Biography
“Mention must be made of musical director Kent Ross’s contribution for creating a lush full sound with only six musicians, and excellent singing from the entire company.”
Kent Ross – Composer & Conductor
Kent Ross is a seasoned Australian composer, conductor, and Musical Director with nearly two decades of experience in scoring, teaching and conducting music. Originally from Shepparton, Victoria, he began piano and vocal lessons at age 16, and by age 20 was conducting his first theatre show; leading him to pursue a lifelong career in music.
Education & Early Career
Ross studied at Box Hill College of Music, earning multiple diplomas in composition, film scoring and songwriting, before completing a Bachelor of Music (Composition). He later refined his classical piano and choral conducting skills at Australian Catholic University with a Bachelor of Music, Classical Piano and Choral Conducting - developing a passion for liturgical music and choir training.
His musical theatre journey began as a conductor for a stage adaptation of Labyrinth, followed by Cinderella - for which he orchestrated an entire score from a piano arrangement.
After a brief hiatus from theatre, he returned with Godspell and has since been Musical Director for over 35+ theatrical productions including Spamalot, Blood Brothers, The Addams Family, Legally Blonde, and The Boy From Oz, earning nominations and commendations from the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria.
Conducting & Composition
In 2016, Ross pursued a Master of Contemporary Music Practice (Conducting) at Box Hill College, focusing on training conductors in higher education. He studied under Graham Abbott and has since conducted for a huge variety of Orchestras across Victoria, spanning from classical orchestral repertoire to film scores such as ‘Star Wars’ and across various genres from Musical Theatre to Jazz and even Gothic Rock and Heavy Metal. Kent has also conducted for full-length contemporary dance works and is highly sought after in working with secondary schools to lead both student and professional orchestral accompaniments for musical productions.
Currently, Ross is the Chief Conductor of the Casey Philharmonic Orchestra and the Engineering Music Society Orchestra of Melbourne University.
He continues to focus on composing and directing new and exciting musical experiences for audiences and musicians across Australia, bringing his unique energy and passion for music to every project.
Kent Ross’ professional CV is available on request. Please email kentross@kentross.com.au.
“The skilful band, under musical director, Kent Ross, plays Yeston’s rousing music with gusto and the assured, on-stage string quartet is a constant reminder of the valiant band on the Titanic.”
“The music and lyrics by Maury Yeston are wonderfully brought to life by the highly talented band and singers under the proficient musical direction of Kent Ross.”