Jerome Moross was born in New York on August 1, 1913. He began piano lessons at age 5, composing by age 8 and was the youngest child ever to graduate from a New York City public school as of 1924. He graduated from New York University’s School of Music at 18, and as a senior there concurrently held a Juilliard conducting fellowship. Moross was awarded Guggenheim fellowships in 1947 and 1948.

When Moross was 17, Paeans was conducted by Bernard Herrmann, the first of his concert works to be performed; it was published by Henry Cowell soon after. Performances and commissions followed. Henry Cowell played Those Everlasting Blues (1932), and Moross composed Biguine for Charles Weidman in 1934. At age 24, Moross became the youngest composer ever commissioned by the Columbia Composers Commission. A Tall Story for Orchestra resulted and was premiered by CBS Radio in 1938. Sir Thomas Beecham premiered Symphony No. 1 with the Seattle Symphony in 1943. Among many other performances which followed was a CBS Radio broadcast with Alfred Wallenstein conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Moross composed five ballets. The best known is Frankie and Johnny, (1938), commissioned by Ruth Page for the Chicago Opera. It has also been performed and recorded as an orchestral suite. The Last Judgement, a ballet of ten dances, is arranged for two pianos as well as for orchestra. One of his great loves was the theater. His two shows written with John Latouche were Ballet Ballads (1948) and The Golden Apple (1954). Among other awards, The Golden Apple won the Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical of the 1953-1954 season. Two others shows include Parade, a musical revue, (1935), and Gentlemen, Be Seated! performed at the City Center Opera in 1963.

His eight chamber music pieces were primarily composed between 1964 and 1978. They include the Sonatinas for Diverse Instruments, (one work each for Clarinet Choir, Brass Quintet, Wind Quintet and Contrabass and Piano), Sonata for Piano Duet and String Quartet and Concerto for Flute and String Quartet. Being a practical person he added a bass part so the piece can be played as a string quintet or with string orchestra. It has also been transcribed for flute and piano.

His last work was a one-act opera, Sorry, Wrong Number (1977) based on the screenplay by Lucille Fletcher. He died of heart failure and a stroke on July 25, 1983. Moross is most well known for his film scores, particularly The Big Country (1958) for which he received an academy award nomination.