David Russell (guitarist)
Encyclopedia
David Russell is a classical guitar
ist.
to Minorca
, where he became interested in the guitar, imitating the likes of Andrés Segovia
and Julian Bream
.
Today, Russell resides in Galicia, but spends most of his time touring, appearing in such cities as New York, London, Tokyo, Los Angeles
, Madrid
, Toronto
, Amsterdam
, and Denver. He is regularly invited to play in music festivals.
David has won amateur golf tournaments, mainly in Scotland
and Spain
. He is an avid supporter of his local football team, Celta de Vigo
.
, Russell won the Julian Bream
Guitar Prize twice and received a scholarship from the Ralph Vaughan Williams
Trust. Later he won numerous international competitions, including the Andrés Segovia
Competition, the José Ramírez
Competition, and Spain's Francisco Tárrega
Competition.
Russell was named a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music
in London in 1997.
In May 2003 he was awarded the honour of being made "adopted son" of Es Migjorn, the town on Minorca where he grew up.
In November 2003 he was given the Medal of Honour of the Conservatory of the Balearics.
In 2004, he won a Grammy Award
for best instrumental soloist in classical music for his CD Aire Latino.
. He has recorded a CD featuring the music of Paraguayan guitarist-composer Agustín Barrios Mangoré; another with the music of Spanish composer Federico Moreno Torroba
; a recording including the three Rodrigo concerti for solo guitar (Concierto de Aranjuez, Fantasía para un Gentilhombre and Concierto para una Fiesta); Celtic Music for Guitar, Music by Giuliani, Baroque Music, Spanish Favorites, David Russell plays Bach, Aire Latino ( dedicated to music written by Latin American composers), Spanish Legends, and his most recent, Art of the Guitar.
His discography includes transcriptions of Bach, Handel, and Scarlatti on his album Nineteenth Century Music, and the complete works of Francisco Tárrega
on Opera Tres.
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
ist.
Biography
When Russell was five years of age, his family moved from GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
to Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
, where he became interested in the guitar, imitating the likes of Andrés Segovia
Andrés Segovia
Andrés Torres Segovia, 1st Marquis of Salobreña , known as Andrés Segovia, was a virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist from Linares, Jaén, Andalucia, Spain...
and Julian Bream
Julian Bream
Julian Bream, CBE is an English classical guitarist and lutenist and is one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of the 20th century. He has also been successful in renewing popular interest in the Renaissance lute....
.
Today, Russell resides in Galicia, but spends most of his time touring, appearing in such cities as New York, London, Tokyo, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and Denver. He is regularly invited to play in music festivals.
David has won amateur golf tournaments, mainly in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He is an avid supporter of his local football team, Celta de Vigo
Celta de Vigo
Real Club Celta de Vigo , simply referred to as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, currently playing in the Segunda División. It was founded on March 28, 1923 following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna Foot-ball Club.Nicknamed Los Celestes ,...
.
Honours and awards
During his studies at the Royal AcademyRoyal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
, Russell won the Julian Bream
Julian Bream
Julian Bream, CBE is an English classical guitarist and lutenist and is one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of the 20th century. He has also been successful in renewing popular interest in the Renaissance lute....
Guitar Prize twice and received a scholarship from the Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
Trust. Later he won numerous international competitions, including the Andrés Segovia
Andrés Segovia
Andrés Torres Segovia, 1st Marquis of Salobreña , known as Andrés Segovia, was a virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist from Linares, Jaén, Andalucia, Spain...
Competition, the José Ramírez
José Ramírez
Ramírez Guitars is a Spanish manufacturer of high-quality classical and flamenco guitars.-History:Ramírez guitars have now been produced by four generations of the family....
Competition, and Spain's Francisco Tárrega
Francisco Tárrega
Francisco de Asís Tárrega y Eixea was an influential Spanish composer and guitarist of the Romantic period.-Biography:Tárrega was born on 21 November 1852, in Vila-real, Castelló, Spain...
Competition.
Russell was named a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
in London in 1997.
In May 2003 he was awarded the honour of being made "adopted son" of Es Migjorn, the town on Minorca where he grew up.
In November 2003 he was given the Medal of Honour of the Conservatory of the Balearics.
In 2004, he won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for best instrumental soloist in classical music for his CD Aire Latino.
Discography
Since 1995, Russell has had a contract with Telarc InternationalTelarc International Corporation
Telarc International Corporation is an independent record label, based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, and founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner and Robert Woods...
. He has recorded a CD featuring the music of Paraguayan guitarist-composer Agustín Barrios Mangoré; another with the music of Spanish composer Federico Moreno Torroba
Federico Moreno Torroba
Federico Moreno Torroba was a Spanish composer, born in Madrid.-Biography:Moreno Torroba is often associated with the zarzuela, a traditional Spanish musical form. Directing several opera companies, Moreno Torroba helped introduce the zarzuela to international audiences...
; a recording including the three Rodrigo concerti for solo guitar (Concierto de Aranjuez, Fantasía para un Gentilhombre and Concierto para una Fiesta); Celtic Music for Guitar, Music by Giuliani, Baroque Music, Spanish Favorites, David Russell plays Bach, Aire Latino ( dedicated to music written by Latin American composers), Spanish Legends, and his most recent, Art of the Guitar.
His discography includes transcriptions of Bach, Handel, and Scarlatti on his album Nineteenth Century Music, and the complete works of Francisco Tárrega
Francisco Tárrega
Francisco de Asís Tárrega y Eixea was an influential Spanish composer and guitarist of the Romantic period.-Biography:Tárrega was born on 21 November 1852, in Vila-real, Castelló, Spain...
on Opera Tres.
Teaching
David Russell recommends using a metronome. When asked about practice he has said: Metronome is good for making sure you are doing it right, for controlling tempo, etc. but then you have to be able to have good rhythm without metronome.External links
- Official Website
- David Russell's YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
Page - Photos of Masterclass (Ligita 2005)
- Photos of Concert (Ligita 2005)
- Some photos of LP covers (Oviatt Library Digital Collections)