Twenty-four-year-old pianist Michel Ross holds a Master of Music from the University of Toronto, where he studied collaborative and solo piano with Stephen Philcox, Lydia Wong and Henri-Paul Sicsic. He has been awarded numerous trophies and scholarships for his abilities in the fields of vocal coaching, solo piano and chamber music. Michel recently toured South America with the Toronto Children’s Chorus, performing concerts in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Puerto Madryn. In Toronto, he has performed at Roy Thomson Hall, the Glenn Gould Studio and the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Michel studied solo piano in his undergraduate degree with Andrew Tunis and traveled to France and Germany to study with Jean-Paul Sévilla and John Perry.

Michel has performed as repetiteur and performance pianist for several opera companies including Opera York, Opera Kitchener and Pellegrini Opera. His repertoire includes Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte, La Bohème, and Madama Butterfly. He was a guest artist at the Doors Open festival as an organist, was a jazz pianist for several years in an all-city big band and has composed a suite for two pianos which was featured at the final Gala ceremony of the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival. Michel has a passion for choral music; he has been closely involved with choirs for many years and has had the chance to participate in tours, festivals and competitions throughout Canada, the United States and Europe.

This season Michel begins his work as conductor of the Toronto Children’s Chorus Boys’ Choir, and he continues to be the pianist for their Main Choir. He is also on permanent staff with the Toronto District School Board, teaching music and drama. Michel continues to pursue his love for the solo piano repertoire, and he is thrilled to be playing with the Hart House Orchestra in his orchestral debut.