(b. 27 March 1957, Maracaibo).

Canadian composer, born in Venezuela, of mostly orchestral and chamber works that have been performed in the Americas and in Europe.

Mr. Ross studied composition with Samuel Dolin at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto from 1980–85, where he earned his ARCT, and with John Beckwith at the University of Toronto, where he graduated with his MMus in 1986 and DMus in 1992.

Among his honours are prizes in the competition of the Hamilton Philharmonic (1993, for Passage 1), the competition of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (1993, for Passage 3), the competition of Symphony Nova Scotia (2002, for Three Lorca Sketches), and the competition of Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters (2002), as well the President's Award for Outstanding Research from Memorial University of Newfoundland (1999) and residencies at the Banff Centre in Alberta (1988) and Stanford University (1989). He later served as composer-in-residence at the Waterford New Music Festival in Ireland in 2003.

He is also active in other positions. As a guitarist, he has performed contemporary music in Canada. He served as director of evening services at St. Thomas' Anglican Church in St. John's, Newfoundland from 1997–2002.

He taught at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto from 1987–92 and at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario in 1990–91. He has taught composition, electronic music, guitar, music theory, and orchestration at Memorial University of Newfoundland since 1992.

SELECT LIST OF WORKS

ORCHESTRAL:

Passage 1, 1991

Passage 2, 1992

Passage 3, 1992

Three Lorca Sketches, 1995

Interlude, string orchestra, 1995

Fanfare for a New-Found Land, 1997

The Misty Mall of Avalon, symphonic band, 1999

Concerto, viola, orchestra, 2002

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Dialogues for Two Guitars, 2 guitars, 1986

Four Pieces, flute, clarinet, bassoon, 1986 (also version for violin, viola, cello, 1987)

Genesis: Chapters One to Three, clarinet, viola, piano, 1987

Dialogues for Ten Players, flute (+ piccolo), oboe, clarinet (+ bass clarinet), bassoon, French horn, trumpet, double bass, piano, 2 percussion, 1988

Late-Night Music, trumpet, double bass/bass guitar, piano, drum kit, 1990

Study, guitar, 1990

Night Music 2, flute, bass clarinet, trumpet, bass trombone, piano, 3 percussion, 1993

Ripples, clarinet, live electronics, 1993

Duck Soup, bass trombone, piano, 1994

Cool Stream, piano, percussion, 1996

Steppin' Out, violin, cello, piano, 1996

Three Pieces, violin, piano, 1997

Wanderlust, viola, 2 percussion, 1998

Memory Quilt, flute, piano, 1999

Andrew Jacob's Ragtime Blues, guitar, 2001

Lamentations, cello, 2002

McGillicuddy's Rant – Theme and 10 Variations, guitar, 1980–2003

Urban Dance Music, alto saxophone, fixed media, 2000–03

Saturday Night in Olde St. John's, 2 percussion, 2003

Jennifer's Tune, double bass/bass guitar, piano, drum kit ad libitum, 2005

I sleep and my soul awakens, guitar, string quartet, 2005

CHORAL:

Singing, mixed chorus, 1993

VOCAL:

Canciones sobre el amor y la muerte (text by Federico García Lorca), soprano, string quartet, 1988–96

Psalms of Despair (texts from Psalm 22, Psalm 77, Psalm 130), soprano, clarinet, piano, 1996

Song of Songs, soprano, violin, cello, percussion, 1998

Three 9/11 Songs, high voice, piano, 2005–06

PIANO:

Eleven Short Piano Pieces, 1980–98

Last Dance, 1999

ELECTROACOUSTIC:

Over Heard, fixed media, 1989

Space, Earth, Water, Wind, fixed media, 1989