Andrew Russo
American pianist Andrew Russo is a musical interpreter of uncommon vitality. A Grammy-nominated recording artist, Russo has made a name for himself through his work with many of today’s leading composers in the United States and Europe. His career has unfolded around the globe, with appearances in New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rome, Leipzig, Munich, Brussels and London.
Trained classically at The Juilliard School and the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Mendelssohn in Leipzig, Mr. Russo pursued further specialized training in Paris with Frederic Chiu. It was during those years that Russo began developing relationships with many important American and European composers, began working with electro-acoustic music and explored an ongoing interest for the hybrid world of live musical performance and theater.
In the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Russo created a special and historical moment by performing George Crumb's A Little Suite For Christmas, A.D. 1979, making him the first person to ever perform on the inside of the piano in this major quadrennial event. The attraction that this performance spurred led to the development of the 2002 George Crumb Celebration Festival at the Angel Orensanz Performing Arts Center on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Serving as artistic director and pianist for this event, Mr. Russo worked closely with the composer to develop a retrospective structure closely mirroring the trajectory of Mr. Crumb's inimitable career. With the composer on hand and performances by many of today's leading young contemporary music artists, the festival was a rousing success. In a rave review of the entire weekend, Shirley Fleming wrote of "Mr. Russo's totally absorbing solo performances of Volumes I and II of Makrokosmos" (Musical America)
A prolific recording artist, Mr. Russo’s series of American composer portraits for London's Black Box Records includes releases of John Corigliano's piano and chamber works – 2006 Grammy Nomination – Best Chamber Music Performance, Pick of the Month in BBC Magazine – and Steve Reich’s Piano Phase – Benchmark performance in BBC Magazine ‘A musically assured performance that sees off the Nonesuch recording quite decisively’).
As a recitalist, Mr. Russo’s programs frequently feature premieres. In the last 2 years alone, Russo has given the US premieres of works by Holland's Jacob ter Veldhuis and Gerard Beljon, the French premiere of George Crumb’s Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik, and world premieres of works written for Russo by American composers Derek Bermel and Marc Mellits and British composer James Aitchison. In December 2004, Mr. Russo presented the New York premiere of Philippe Manoury's monumental Pluton for piano and live electronics with the composer’s collaboration.
In addition to his activities as a performer and event organizer, Mr. Russo dedicates time to the direction and development of Music Journeys INC, a non-profit foundation which he founded in 2001. Now administrated through Le Moyne College, where Russo is artist-in-residence, the program brings American music to people of all backgrounds through special musical presentations and clinics for elementary schools in the underprivileged areas Syracuse, NY, as well as an an eclectic and interactive concert series at Le Moyne College's W. Carroll Coyne Performing Arts Center. It is because of the breadth and diversity of his activities that Gramophone magazine recently proclaimed: "Andrew Russo is by no means just 'another pianist’”.