Admired for his dynamic presence on the podium and imaginative approach to programming, Benjamin Rous is Music Director of the Charlottesville Symphony and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Virginia. Known for his versatility across classical, pops, and ballet, he has appeared with orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Long Beach Symphony, and Charleston Symphony.

Rous spent eight years with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, serving as Resident Conductor. He continues to return as a guest conductor and has served on the faculty of Greenwood Music Camp since 2010.

A passionate advocate for collaboration and new music, Rous has expanded the Charlottesville Symphony’s artistic partnerships, including a relationship with Charlottesville Ballet, and recently premiered and recorded & metaphors with rapper A.D. Carson.

He is a violinist, violist, composer, and arranger, and holds degrees from Harvard University and the University of Michigan.