Ross Venneberg

Ross Venneberg is the Director of Bands and Brass at Western Colorado University. Prior to his appointment at WCU, he was an Indianapolis-based trumpeter, conductor, and educator. He was the Principal Trumpet of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Second Trumpet of the Terre Haute Symphony, a member of the Indiana State University Faculty Brass Quintet, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Shelby Community Band, and Assistant Conductor of the Circle City Orchestra. He was also the Director of Instrumental Activities and Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Franklin College for three years, where he directed the Wind Ensemble and Athletic Band and taught a variety of music courses. He performed regularly with the Indianapolis Symphony, Carmel Symphony, Anderson Symphony, and was an active studio musician, recording for commercial music projects and music publishing companies such as Alfred Music, Carl Fischer Music, and Randall Standridge Music, among others. Prior to moving to Indianapolis, he was a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Washington. He founded and directed the University of Washington Brass, which presented annual holiday concerts and was invited to perform twice at the Northwest Brass Festival. He also served as the Co-Director of the Campus Band and made his international conducting debut leading the Chamber Winds on tour in China. At UW-Milwaukee, he was Co-Conductor of the University Community Band, Assistant Conductor of the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Band, and Assistant Director of the Panther Basketball Band. Ross has also performed with ensembles such as the Philharmonia Orchestra (London), Lake Washington Symphony, Symphony Napa Valley, and The Bay Brass, among others. During the summers he has performed at the Aspen Music Festival, Miami Music Festival, Spoleto Festival U.S.A., and toured throughout Europe in concert halls such as the Musikverein in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Berlin Philharmonie. He has been a featured soloist with the University of California Berkeley Symphony, UW-Milwaukee Youth Wind Ensemble, Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, the Sitka Fine Arts Camp Orchestra, and at the College Music Society Conference at the University of Indianapolis. Born and raised in Sitka, Alaska, Ross holds degrees from Saint Mary’s College of California (B.A.), Manhattan School of Music (M.M.), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (M.M.), and the University of Washington (D.M.A.). His dissertation detailed the pedagogical philosophies of his former teacher and renowned trumpeter, Mark Gould, and its findings were featured in the International Trumpet Guild Journal (October 2021) and in the book, Gould on Music: Playing, Studying, Teaching, and Preparing for the Future.

Courses Taught:

• Symphonic Band
• Pep Band
• Jazz Band
• Brass Ensemble
• Brass Methods
• Brass Lessons Conducting

Publications:

• “Mark Gould: The Pedagogue.” International Trumpet Guild Journal, October 2021.