Michael Ross

Bassoonist & Teacher

Group of musicians sitting backstage, holding and playing various instruments including a bassoon and trumpets, preparing for a performance.
Orchestra performing on stage with various musicians playing string, brass, and percussion instruments, led by a conductor in a black dress.
Four people standing outdoors in front of a building, smiling and holding musical instruments.
Two people holding bassoons, one giving a thumbs-up and smiling, the other sitting and holding a bassoon, with surprised or amused expressions.
A man in a purple graduation gown and cap making a peace sign behind a woman with curly hair and glasses. They are outdoors in front of a stone house with multiple windows.
Close-up of a small decorative bamboo bassoon reed with a red string and a pink netted ball, hanging among green leaves and branches in the background.

Experience

After starting Bassoon freshman year of high school, Michael had been placed in top chairs across multiple large ensembles, such as yearly All-District and All-State band auditions, New England Music Camp, and Youth Orchestra of Central Virginia. During his time in school, he took lessons with Elizabeth Roberts who served as one of the woodwind faculty at University of Virginia. After graduating high school, Michael attended James Madison University for a Bachelors of Music with a concentration in Bassoon performance. Through the multitude of JMU ensembles taken, Michael has a wide variety of playing styles as well as learning different ways to teach and prepare students to play any double reed instrument. While at JMU, he studied with Sue Barber and attended masterclasses from Sue Heineman, Michael Rabinowitz, and Ryan D. Romine.

A small bamboo bassoon reed with a red and yellow pattern, hanging from a branch amidst green leaves.

Recent/Upcoming Performances

A young man in glasses, a maroon beanie, a pink floral short-sleeve shirt over a gray t-shirt, holding a bassoon, standing outdoors in a snowy area in front of a shopping center with a Michael's craft store and a Ross Deli store, with promotional text overlay for a senior bassoon recital event scheduled for February 28, 2026, at 5 PM in Forbes Recital Hall.

Undergraduate Senior Recital - 2/28

Longwood University logo with white text on a blue background

Wind Symphony Concert - 10/30