f Murray Gross has his way, he will show that Muskegon is not just a factory town, but a cultural center as well. Gross, 30, is actively involved in the cultural life of this western Michigan city. With its chamber or- chestra, he appears in joint music and art lecture programs and in chamber music concerts. He also is a pianist and accompanist. But it is in his role as music director and conductor of the West Shore (Mich.) Symphony Or- chestra where he is making his greatest impact. Just last month, Gross received national recognition for his work from the American Symphony Orchestra League, which awarded him its Helen M. Thompson Award "for his four years of commitment to the artistic growth of the West Shore Symphony Orchestra and for his outstanding leadership in the community." The league, which will have its 41st national conference June 25-28 at the Westin Hotel in Detroit, honors young music directors and managers of orchestras which hold membership in the league. (During the conference, only Thursday night's Meadow Brook concert is open to the public.) Although Gross won't be in De- troit to accept the award because of a conducting commitment elsewhere, Gross is no stranger to Detroit. In 1980 and 1981, he held the Antal Dorati Conducting Fellowship with, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. His duties included conducting educa- tional and children's concerts and coaching singers and choruses for operatic and choral performances. The next season, he returned to the DSO as assistant conductor, serv- ing as assistant to music director Dorati. In that capacity, he covered all concerts and rehearsals of the DSO and conducted numerous community, pops and children's concerts, was assistant producer of symphony broadcasts and responsible for or- chestra auditions and recordings. While under Dorati's tutelage, Gross had the opportunity to observe many guest conductors of note. He called that opportunity "valuable. It was the first professional job I had as a conductor." Since appearing with the DSO, Gross was the guest conductor of the Denver Chamber Orchestra, the Fresno Philharmonic, the Interna- tional Bartok Festival in Hungary and the Cheyenne Symphony Or- chestra. • 40 Friday, June 20, 1986 Conductor Murray Gross is a leading force in Muskegon's cultural life. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS BY HEIDI PRESS Local News Editor Does he pattern himself after any other conductor? Yes and no. "I'm not really big on mentors," Gross said, but admits to picking up pointers from leaders in the field. Besides observing the top orchestra conductors, Gross studied with Charles Bruck at the Pierre Monteux Domaine School in Hancock, Maine, and with Otto- Werner Mueller, James Dixon and Rainer Miedel at the Conductors' Guild Summer Institute. In 1978- 1980, Gross received a Deutscher Akademischer Austauchdienst grant to study with the Hochschule fur Musik in Munich. There he coached opera productions and conducted the Hochschule orchestra. He also was chosen to participate in a workshop with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, sponsored by the Buf- falo Philharmonic. Today, the Dayton, Ohio, native is the full-time music director and conductor of an orchestra with a budget of $300,000. His job is multi- faceted: he chooses the symphony's repertoire, hires the players and sol- oists, gives talks to community groups and participates in long-range plan- ning. He finds his work very gratify- ing. "I'm very happy being with the West Shore Symphony," he said, "I want to stay here longer." However, he aspires someday to greater heights. "I'm ambitious. I hope to change orchestras and go to a larger orchestra." Gross received his formal train- ing at the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he majored in composition and conducting and at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he fo- cused on piano, composition and con- ducting. Gross holds a Bachelor of Music degree in composition and a Master of Music degree in conducting from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. In addition to his piano and con- ducting talents, Gross also counts the clarinet in his musical repertoire. In Muskegon, he appears in chamber music concerts as a clarinetist. His work as a composer has achieved acclaim. Gross received a Broadcast Music Award, awards from the Ohio and National Federation of Music Clubs and a fellowship to the Vermont Composer's Conference. Gross' pieces have been performed professionally and some have been heard over National Public Radio. He also has a three-record set of works by Anthony Braxton to his credit. On a communal scale, Gross ad-