William Ross (born July 20, 1948) is an American composer, orchestrator, arranger, conductor and music director. Ross is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards (in 2007 and 2009), one Daytime Emmy Award (in 1991), and has been nominated for one Annie Award (in 2008). He has been nominated twice for the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s).
Ross is the arranger for Andrea Bocelli's version of "Amazing Grace" performed during his concert Andrea Bocelli: Music for Hope - Live From Duomo di Milano, broadcast live on YouTube to over 25 million viewers on April 12, 2020.
Career Ross has worked with artists and musicians ranging from Hollywood composers John Williams, Alan Silvestri, John Powell, Michael Giacchino, Klaus Badelt and Michael Kamen, to pop music artists including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Laura Pausini, Whitney Houston, Kenny G, Michael Jackson, David Foster, Quincy Jones, Babyface and Sting. He has arranged the music for multiple Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies from 1998 to 2010.
Ross composed the soundtrack for assorted films, including Tuck Everlasting, My Dog Skip, The Young Black Stallion and Ladder 49. He adapted and conducted John Williams' themes for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In 2008, he scored the CGI-film The Tale of Despereaux, from Universal Studios.
Ross is the music director for many shows and artists, including Barbra Streisand's 2006 US tour and 2007 European tour, as well as the 79th, 83rd, 85th and 86th Academy Awards. Ross regularly arranges and conducts the Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre, overseeing all music cues throughout the broadcast.
Ross is credited on the soundtrack of Star Wars: The Last Jedi as an additional conductor. His work is featured on the Universal Orlando theme park ride Skull Island: Reign of Kong. He also adapted Williams' main theme for the end credits of the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Credits Feature films Year Title Director(s) Composer Conductor Orchestrator Notes Source 1983 The Hasty Heart Martin M. Speer 1987 Lethal Weapon Richard Donner The Return of Sherlock Holmes Kevin Connor 1988 Beetlejuice Tim Burton Big Top Pee-wee Randal Kleiser Hot to Trot Michael Dinner Ernest Saves Christmas John Cherry 1990 Catchfire Dennis Hopper Die Hard 2 Renny Harlin Madhouse Tom Ropelewski Ski Patrol Richard Correll 1991 Defenseless Martin Campbell Dutch Peter Faiman Father of the Bride Charles Shyer If Looks Could Kill William Dear Nothing but Trouble Dan Aykroyd One Good Cop Heywood Gould Ricochet Russell Mulcahy Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Kevin Reynolds Rover Dangerfield James L. George Bob Seeley 1992 The Bodyguard Mick Jackson Death Becomes Her Robert Zemeckis FernGully: The Last Rainforest Bill Kroyer Jennifer 8 Bruce Robinson The Johnsons Rudolf van den Berg Lethal Weapon 3 Richard Donner Shining Through David Seltzer Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot Roger Spottiswoode 1993 Coneheads Steve Barron Cop and a Half Henry Winkler Grumpy Old Men Donald Petrie Last Action Hero John McTiernan Look Who's Talking Now Tom Ropelewski The Meteor Man Robert Townsend The Sandlot David Mickey Evans Super Mario Bros. Rocky Morton Annabel Jankel The Three Musketeers Stephen Herek Wilder Napalm Glenn Gordon Caron 1994 Blown Away Stephen Hopkins Clean Slate Mick Jackson Cops & Robbersons Michael Ritchie The Flintstones Brian Levant Forrest Gump Robert Zemeckis The Little Rascals Penelope Spheeris Richie Rich Donald Petrie Star Trek Generations David Carson Terminal Velocity Deran Sarafian Thumbelina Don BluthGary GoldmanFirst score for an animated film 1995 The Amazing Panda Adventure Christopher Cain Father of the Bride Part II Charles Shyer Grumpier Old Men Howard Deutch Judge Dredd Danny Cannon Operation Dumbo Drop Simon Wincer The Perez Family Mira Nair The Quick and the Dead Sam Raimi Waiting to Exhale Forest Whitaker 1996 Black Sheep Penelope Spheeris Eraser Chuck Russell The Evening Star Robert Harling The Long Kiss Goodnight Renny Harlin My Fellow Americans Peter Segal Sgt. Bilko Jonathan Lynn Tin Cup Ron Shelton1997 Contact Robert Zemeckis Mouse Hunt Gore Verbinski A Smile Like Yours Keith Samples Volcano Mick Jackson 1998 Holy Man Stephen Herek The Odd Couple II Howard Deutch The Parent Trap Nancy Meyers Practical Magic Griffin Dunne T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous Brett Leonard 1999 Payback Brian Helgeland Stuart Little Rob Minkoff 2000 My Dog Skip Jay Russell Reindeer Games John Frankenheimer What Women Want Nancy Meyers 2001 Her Majesty Mark J. Gordon Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows Robert Allan Ackerman The Mummy Returns Stephen Sommers 2002 Eye See You Jim Gillespie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Chris Columbus also Score Adaptation Lilo & Stitch Chris Sanders Dean DeBlois Stuart Little 2 Rob Minkoff Tuck Everlasting Jay Russell 2003 The Matrix Reloaded The Wachowskis The Young Black Stallion Simon Wincer 2004 Catwoman Pitof Ladder 49 Jay Russell The Polar Express Robert Zemeckis Van Helsing Stephen Sommers 2005 The Game of Their Lives David Anspaugh 2006 Driftwood Tim Sullivan Poseidon Wolfgang Petersen 2007 September Dawn Christopher Cain TMNT Kevin Munroe 2008 The Tale of Despereaux Sam FellRobert Stevenhagen 2009 A Christmas Carol Robert Zemeckis The Mighty Macs Tim Chambers2010 Knight and Day James Mangold 2011 Balls to the Wall Penelope Spheeris Captain America: The First Avenger Joe Johnston Touchback Don Handfield A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas Todd Strauss-Schulson 2012 The Hunger Games Gary Ross Steel Magnolias Kenny Leon 2013 Alone yet Not Alone Ray BengstonGeorge D. Escobaralso Producer The Croods Chris SandersKirk DeMicco The Liberator Alberto Arveloalso Score Adaptation 2014 50 to 1 Jim Wilson In My Dreams Kenny Leon The Monuments Men George Clooney 2015 Away and Back Jeff Bleckner Star Wars: The Force Awakens J. J. Abrams To Have and to Hold Ray Bengston2016 I'll Be Home for Christmas James BrolinRogue One Gareth Edwards 2017 Spider-Man: Homecoming Jon Watts 2018 Destination Wedding Victor Levin Ready Player One Steven Spielberg2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker J. J. Abrams 2020 All My Life Marc MeyersDa 5 Bloods Spike LeeThe New Mutants Josh Boone 2021 Coming 2 America Craig BrewerGhostbusters: Afterlife Jason Reitman additional orchestration and conductingThe Marksman Robert Lorenz 2022 Avatar: The Way of Water James Cameron 2023 The Beanie Bubble Kristin GoreDamian Kulash Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny James Mangold Wonderwell Vlad Marsavin 2026 Disclosure Day Steven Spielberg Orchestrations and conducting with John Williams and Randy Kerber
Television Year Title Creator(s) Composer Conductor Orchestrator Source 1989 Beauty and the Beast Ron Koslow 1990 MacGyver Lee David Zlotoff Matlock Dean Hargrove Tiny Toon Adventures Tom Ruegger1994Golden Fiddles Claude Fournier Sheila Sibley2014 Operation Change 2022 Halo Kyle Killen Steven Kane Obi-Wan Kenobi Joby Harold (showrunner)2023 The Great Tony McNamara
Albums As arranger Year Title Artist(s) Source 1990 If There Was a Way Dwight Yoakam 1991 Lara Fabian Lara Fabian Rechordings David Foster 1992 Breathless Kenny G Wynonna Wynonna Judd 1993 Back to Broadway Barbra Streisand The Colour of My Love Celine Dion 1994 All-4-One All-4-One The Concert Barbra Streisand Crazy Julio Iglesias Miracles: The Holiday Album Kenny G Permiso de volar Alejandro Lerner Timepiece Kenny Rogers Through the Fire Peabo Bryson Read My Mind Reba McEntire 1995 Moving On Oleta Adams HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I Michael Jackson 3 Alejandro Sanz Universal Nubian Voices U.N.V. 1996 The Day Babyface Falling Into You Celine Dion Measure of a Man Kevin Sharp The Moment Kenny G Super Hits Dolly Parton 1997 Collection Wynonna Judd Greatest Hits Kenny G Higher Ground Barbra Streisand Let's Talk About Love Celine Dion My Soul Coolio 1998 Bathhouse Betty Bette Midler Double Live Garth Brooks Faith Faith Hill My Life: The Greatest Hits Julio Iglesias Never Say Never Brandy The Nu Nation Project Kirk Franklin The Movie Album: As Time Goes By Neil DiamondThese Are Special Times Celine Dion Time Lionel Richie Vuelve Ricky Martin 1999 All the Way... A Decade of Song Celine Dion Amarte Es un Placer Luis Miguel Classics in the Key of G Kenny G Enrique Enrique Iglesias Faith: A Holiday Album Kenny G From Q with Love Quincy Jones Lace Lace A Love Like Ours Barbra Streisand Snowfall on the Sahara Natalie Cole Sogno Andrea Bocelli Tara Lyn Hart Tara Lyn Hart 2000 Mathis on Broadway Johnny Mathis Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya Boyz II Men Seul Garou Si j’étais elle Julien Clerc Timeless: Live in Concert Barbra Streisand Whitney: The Greatest Hits Whitney Houston 2001 The Best of Laura Pausini: E ritorno da te Laura Pausini Christmas Memories Barbra Streisand Glitter Mariah Carey Irresistible Jessica Simpson Josh Groban Josh Groban Nue Lara Fabian 2002 The Essential Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand Josh Groban in Concert Josh Groban Mended Marc Anthony A New Day Has Come Celine Dion Paradise Kenny G Stripped Christina Aguilera Wishes: A Holiday Album Kenny G 2003 Buen Viaje Alejandro Lerner Closer Josh Groban Kristy Starling Kristy Starling Michael Bublé Michael Bublé One Heart Celine Dion Ultimate Kenny G Kenny G 2004 At Last...The Duets Album Kenny G Historias e Histeria La Ley Merry Christmas with Love Clay Aiken Miracle Celine Dion 2005 Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook Bette Midler Hurricane Eric Benét The Greatest Holiday Classics Kenny G It's Time Michael Bublé 2006 Amore Andrea Bocelli Awake Josh Groban Cool Yule Bette Midler The Essential Kenny G Kenny G The Greatest Songs of the Fifties Barry Manilow I'm in the Mood for Love...The Most Romantic Melodies of All Time Kenny G My Destiny/Somewhere Over the Rainbow Katharine McPhee Under the Desert Sky Andrea Bocelli 2007 The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere Andrea Bocelli Love Songs Natalie Cole Lyrically, Alan Bergman Alan Bergman Noël Josh Groban 2008 Beyond William Joseph Doc Goes To Hollywood Doc Kupka 2009 Believe Katherine Jenkins A Body of Work Paul Anka Change Is Now: Renewing America's Promise Various Artists Crazy Love Michael Bublé I Look to You Whitney Houson Love Is the Answer Barbra Streisand Make It Christmas Rodney Carrington My Christmas Andrea Bocelli The Perfect Gift The Canadian Tenors 2010 Color Stephan Moccio Due Voci Due Voci Everything Changed John Keane Il Volo Il Volo Luis Miguel Luis Miguel Mademoiselle Zhivago Lara Fabian Patrizio Patrizio Buanne Seal 6: Commitment Seal 2011 Christmas Michael Bublé Christmas Favorites Il Volo Concerto: One Night in Central Park Andrea Bocelli Dream With Me Jackie Evancho Romantic Journey Nikolay Baskov Songs of December Paul Anka What Matters Most Barbra Streisand 2012 Impressions Chris Botti La Luce: Sumi Jo Sings Igor Krutoy Sumi Jo Merry Christmas, Baby Rod Stewart Lead With Your Heart The Canadian Tenors Songs from the Silver Screen Jackie Evancho Still in My Heart Jennifer Crestol We Are Love Il Volo 2013 All That Echoes Josh Groban Cody Karey Cody Karey Loved Me Back to Life Celine Dion A Mary Christmas Mary J. Blige Celtic Thunder: Mythology Celtic Thunder Passione Andrea Bocelli To Be Loved Michael Bublé 2014 Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics Aretha Franklin Holiday Wishes Idina Menzel Partners Barbra Streisand 2015 Cinema Andrea Bocelli El Amor Gloria Trevi L'amore si muove Il volo Stages Josh Groban Under One Sky The Canadian Tenors Wallflower Diana Krall We Love Disney Various Artists 2016 Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway Barbra Streisand Nobody but MeMichael Bublé 2018 Walls Barbra Streisand 2020 Eleven Words David Foster2023 Innocence Kenny G
Songs As arranger