Oxford University. There he studied history and music, writing a doctorate on French opera under Roger Parker awarded the Sir Donald Tovey Prize. He was a 1998 BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Conducting Competition finalist; since then he has conducted in sixteen countries throughout Europe, North America and Asia. He is Music Director of Sidcup Symphony Orchestra in London, Oxford’s Christ Church Festival Orchestra, The Oxford Opera Company, Haslemere Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Welwyn Garden City Orchestra and Chorus and Bridgnorth Sinfonia, and Artistic Advisor to The Commonwealth Resounds. Previous positions include with St Albans Symphony Orchestra, of which he is Vice-President, and Oxford University Sinfonietta. He has performed in UK venues including The Royal Festival Hall, Westminster Abbey on several occasions for Queen Elizabeth II, and St. John's Smith Square, London, Symphony Hall, Birmingham and the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, including Beethoven's 9th Symphony for its 350th anniverary concert.

He has conducted over 1,000 works, ranging from the Baroque, most core symphonic and choral repertoire, to contemporary music by Boulez, Ligeti, Stockhausen and many more. With soloists he has accompanied Mahler, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with Sir Thomas Allen, concertos with BBC Young Musician of the Year Guy Johnston, and concerts with UK National Opera Studio singers. Major 20th-Century works include Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring; Schoenberg, Pierrot Lunaire; Janá?ek, Sinfonietta and Bartók, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta. He has also conducted much specialist French music and has a strong interest in contemporary music, including recording studio and film work. Numerous first performances including New Music Days with Roxanna Panufnik, Paul Patterson and members of City of London Sinfonia supported by the Arts Council, and at London's Saatchi Gallery with Philharmonia Orchestra members. In 2013 he conducted the first orchestral concert at Colombo's Nelum Pokuna Theatre in Sri Lanka. In 2015 he conducted the Commonwealth Festival Orchestra in Malta at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, gave the first performance of Nicola Moro's opera Love Hurts at the Piccolo Teatro, Milan, in 2016, and has been invited to conduct by the Center for Contemporary Opera in New York.

James Ross started his opera career in 1996 assisting on Bernard Haitink’s Don Carlos recording with The Royal Opera and has conducted operas ranging from Mozart to Britten; in 2013 was on the music staff for Longborough Festival Opera's production of Wagner's Ring Cycle. He has studied with conductors from diverse musical traditions including Tsung Yeh (USA and China), Zden?k Bílek (Czech Republic and Slovakia), Victor Feldbrill (Canada), Ernst Schelle (Switzerland), Michael Charry (USA) and the late Alan Hazeldine (UK); he has also received advice from Bernard Haitink, Paul Daniel, Peter Donohoe, Sir David Willcocks and the late Sir Charles Mackerras. He is a frequent guest speaker, including at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and the Purcell School of Music; he has taught at Oxford University and contributed to Music and Letters, Opera, English Historical Review, Musical Times and books including Vincent d'Indy et son temps, French Music Since Berlioz and French Music, Nationalism and Culture.

James Ross has helped raise over £1,000,000 through concerts for charities including Whizz-Kidz, Addaction, Rethink, The Fund for Epilepsy, NSPCC, Response International, UNICEF, Sunera Foundation of Sri Lanka and Oxfam. In 2012, he presented a concert in aid of the Sunera Foundation and the UK-Sri Lanka Traumi Group with Danielle de Niese and Rohan de Silva at St John's Smith Square, London, and has conducted with English National Ballet in aid of Save The Children.

He is a member of the Performers and Composers Section of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (UK), the Conductors Guild (US) and League of American Orchestras. He is also a director of strategic music consultancy Ulysses Arts.

STAGE CREDITS

[Broadway]
1934
Coin

[Broadway]
1930
Mr. Judd

Productions

 
[Off-Broadway, 2024]
Stage Production Manager

News


New Musical LIFELINE to be Presented at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre in August

Discover the new musical LIFELINE, which tells the story of Alexander Fleming's groundbreaking discovery of penicillin, now playing at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre in NYC. Learn how to purchase tickets.
National Youth Orchestra Of The USA to Embark On South American Tour In August 2024

The National Youth Orchestra of the USA will tour South America in August 2024, performing in major cities and showcasing talented young musicians under the direction of renowned conductors. Learn how to purchase tickets.
Rhode Island Philharmonic Appoints Ruth Reinhardt Music Director

Ruth Reinhardt has been appointed as the new Music Director of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, bringing her expertise and vision to the orchestra. Learn more about her background and upcoming plans.
The Philadelphia Orchestra Presents 2024 C. Hartman Kuhn Award to Violist Marvin Moon

The Philadelphia Orchestra recognized nine members of the Orchestra family for their exemplary contributions to the organization in a ceremony during the June 1, 2024, concert in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
Curtis Institute Of Music Expands Conducting Program

The Curtis Institute of Music is expanding its conducting program, offering unique mentorship to promising young conductors.
Carnegie Hall Announces Teen Musicians Selected For NYO2 In Summer 2024

Discover the talented teen musicians selected for the prestigious NYO2 program at Carnegie Hall in Summer 2024. Get to know the future stars of the music world.
Third Coast Percussion To Bring PERSPECTIVES Program To California And Albany

GRAMMY-winning quartet Third Coast Percussion will tour their GRAMMY-nominated program, PERSPECTIVES, across California and Albany, NY in April 2024. The program celebrates the extraordinary depth and breadth of percussion music.
ASCAP Unwraps Top 10 New Classic Holiday Songs Chart Featuring Kelly Clarkson, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Meghan Trainor, Jimmy Fallon & More

ASCAP Unwraps Top 10 New Classic Holiday Songs Chart featuring Kelly Clarkson, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Meghan Trainor, Jimmy Fallon, and more. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers, both the Top 10 ASCAP New Classic Holiday Songs.
Third Coast Percussion Sets 2023-2024 Season, Including New Album BETWEEN BREATHS

Third Coast Percussion unveils their highly anticipated 2023-2024 season, featuring a new album 'Between Breaths' and international touring programs. Don't miss out on the exciting concerts and collaborations by this renowned percussion ensemble.
Blackfriars Theatre Summer Intensive to Present GODSPELL Beginning This Month

Join Blackfriars Theatre for its Blackfriars Theatre Summer Intensive (BTSI) production from July 28 through August 6, featuring a modern take on the beloved classic, Godspell.
Carnegie Hall's National Youth Orchestra 2 Travels To The Dominican Republic In July For First-Ever International Concerts

This July, following two weeks of intensive training in New York, NYO2—one of Carnegie Hall's three national youth ensembles made up of extraordinary teen instrumentalists from across the United States—will travel to the Dominican Republic for the ensemble's first ever international concerts and residency.
South Bend Symphony Orchestra And Jeans 'n Classics Bring You A NIGHT AT WOODSTOCK On April 15

The South Bend Symphony Orchestra joins forces with Jeans' n Classics and up and coming guest conductor Shira Samuels-Shragg, to take you back to 1969 at 'A Night at Woodstock' on Saturday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Morris Performing Arts Center!
89 Teen Musicians Selected for Carnegie Hall's NYO2 in Summer 2023

Carnegie Hall has announced the names of the 89 young musicians selected from across the country for NYO2, an intensive summer orchestral training program for outstanding American instrumentalists, ages 14–17.
America's Finest Teen Instrumentalists Form Carnegie Hall's Three National Youth Ensembles This July

This July, Carnegie Hall will bring together more than 200 of the finest teen musicians from across the country to perform as part of its three acclaimed national youth ensembles: the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), NYO2, and NYO Jazz.
Plano Symphony Orchestra Names New Assistant Conductor

The Plano Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce Shira Samuels-Shragg will be joining Maestro Hector Guzman as Assistant Conductor ahead of the orchestra’s 40th Anniversary Season. Shira is a young American conductor in her final year pursuing a Masters in Orchestral Conducting at the Juilliard School with highly-sought after conductor David Robertson. This full-time position is funded by a generous donation from Tammy and Charles Miller. Shira will assume her role on August 22, 2022.
Carnegie Hall Announces Teen Musicians Selected for NYO2 in Summer 2022

Carnegie Hall today announced the names of the 81 young musicians selected from across the country for NYO2, an intensive summer orchestral training program for outstanding American instrumentalists, ages 14–17.
Carnegie Hall Announces Teen Musicians Selected For 2022 National Youth Orchestra Of The United States Of America

Carnegie Hall today announced the names of the 109 outstanding young musicians selected from across the country for the ninth annual National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). The members of the 2022 orchestra—ages 16–19, hailing from 34 US states—have been recognized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest players in the country following a comprehensive and highly selective audition process.
Alexandria Symphony Presents RACHMANINOV RHAPSODY

ASO is joined by renowned soloist Sara Daneshpour with Rachmaninov’s romantic Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Strings take center stage with George Walker’s Lyric for Strings and Beethoven’s Quartet for Strings in C-sharp minor, expanded for full orchestra. The program also features Sibelius’ epic tone poem, Finlandia.
Colburn School Announces 2021-22 Class Of Salonen Fellows

The Colburn School today announced its 2021-22 class of Salonen Fellows in the Conservatory of Music’s Negaunee Conducting Program.
Carnegie Hall's National Youth Ensembles Come Together for Residency at Purchase College, SUNY, This July

This July, Carnegie Hall will bring together more than 200 of the finest teen musicians from across the country to train and perform as part of its three acclaimed national youth ensembles: National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), NYO2, and NYO Jazz.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has James Ross been in?

James Ross has appeared on Broadway in 2 shows.

How many West End shows has James Ross been in?

James Ross has not appeared in the West End.

Get James Ross Email Alerts

Be the first to get news, photos, videos & more.

Videos