Classical Guitarist David Russell to Perform at 92NY in April

The 92nd Street Y will present David Russell on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 7:30 pm at Kaufmann Concert Hall. 

One of today's most celebrated classical guitarists, Grammy Award winner David Russell returns to 92NY's Art of the Guitar with an original program spanning five centuries. Russell opens his program with the charming Pensamiento Español by Spanish guitarist and composer José Broca, and a Baroque sonata originally for recorder and continuo by Benedetto Marcello. Federico Moreno Torroba's atmospheric Castillos de España (Castles of Spain), commissioned by Andrés Segovia, follows before Russell's own exquisite arrangement of Bach's E-Minor Flute Sonata. Two selections by contemporary French composer Francis Kleynjans - including a work written for him and dedicated to 19th-century Spanish virtuoso Francisco Tárrega - lead into the final work, Tárrega's own spectacular Gran Jota, in this beautiful and inspired program for all lovers of classical guitar.

Broca, Pensamiento Español

Marcello, Sonata (arr. Russell)

Torroba, Castillos de Espana

JS Bach, Flute Sonata in E Minor, BWV 1034 (arr. Russell)

Kleynjans, Two Barcarolles, Op. 60; Arabesque en forme de caprice, Op. 99

Tárrega, Gran Jota

David Russell spends his time touring the world, appearing regularly at prestigious concert halls, while maintaining an active recording career. Since winning a Grammy in 2005 in the category of best instrumental soloist in classical music for his CD Aire Latino, David has produced one extraordinary CD after another. His love of his craft resonates through his flawless and seemingly effortless performances. The attention to detail and provocative lyrical phrasing suggest an innate understanding of what each individual composer was working to achieve, bringing to each piece a sense of adventure.

David Russell is world-renowned for his superb musicianship and inspired artistry, earning the highest praise from audiences and critics alike. Early in his career, he won many international competitions, including the Andrés Segovia Competition, the José Ramírez Competition, Spain's prestigious Francisco Tárrega Competition, and the Julian Bream Guitar Prize twice. Indeed, upon hearing David play in London, Andrés Segovia wrote: "My congratulations on your musicality and guitaristic technique." 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 and inducted into the Guitar Foundation of America's Hall of Fame in 2018.