Ross Crean

His fans have given him the title of being “the bastard son of Johnny Cash and Sarah McLachlan.” Deep and uniquely beautiful vocals are the forefront of Ross' acoustic rock confessions.

Described as having “a deep and powerful voiceone that will make you tremble and then soothe you to sleep,” Ross Crean has made a name for himself amongst both classical avant-garde and contemporary folk circles. While attending high school, he began studying opera and sean-nos (old-style) Celtic singing to escape what he considered to be “a mundane musical experience.” Despite his boredom, Ross won sixteen first place awards for voice in State of Illinois competitions. During his stay at Saint Xavier University, where he graduated with honors in Vocal Performance, Ross began researching various ethnic and contemporary classical styles of music after discovering well-known experimental opera singer Diamanda Galas. He still mentions her as an ongoing influence.

Ross then pursued his graduate studies in Music Theory/Composition at Illinois State University. It was during his first year there that he began performing professionally, being one of the only male singers to attempt the atonal cycle Pierrot Lunaire by Arnold Schoenberg. Within the following two years, Ross performed with reputable ensembles such as the Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and Toronto Symphonies, as well as the Moscow State Symphony and Parisian Chamber Consort. It was also during this time that he premiered his own compositions: solo voice works Xenophysius Obscura (2000), Missa Dementia (2000), and The Misgivings of Uncle Archibald (2001), his first chamber opera, The Poet’s Ghost (2000), and Confusions of a Hollow Place for Harpsichord, Percussion, and String Orchestra (2001).

The classical world, however, did not hold onto its appeal for Ross. It was then that Ross began performing his own acoustic shows around the country, where he has gained a generous following due to a demo he recorded in 2000 called Envy Venus which gained buzz among the underground audience. Ross' three-octave voice became the main appeal of his performances, described by the London InDept as being "the bastard son of Johnny Cash and Sarah McLachlan". His music’s main appeal is the bold personal confessions he puts forth in his ethereal folk style, resulting in audiences that range from high school to senior citizens. Performing concerts that consist of only his voice and switching off between guitar and piano, Ross manages to keep audiences entertained with such a sparse set-up, with fans claiming it is his presence on stage and his emotional performances that keep their eyes peeled.

Always touring and performing, Ross just recently put out his own lo-fi E.P. titled "Live From the Underground Chapel, Volume 1", and has finished his first U.S. full-length release titled "This Too Shall Pass", coming out in early 2005.

Absolutely! I've played all over the country and in Europe. It's what I do, and I love more than anything. One incredible moment I had was when I sang with the Moscow Symphony. The orchestra was amazing, and it was my first audience of over 500 people! What a night that was!

I love music that expresses itself without having to use an overabundance of instrumentation. I love the sparse songs of artists like Cat Power, Over the Rhine, and Nick Drake. I am very partial to female vocal stylings similar to Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, Lisa Gerrard, etc., but I also like the occasional rock-outs, too. I've most recently been into a lot of music by Tom Waits and Sam Phillips. Their song arrangements are amazing.

Nothing special. Just mic my voice, my guitar, and my piano, and I'm more than satisfied.