Posted on April 17, 2024 by Suzanna Bridges-Keese, Rolando Ramon
David Russell
UTSA Arts' second En Vivo Guest Artist Concert Series will conclude with a performance by classical guitarist virtuoso David Russell at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, in the UTSA Recital Hall. The Grammy-winning artist’s free concert will feature his 2024 USA Concert Tour program.
An international phenomenon, Russell was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Guitar Foundation of America in 2018 and has been recognized as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London since 1997. Russell is admired in many parts of Europe that have a rich history in classical guitar, such as Spain where he was named an honorary member of the oldest guitar society in the country, “Amigos de la Guitarra.” The extraordinaire has seventeen CDs with Telarc International and has been praised by The New York Times for his performances and guitar techniques.
With his upcoming San Antonio concert, local and visiting music lovers will have a rare opportunity to experience Russell’s playing and leave with a new impression of the classical guitar world.
Russell’s performance comes fresh off the heels of UTSA’s recently concluded Southwest Guitar Symposium, which saw several highly acclaimed guitarists give concerts and masterclasses on campus. Russell previously performed at the festival in 2023.
The upcoming program by Russell contains works by several well-known Spanish composers such as José Brocá’s “Pensamiento Espanol”, Benedetto Marcello’s “Sonata,” and Frederico Moreno Torroba’s 14-part masterpiece, “Castillos de España."
Accompanying the performance will be a projected visual presentation of various Spanish castles, the theme of which Russell’s program is conceived. The beautiful depictions serve to not only further evoke a musical landscape within the minds of listeners, but to also provide the audience with context for Russell’s artistic inspiration.
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Learn more about the UTSA School of Music in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts.
— Suzanna Bridges-Keese, Rolando Ramon
