Conductor Ryan Ross is the Music Director for the Allen Philharmonic Orchestra, a professional symphony orchestra in Texas, as well as Director of Orchestras at Plano West Senior High School. Previously, he served in several conducting posts, including four seasons as Artistic Director and Conductor for the Dallas Festival of Modern Music and its resident ensemble Ars Nova Dallas, five years as Music Director for the East Texas Youth Orchestra, and several seasons as Cover Conductor for the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra.

A consummate advocate for music education, Ross has taught music at the elementary and secondary levels. On five occasions, his orchestras have been named state champions in the Texas Honor Orchestra competition, they‘ve been named national winners in both The American Prize and National Orchestra Honors competitions, and in 2018, the Plano West Orchestra played an invitational performance at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago. He is particularly pleased that dozens of his students have gone on to careers in music.

Ryan Ross frequently guest conducts and clinics across America. Prior engagements include dozens of all-state, all-region, and district honor orchestras throughout Texas as well as clinics and concerts in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Alaska, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, New Mexico, and Florida.

 

For the 2022-2023 season, he will guest conduct the Alaska All-State Orchestra, the Arkansas North Honor Orchestra, and several all-region orchestras in Texas. This summer, he will again conduct and serve on the faculty of the University of Texas – Arlington’s orchestra camp.

Ross holds degrees from the University of Illinois and Texas Tech University, studying conducting with Donald Schleicher and Gary Lewis. He has had further study with major pedagogues in the field, including Marin Alsop at the Cabrillo Festival, Gustav Meier, Larry Rachleff, Jeff Grogan, Larry Livingston, and Kenneth Woods.

 

Ryan Ross resides in Plano, TX with his wife Christy and their son, Declan.