John Ross
Director of Music and Fine Arts
John began organ lessons at 13 when the longtime organist at Peace UCC in Tilden retired and his parents encouraged him to take over for her. Those early years on a Hammond C-3 (the church-marketed sibling of the celebrated B-3 jazz organ) ignited a passion for church music, leading to organ and choral conducting studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
John plays frequently at both sacred and secular events around Lincoln. He is organist for UNL commencement ceremonies at Pinnacle Bank Arena and frequently accompanies UNL choral concerts. He has performed with Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra and has been a featured soloist on Saint Paul’s noontime concert series downtown. An active member of the American Guild of Organists, John has served on the board for both the Lincoln and Cleveland AGO Chapters. He has presented for numerous AGO gatherings, including a very popular program about online public domain music resources at the AGO Regional Convention hosted in Lincoln.
At Westminster, John is fortunate to collaborate with his wife, Laura, in leading the musical life of the congregation. His greatest joy as an organist is providing support for congregational singing. In addition to accompanying worship, planning and rehearsals, John leads the Youth String Ensemble and rings with the Westminster Carillon. He has enjoyed the opportunity to arrange and compose new music for Westminster’s ensembles.
Outside of his work at Westminster, John loves spending time with his family, traveling, gardening and cooking. He’s always game for a hand of seven-point pitch.