David Russell

Hailed by the New York Times as a ‘talent of extraordinary dimension’ and praised by Segovia for his ‘musicality and guitaristic technique’, David Russell is firmly established in the elite group of classical guitarists regularly appearing in the most prestigious venues around the world.

Born in Glasgow, he spent his childhood on the Spanish island of Menorca. After learning the guitar initially with his father, he moved to London to continue his musical studies at the Royal Academy of Music with Hector Quine. In 1974, he was awarded a grant to study with José Tomas in Santiago de Compostela. First prizes in numerous international competitions soon followed, including the Andrés Segovia Competition in Palma de Mallorca and the Francisco Tárrega Competition in Benicasim.

Since 1995 he has had an exclusive contract with Telarc International, with whom he has produced a series of acclaimed recordings, notably of Spanish and Baroque composers, culminating in Aire Latino, which in 2005 won a Grammy award in the category of best instrumental soloist in classical music. Composers, such as Carlo Domeniconi, Guido Santorsola and, more recently, Sergio Assad and Stephen Goss, have all dedicated pieces to him and several of his own transcriptions have been published.

In the town in Menorca where he grew up, a street has been named after him – as has a new auditorium in the music conservatory of Vigo in northwest Spain, where he now lives. David is greatly in demand at major international festivals not only as a performer, but also as a teacher in masterclasses, where his work with younger players has been highly influential. In 1997 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and in 2010 was appointed as a Visiting Professor.

In 2009, David was named honorary member of 'Amigos de la Guitarra', the oldest guitar society in Spain.