Ross is a multi-instrumentalist, teacher, performer, and composer.
Ross began his musical life as a saxophonist but quickly adopted Highland and Uilleann Bagpipes as his musical alter ego. Throughout his career, Ross has picked up clarinet, flute, bodhrán, and DADGAD style guitar as additional instruments.
As a Highland Bagpiper, Ross currently plays with the Grade 2 Ottawa Police Services Pipes and Drums; a prize-winning ensemble that has secured top placings at piping competitions throughout North America. Ross is also current Pipe Major of the Connie Blaney Memorial Youth Pipe Band. He is a former Pipe Major of the Glengarry Pipe Band which he developed from a Grade 5 into a Grade 3 ensemble and led to a 6th place finish at the World Pipe Band Championships held in Glasgow in 2013. He competes at the Open level for both light music and piobaireachd.
Ross is an accomplished Uilleann Piper. He has gold medals from the Great Lakes Feis and the Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada.
He has researched the playing styles of Paddy Keenan, Jerry O’Sullivan, and Blackie O’Connell and negotiated a residency learning the craft of uilleann pipe and reed making with Bruce Childress. Ross performs with fiddler Karson McKeown in the innovative trad music duo ‘The Trousers.‘
Ross has completed a Masters in Education as well Bachelor Degrees in Music Performance, (Saxophone) and Music Theory and History. His is currently a teacher in both of the Ottawa English School Boards (OCDSB and OCSB). He has performed with the Chieftains, Wolfstone, Paddy Kelly, Greg T. Brown and others.
