James Ross, music director of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra in Virginia.
In Tuesday’s (4/16) Alexandria Now, James Cullum writes, “Alexandria Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor James Ross isn’t going anywhere. Actually, this fall Ross is starting work as the director of orchestral studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He also just renewed his contract in Alexandria for another three years. Ross says that his new contract in Philadelphia stipulates that he will be allowed to return to Alexandria the week before a symphonic performance in order to get the orchestra ready…. Ross is currently in his sixth season with the orchestra, and every show since January has been sold out…. Ross has been teaching at Curtis for the last two years…. He is the founding orchestra director of the National Youth Orchestra of the USA, and also taught at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2017. ‘My whole reason for being and my approach to music has been about what concerts are going to look like 50 years from now,’ Ross said…. ASO Executive Director George Hanson said that the organization has been infused with energy and creativity since Ross started in 2018.”
