David Russell, Guitar Virtuoso in Concert
with a Prelude performance by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Guitar Youth Orchestra, directed by Scott Cmiel
Please note the SUNDAY 2:00 p.m. time of this concert.
DIRECTIONS: Sobrato Auditorium at Hammer Theatre Center, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose
David Russell is world-renowned for his superb musicianship and inspired artistry and has earned the highest praise from audiences and critics alike. In recognition of his great talent and his international career, he was named a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1997.
In May 2003 he was bestowed the great honor of being made "adopted son" of Es Migjorn, the town in Minorca where he grew up. Later the town named a street "Avinguda David Russell" in his honor. After winning a Grammy, the town of Nigrán in Spain where he resides, honored him with a town medal.
During his studies at the Royal Academy, Russell twice won the Julian Bream Guitar Prize. Later he won numerous international competitions, including the Andrés Segovia Competition, the José Ramírez Competition and Spain's prestigious Francisco Tárrega Competition.
Today Russell tours the world and appears regularly at prestigious halls in New York, London, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Madrid, Toronto and Rome, captivating concertgoers with his musical genius and captivating stage presence. His love of his art resonates through his flawless and seemingly effortless performances. The attention to detail and provocative lyrical phrasing suggest his innate understanding of what each composer sought and bring a sense of adventure to each piece.
A prolific recording artist, Russell has made includes 17 albums with Telarc International.
The New York Times has commented: "... Mr. Russell made his mastery evident without ever deviating from an approach that places musical values above mere display. It was apparent to the audience throughout the recital that Mr. Russell possesses a talent of extraordinary dimension."
Upon hearing him play in London, Andrés Segovia wrote, "My congratulations on your musicality and guitaristic technique."
Prelude Performer: San Francisco Conservatory of Music Guitar Youth Orchestra, directed by Scott Cmiel
The San Francisco Conservatory of Music Guitar Youth Orchestra gives students the opportunity to inspire and delight music lovers throughout the Bay Area through performances of classical and contemporary composers including Albéniz, Assad, Bach, Beethoven, Bellinati, Debussy, Gershwin, Glass, Mahler, York, and many more. The orchestra's videos, sponsored by the Omni Foundation for the Performing Arts and Virtual Guitar Orchestra, have been widely viewed and praised. In addition to opening for David Russell at the South Bay Guitar Society, the ensemble in May will open for Manuel Barrueco at Herbst Theatre at the War Memorial & Performing Arts Center in San Francisco. The orchestra is taught by SFCM Pre-College faculty members Angelica Artelt, Theresa Calpotura, Scott Cmiel, Scott Gossage, Jon Mendle, Mark Simons, Meng Su, David Tanenbaum, and Ross Thompson. The artistic director and conductor is Scott Cmiel.
Guitar 1 - Trent Park, principal
Kenneth Chen, Arlo Geiger, Aanya Guthula, Andrew Lee, Aryan Shrivastava
Guitar 2 - Emilia Díaz Delgado, principal
River Holmes, Brandon Lee, Campbell Muffly, Claire Okamoto, Nikhil Prabhakar
Guitar 3 - Kiran Lee, principal
Edric Chun, Zoe Jovanovic, Rohaan Sanyal, Shiv Sitaram, Yassen Zhechev
Guitar 4 - Roan Holmes, principal
Sarina Banker, Atlas Erol, Nishanth Joshi, Arnav Singh, Yarah Tehrani
Recognized by the American String Teachers Association of California, the Romero Guitar Institute, and the Sierra Nevada Guitar Festival, Scott Cmiel is chair of the guitar department at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music's Pre-College Division and is widely acclaimed as an inspirational instructor of students with exceptional artistic achievements. His students have won top awards in national and international competitions including the American String Teachers Association's National Soloist Competition, the Guitar Foundation of America's International Youth Competition, the Christopher Parkening International Youth Competition, the James Stroud Classical Guitar Competition, and the National YoungArts Competition. Cmiel's students have also been featured on National Public Radio’s music program From The Top, the Grammy Awards, and the Live From St. Mark’s video series by the Omni Foundation for the Performing Arts. Cmiel was also featured in Jules at Eight, a profile of jazz musician Julian Lage that was nominated for an Academy Award. Upon high school graduation, Cmiel's students are routinely accepted to the most prestigious conservatories and universities. Cmiel's teaching and students have been praised by the guitar world's most distinguished artists including Sérgio Assad, Manuel Barrueco, Eliot Fisk, Antigoni Goni, William Kanengiser, Judicaël Perroy, Meng Su, David Tanenbaum, Scott Tennant, Benjamin Verdery, Jason Vieaux, and Andrew York.
