Charles Ross (b.1965) is a British-born composer who has been living in the East of Iceland since 1986. He learnt composition with Frank Denyer and briefly with Morton Feldman. He currently holds a Ph.D in music composition from University of Glasgow.

As an artist, Charles has been strongly involved in the Icelandic experimental music scene: composition, improv, free-folk and contemporary performance. He has performed as an improviser with electric guitarists Fred Frith, Steven O´Malley and with Ilan Volkov´s improv band, “Mines”, also with Glasgow based improv ensembles “With Lumps” and the “Glasgow Improviser‘s Orchestra”.

Has had works performed by members of the Icelandic Symphony orchestra and the BBC Scottish Orchestra. His works have been broadcasted on Icelandic national radio (RUV) and BBC radio 3.

Since 2001, Charles has mostly written for his own “outsider” contemporary music band “Stelkur” and for the “Sandbox” comprov array which he has developed through collaborative performances with Ilan Volkov.

Charles is interested in real-time composing and exploring HOW we produce music, create new musicalities and how musicians interprate and utilise them in performance.