Jon ‘Dirk’ Ross is a Music Performance Major at Angelo State University (ASU). In the Spring of 2025, Mr. Ross competed in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and earned a Young Artist Encouragement Award. At 18 years old, Mr. Ross competed and earned first place as well as the Harold Stark Encouragement award during the 2023 Southwest Region NATS Competition. Mr. Ross is a recipient of the 2025 Schmidt Vocal Arts Alumni Grant. Mr. Ross made his debut in his first operatic role as Papageno in Angelo State’s production of The Magic Flute in the Spring of 2025. Mr. Ross has sung in multiple opera scenes within the newly revived opera program at ASU, led by Dr. Mark Covey. These scenes include roles such as ‘Figaro’ from Il Barbiere di Siviglia, ‘Don Giovanni’ from Don Giovanni, and ‘Hamlet’ from Hamlet. Mr. Ross has also performed notable roles since beginning his musical theater career with the San Angelo Broadway Academy (SABA) in August 2022, including the ‘Phantom’ in Phantom of the Opera and ‘Shrek’ in Shrek the Musical. Mr. Ross was a featured soloist at the San Angelo Symphony’s Holiday Jubilee and the Permian Basin Opera Company’s Gala at the Gardens in April of 2024 and 2025. Mr. Ross was an emerging young artist at the 2024 OperaMaya International Music Festival. This summer, Ross will be portraying the role of ‘Gianni Schicchi’ in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi at the Chicago Summer Opera. From there, he will fly to Austria to participate in the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS).