Braydon Ross, French Horn

Braydon Ross is a Horn Fellow with the New World Symphony of Miami Beach, FL, and Assistant Principal/Utility Horn with the Sarasota Orchestra. Previously, he studied at the Yale School of Music with Professor William Purvis and played professionally in the SF Bay Area and New Haven, CT regions. Hailing from Northern California, his undergraduate studies were in music education and horn performance at University of the Pacific's Conservatory of Music, with Professor Sadie Glass. Within the month following his graduation from Pacific, Braydon won auditions for third horn of the Santa Cruz Symphony and fourth horn of the Stockton Symphony. He has also performed with the Oakland Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, West Edge Opera Festival, Opera Modesto, Merced Symphony, and was a Horn Fellow for three seasons with Orchestra Next, resident orchestra for the Eugene Ballet.

Braydon was First Prize Co-Winner of the International Horn Competition of America’s University Division in 2024, Second Prize-Winner of the International Horn Society Premiere Soloist Competition, won Third Prize in the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra Instrumental Competition and was a two-time Finalist in the Yale School of Music's Woolsey Hall Concerto Competition. He also won mock audition competitions at the 2023 Northwest Horn Symposium and the 2022 International Women’s Brass Conference, was a winner of the 2023 Concerto Competition at University of the Pacific, and presented a lecture on virtual ensemble audio/video production at the 52nd annual International Horn Symposium.

Beyond the horn, Braydon was the conductor and student director of the 28/78 New Music Ensemble, and also conducted the Pacific Heavy Ensemble, Pacific Repertoire Orchestra, Pacific Brass Society, and several composition student recitals during his time at University of the Pacific. As a conductor and music director, he has commissioned and premiered numerous works for chamber groups and orchestra while cultivating unique concert and educational experiences.

An equally passionate educator, Braydon student-taught high school band in the Sacramento area, coached brass and musicianship at Pacific's Summer Institute, maintains a small private lesson studio, and is currently a Teaching Artist for Yale's Music in Schools Initiative.