ALEXANDRIA, VA-Yesterday the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO) announced that Music Director James Ross received a contract extension through the 2023-24 season. Ross has been at the helm of ASO since 2018. He is the fifth music director in ASO’s 78-year history.
“Maestro Ross has infused the ASO with energy and creativity from the moment he joined the team,” said ASO Board President Melynda Wilcox. “His ability to invent new concert formats and his emphasis on performing works of underrepresented composers has propelled our organization forward and helped us to evolve, particularly in this time of uncertainty and upheaval.”
During the pandemic, ASO has had to devise new ways to bring live music to audiences. Ross helped produce virtual programs, socially-distanced performances with two to eight musicians, and outdoor concerts featuring a variety of compositions.
Over his decades-long career, Ross has led orchestras as diverse as Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, and the National Symphony Orchestra. Besides his role with the ASO, Ross leads National Youth Orchestra USA and teaches at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Of the ASO, Ross said, “[It] has become the center of my creative life’s work, and I look forward to us all being a vital part of the transition underway to build a new inclusive future for classical music.”
The schedule for the 2021-2022 season is expected to be released soon. For the most up-to-date information, visit ASO’s website.
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