Graham Ross
Conductor
At a glance
Graham Ross
Conductor
To say he's impressive would be an understatement.The Telegraph
Graham Ross is Director of Music of Clare College, Cambridge, and Principal Conductor/co-founder of The Dmitri Ensemble. A composer and conductor of a broad repertoire, he has had works performed throughout Europe and beyond.
Biography —
Graham Ross has established an exceptional reputation as a sought-after conductor and composer of a very broad range of repertoire. His performances around the world and his extensive discography have earned consistently high international praise, including a Diapason d’Or, Le Choix de France Musique and a Gramophone Award nomination. As a guest conductor he has worked with Australian Chamber Orchestra, Aalborg Symfoniorkester, Aurora Orchestra and Salomon Orchestra, making his debuts in 2016/17 with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, London Mozart Players, European Union Baroque Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and BBC Singers, as well as acting as Assistant Conductor to Vladimir Jurowski. He is co-founder and Principal Conductor of The Dmitri Ensemble, and, since 2010, Fellow and Director of Music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he directs the internationally-renown Choir. Highlights in 2017/18 include performances of Handel’s Messiah with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 with the Purcell School Orchestra, Britten War Requiem with the Cambridge University Orchestra, Monteverdi Vespers in Provence, concerts with Haydn and Covent Garden Chamber Orchestras, Salomon Orchestra, and overseas concerts with the Choir of Clare College across the USA, Switzerland, France and Malta. In 2018 Graham Ross makes both his BBC Concert Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra debuts.
In recent seasons his work has taken him to Sydney Opera House, Washington’s Library of Congress and across Europe. At the age of 25 he made his BBC Proms and Glyndebourne debuts, with other opera work taking him to Jerusalem, London, Aldeburgh and Provence. A passionate believer in the unveiling of both unjustly-neglected and newly-written works, he has conducted and recorded world premières of a wide spectrum of composers, including James MacMillan, Judith Bingham, Giles Swayne, Vaughan Williams, Imogen Holst, Nico Muhly, Brett Dean and Matthew Martin. Since 2011 he has recorded exclusively for Harmonia Mundi. His latest recordings are the Shostakovich/Barshai Chamber Symphonies with The Dmitri Ensemble and Reformation 1517-2017 with the Choir of Clare College.
As a composer commissions have included BBC Concert Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, National Youth Choir of Great Britain, O Duo, Park Lane Group, and the Solstice Quartet. As an animateur and through outreach work he has conducted projects in Tower Hamlets, Wigmore Hall, English National Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and overseas in Nigeria, Palestine, across Europe and the USA. He is Artistic Director of Fringe in the Fen, a music and arts festival in Fenstanton, Cambridgeshire raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.
He studied music at Clare College, Cambridge and conducting at the Royal College of Music, London. He held a conducting scholarship with the London Symphony Chorus, has served as assistant conductor for Sir Roger Norrington, Vladimir Jurowski and Diego Masson, and acted as Chorus Master for Sir Colin Davis, Sir Mark Elder, Ivor Bolton, Edward Gardner, Richard Tognetti and Lars Ulrik Mortensen.
News —

Danish tour with DR VokalEnsemblet for Graham Ross
Graham Ross will conduct DR VokalEnsemblet (the Danish National Radio Choir) for the first time in a 4-concert tour of Denmark, performing a programme of repertoire celebrating the English Choral Tradition from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II. Read more

BBC Concert Orchestra conducting debut for Graham Ross
Graham Ross conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra for the first time on 6 February in a special recording of Karl Jenkins’s The Armed Man, alongside other works to commemorate the centenary of the end of World War One. Read more

The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge continue their Christmas season
The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, returned to the UK yesterday after an American tour that spanned 6 states. Read more

‘Reformation 1517-2017’: new release from the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge and Graham Ross release their latest disc on Harmonia Mundi, building on their acclaimed ongoing series of 'Music for the Church Year' featuring a stellar line-up of soloists. Read more

New Epiphany disc from the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
This disc is the latest in the choir's series of Music for the Church Year on Harmonia Mundi, and has already received critical acclaim. Read more
Photos —




Reviews —
Clare College has emerged in recent years to the pinnacle of international recognition, and the fact that Graham Ross corrals these young men and women, who turnover every year, into such a unified and tonally suave unit is a testament to his innate musicality and leadership.
Audiophile Audition on 'Mater Ora Filium'
Shostakovich’s music and Rudolf Barshai’s very understanding re-imagining of it is expertly served in these superb performances, both in the technical sense and emotionally... Graham Ross and his expert colleagues make a wonderful case for these works and their outstanding performances have been captured in very fine recorded sound, produced and engineered by John Rutter. I hope that this very fine disc will be followed by recordings of Barshai’s arrangements of the Third and Fourth Quartets.
MusicWeb International - John Quinn on Graham Ross and the Dmitri Ensemble's disc 'Shostakovich - Barshai: Chamber Symphonies' on Harmonia Mundi
The singing and, above all, direction are of such consummate musicianship...
Gramophone - Caroline Gill on The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge disc of ‘Stabat Mater dolorosa: Music for Passiontide’ for Harmonia Mundi
This is immensely beautiful singing, the Choir of Clare College under Graham Ross producing a sound which is neatly manicured and has been polished to an almost flawless shine.
International Record Review - Marc Rochester on The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge disc of ‘Stabat Mater dolorosa: Music for Passiontide’ for Harmonia Mundi
It made no sense on paper … and yet, in the flesh seemed to tell a story that may well have explained everything. … In the playing (Tognetti particularly lithe in the Brandenburg Concerto moment; the nimble strengths of the vocalists arranged and directed by Graham Ross) … the obvious or cheap was skirted or managed. This had been a crazy brave excursion by the ACO and The Presets. I am almost astonished to realise that it worked.
Sydney Morning Herald - Bernard Zeul on Australian Chamber Orchestra’s ‘Timeline’ project
...impeccable diction… unforced grace… Under Graham Ross this was a virtuoso performance that showed the skill and courage of these young performers at their best.
Cleveland Classical - Nicholas Jones on The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge ‘Veni Emmanuel: Music for Advent’ concert in Cleveland Heights, Ohio
The Choir of Clare College sound exceptionally good, hauntingly so… Conductor Graham Ross deserves hearty congratulations for the wonderful precision and passion of the performances… It is a hands-down winner.
Gapplegate Classical Modern Music Review - Grego Applegate on The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge disc of ‘Veni Emmanuel: Music for Advent’ for Harmonia Mundi
To get something like this off the ground takes a particular set of talents, and the presiding talent here was the conductor Graham Ross... To say he's impressive would be an understatement.
The Telegraph
Selected Discography —

Pange Lingua: Music for Corpus Christi
Financial Timesradiantly sung...gloriously recorded...

Mater Ora Filium: Music for Epiphany
Financial TimesThis wide-ranging selection from Graham Ross and the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, is their most imaginative so far

Remembrance
BBC Music MagazineThis is a beautifully programmed and performed disc... Of recordings of the choir and organ version of Duruflé's Requiem, I've heard none better. This, though, is just the crowning point of an engaging and thought-provoking recital, including a perfectly poised and paced Harris Bring us, O Lord God and conductor Graham Ross's exquisite own arrangement of Abide with me.

Haec dies: Music for Easter
MusicWeb InternationalI can’t think of a better collection of music for Easter

Requiem: Music for All Saints & All Souls
Financial Timesthe Choir of Clare College, conducted by Graham Ross, summons all its eloquence for a masterpiece of the genre.

Shostakovich / Barshai: Chamber Symphonies
GramophoneThe rendition as a whole is nothing if not fresh and finely poised, the results are superb. Recommended.

Ascendit Deus: Music for Ascensiontide and Pentecost
GramophoneSplendidly bright...vigorous...haunting effect...all beautifully performed by this accomplished choir. Let’s hope an Easter disc is on its way.

Lux de Caelo: Music for Christmas
Sinfini MusicSinging-wise, this might just be the best disc of the year. These young voices are game for anything, impeccably drilled and musically sensitive.

Stabat Mater Dolorosa: Music for Passiontide
BBC Radio 3Carefully chosen, elegantly sequenced and excellently sung: one of the most attractive new Easter recordings of the year.

Giles Swayne: Magnificat I; *The silent land Stabat mater; *Ave verum corpus; *Stabat mater
BBC Music Magazinea very worthwhile disc. ... Excellent performances and recordings.

Imogen Holst: Choral Music
BBC Music MagazineThese performances are poised, immaculate

Veni Emmanuel: Music for Advent
Related Media —
Preview of "Shostakovich - Barshai: Chamber Symphonies"
An introduction to Graham Ross and the Dmitri Ensemble's latest release on Harmonia Mundi, recorded live at London's Cadogan Hall in February 2014 . View on YouTubeGraham Ross - "Shostakovich - Barshai: Chamber Symphonies" (Interview)
Graham Ross discusses Shostakovich and his Chamber Symphonies, which form part of his latest release with the Dmitri Ensemble on Harmonia Mundi. View on YouTubeBBC News - How anxiety found a voice
Graham Ross conducts the Aurora Orchestra and the Mind and Soul Choir at Wigmore Hall in the world première of Anxiety Fanfare and Variations for Voices, a new work by acclaimed composer Jocelyn Pook commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation for Anxiety 2014. View on YouTubeGraham Ross conducts The Dmitri Ensemble and the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge - Live at the Cadogan Hall
Featuring Dmitri Shostakovich arr. Barshai: Chamber Symphony: I. Largo, II. Allegro molto (extracts) and Johannes Brahms arr. John Eliot Gardiner: Geistliches Lied Op. 30 (extract) View on YouTubeGraham Ross conducts The Dmitri Ensemble - Live at the Cadogan Hall
Extract of Dmitri Shostakovich arr. Barshai: Chamber Symphony Op. 110a, II. Allegro molto View on YouTubeMacMillan Seven Last Words from the Cross
James MacMillan Seven Last Words from the Cross View on YouTubeImogen Holst: Hallo my fancy, whither wilt thou go? (1972)
The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge performs Imogen Holst's (1907 - 1984) "Hallo my fancy, whither wilt thou go?" View on YouTubeDownloads —
Contact —
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- Hannah Marsden