Richard Ross — born Henk Rozenboom in 1946 in Gdańsk, Poland — became one of the most admired Dutch magicians of the twentieth century. His father was Dutch and his mother Polish; the family moved to the Netherlands when he was a baby, and there he would later become world-famous for his enchantingly elegant performance of the Linking Rings.
Visual reference
From shop boy to the world's elite
At sixteen Ross discovered a magic shop where he bought his first tricks, and trained at the magic school of Henk Vermeyden, who taught and advised many magicians in those years. He began working in an Amsterdam magic shop.
Remarkably, he won his first FISM competition without ever having performed on a stage. Pure natural ability, combined with a consuming perfectionism, became the springboard for his later achievements.
Two-time FISM winner
Richard Ross won the prestigious FISM Grand Prix twice: in 1970 and in 1973. Within the international magic world he was regarded as one of the greatest silent acts alive — an artist who conveyed wonder entirely through movement and skill, without speaking a single word.
That silent, controlled style made him a beloved guest on stages and television across Europe, where his name quickly became synonymous with refinement.
The Linking Rings as an art form
Ross lifted the Linking Rings from a street trick to grand stage spectacle. His graceful, almost balletic approach and impeccable technique made his version a model of pure elegance. Where the classic routine was usually performed with six or eight rings, he developed a new sequence using only three rings — his most famous innovation.
At a Dutch magic congress he also showed manipulations with giant playing cards for the first time, causing a sensation. Alongside the Linking Rings, his signature routines included billiard balls, cane transformations, giant card fans and coins in a glass.
International appearances and legacy
Ross performed worldwide, including on Italian television with his famous rings routine and on the Paul Daniels Show with giant rings. In April 1982 he appeared at the Music Hall Theater in Paris, and his work was preserved in the Greater Magic Video Library.
On 19 May 2001 Richard Ross died of a heart attack at the age of 55. His minimalist three-ring routine permanently redefined what is possible with the Linking Rings and is still regarded internationally as a benchmark.
With silent grace and a consuming perfectionism, Richard Ross turned a centuries-old trick into a timeless work of art. You will recognise that same love of refinement and detail in the work of Sudesh Roman.