LA-based pianist, composer, orchestrator, and harmonicist Ross Garren was raised in the small agrarian community of Warwick Maryland. Isolated and with a township of only 200 people, Ross turned to the woods, reading, and the family piano as a source of entertainment, writing his earliest compositions while still in grade school. As a young teenager, his family relocated to Monterey California where through the influence of the vibrant local community and the opportunity to attend and perform at the Monterey Bay Blues and the Monterey Jazz Festivals, Ross developed a deep love for American musical traditions. Deciding to pursue a career in music, Ross enrolled at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, where in addition to studying jazz piano and composition with such luminaries as Russell Ferrante, Vince Mendoza, and Alan Pasqua, he majored in classical composition, receiving both the Outstanding Graduate in Composition and Discovery Scholar Awards, and gaining a deep respect for architecture, nuance, personal expression, and innovation in music.
A gifted harmonicist, Ross has had the opportunity to perform alongside legends such as James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Lee Oskar, and Mark Hummel. Having studied with blues harmonica educator Dave Barrett, Dave eventually hired Ross to help teach masterclasses around the US, design curriculae, and do transcription work for publication while Ross was still in high school. Committed to keeping traditional American music at a high level as well as incorporating folk elements in more contemporary contexts, Ross is very active in the LA studio scene and performs regularly with his duo partner, Sasha Smith. Ross is a proud Seydel Harmonicas endorsee.
As a composer, Ross has received numerous commissions and won numerous awards from such organizations as ASCAP and Downbeat Magazine. With a keen interest in texture and form, Ross has forged a unique style informed by his love of improvisation, American folk idioms, classical technique, and electronic soundscapes. Ross is currently composer-in-residence for the Symbiosis Chamber Orchestra and was thrilled by their 2011 premiere of his work "Melts Away" for orchestra + jazz ensemble.
In addition, Ross has enjoyed using his composerly sensibilities to enhance the music of others through orchestration. 2011's projects have included orchestral and jazz big band arrangements for BB King, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Kenny Burrell. A fondness for the intimacy and delicacy of chamber music has led to a particular interest in writing small chamber ensemble arrangements to enhance and highlight the songs of singer-songwriters.