Principal Cello Anthony Ross joined the Minnesota Orchestra in 1988 and assumed the principal cello post in 1991. He has been a soloist many times with the Orchestra, performing concertos by Schumann, Dvořák, Victor Herbert, James MacMillan, Beethoven, Saint-Saëns, Elgar, Bloch and Shostakovich, as well as many chamber works. He was most recently featured as soloist in November 2018 performing Shostakovich's Second Cello Concerto.

In recent seasons Ross has performed Prokofiev’s Sinfonia concertante for Cello and Orchestra, the Walton Cello Concerto and the Brahms Double Concerto, the latter alongside former First Associate Concertmaster Sarah Kwak. In April 2014 he was soloist in performances of Eric Whitacre’s The River Cam, with the composer conducting. At Sommerfest 2014 he performed Prokofiev’s Sonata for Cello and Piano with Sommerfest Artistic Director Andrew Litton.

Before joining the Minnesota Orchestra, Ross was principal cello of the Rochester Philharmonic. Away from Orchestra Hall, he is active as a chamber musician, festival performer and educator. He is a member of Accordo, a chamber group made up of principal string players from the Minnesota Orchestra and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He also performs with the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota. He has appeared in the Mostly Mozart, Music in the Vineyards, Cactus Pear (San Antonio), Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society (Madison) and Orcas Island festivals, and has performed on stages from Pensacola, Florida, to Rhodes, Greece. He has taught at the Eastman School of Music, the Aspen Festival, the Grand Teton orchestra seminar and Madeline Island Chamber Music.

Ross’ recordings include Bernstein’s Three Meditations with the Minnesota Orchestra under Eiji Oue, the George Lloyd Cello Concerto with the Albany Symphony under David Alan Miller, and works of Rachmaninoff and Elliott Carter for Boston Records.

A graduate of Indiana University, Ross earned a master’s degree at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. In 1982 he was awarded the bronze medal at the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition, and he received McKnight Fellowships in 2001 and 2005.

Evelyne Brancart received the Laureate de La Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth (Belgium) in 1971. Professor Brancart studied with Eduardo del Pueyo, Maria Curcio, Menahem Pressler, and Leon Fleisher. She is recipient of the Belgian Government Medal and prize winner at the Queen Elisabeth, Montreal, and Gina Bacchauer international competitions. Professor Brancart is a former faculty member of Eastman School of Music, University of New Mexico, Rice University, San Francisco Conservatory, and Aspen Music School. She has performed solo recitals in New York, London, Brussels, Madrid, Berlin, Vienna, and Moscow. She was a member of the Seraphim Trio (1986-90), and is a regular participant in chamber music festivals and series. Professor Brancart has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Telefunken, Decca, Boston Records, Koch Discover International, and RIAX.