David Russell
David Russell is a Grammy winning classical guitarist who grew up on the island of Minorca Spain. At a young age, David acquired a guitar from his father and his musical exploration was under way. With Spain having a rich history of the acoustic guitar, David was drawn to classical music right away. David states "At first I followed very much Andrés Segovia’s repertoire, as that was the music that I heard as a child." David went on to study at The Royal Academy of Music in London with Hector Quine. His dedication to the instrument and hard work began to pay off as he won the Julian Bream guitar prize twice. Shortly after that he won major guitar competitions such as: the Andrés Segovia’s Competition, the José Ramirez Competition and the Francisco Tárrega competition.
Today, David travels the world performing in the finest festivals and concert halls. He is also requested by prestigious music institutions to share his knowledge by way of master classes. David has produced many albums, one of which won a Grammy award for best instrumental soloist in classical music. The honor was received for his CD Aire Latino in 2005. As a memento of his achievements, his home town of Es Migjorn in Minorca made him "Adopted Son." I recently asked David a few questions about his career.
R.V.B. - What was it like growing up in Minorca? How did you get interested in the guitar? Did you come from a musical family?
D.R. - Growing up in Minorca was fabulous. I had a great childhood, inspired by my family’s sense of adventure. My father was an amateur guitarist and he was the one who gave me the first notions of guitar playing. I am the only musician in my family. My parents and siblings are artists.
R.V.B. - We're you aware of pop music while you were studying the guitar as a teenager? Did you ever attempt to play it?
D.R. - I started playing classical guitar from the beginning. Pop music was never a part of my life. At that, in the island not many people played electric guitar, so I was never drawn to play other styles of music, as I was fascinated by classical guitar and classical music.
R.V.B. - Who were some of your early guitar teachers and what types of material did you tackle at first?
D.R. - I went to study seriously at the Royal Academy of Music in London when I was sixteen. At first I followed very much Andrés Segovia’s repertoire, as that was the music that I heard as a child. At the Royal Academy I soon started playing more modern repertoire.
R.V.B. - Where was your first big coming out recital and how did it go?
D.R. - I can’t think of a recital that was a major coming out, although I of course remember my first Wigmore Hall concert in London, my first NY concert and other important cities.
R.V.B. - Did you have your heart set on The Royal Academy of Music for your advanced studies or were you considering other choice as well?
D.R. - I really knew nothing about the choices available. I went to the RAM because of a friend of the family, a world class musician, who visited Minorca and recommended that I went to expand my studies by going to the RAM. I went to live in the family home with the violinist who was at that time the leader of the Philarmonia orchestra, who also taught at the RAM. I was very lucky to be surrounded by amazing musicians.
R.V.B. - Who were some of your teachers at the academy and how did their influences help your playing?
D.R. - The guitar teacher was Hector Quine. I was fortunate to get a wide range of musical knowledge through many musicians in London.
R.V.B. - It is quite a large feat to win major guitar competitions. Was relentless practicing the reason you did so well. What kind of preparation did you put into these competitions?
D.R. - Relentless practice sounds horribly grueling. I have always enjoyed practicing and good results in competitions were a bonus.
R.V.B. - Are you enjoying life on the road as a professional?
D.R. - Yes, indeed. I always travel together with my wife and we simply make life on the road, enjoying all facets of this wonderful experience.
R.V.B. - Do you have any memorable gigs or performances? Any special venues that you enjoyed playing in?
D.R. - Of course many of the early debuts in major cities have remained in my memory.
But some of the most memorable concerts were in small places or unusual venues. Perhaps the one I remember the most was the one I played at a Vietnamese refugee camp in the Philippines in 1980. It was an open air concert on the coast of Palawan and I played just about everything I knew. The audience were standing the whole time (because there were no seats) and the atmosphere was most extraordinary.
During the day before the concert I met some of the children and went swimming with them. Many years later, in a bus in Australia, a young oriental man recognized me and told me he was one of those children. Very emotional.
R.V.B. - How do you enjoy giving master classes?
D.R. - I love it for many reasons. I learnt a lot from master classes when I was a student, so I believe they can have a lot of influence on a musicians development. But also I find it exciting to work in this unique format, where the students come usually very well prepared and it inspires me to give my best, as they are giving the best they have.
R.V.B. - What are you proud of in your place as a world class guitarist?
D.R. - Pride is not something that drives me. I think of myself as a normal person who happens to have an amazing life playing the guitar around the world.
R.V.B. - How many guitars do you carry on a tour? Which one is your model of choice?
D.R. - I carry only one guitar on tour. I use a guitar made by Matthias Dammann, a German luthier.
R.V.B. - How did you enjoy the Grammy winning experience? Did you go to the festivities when you were nominated?
D.R. - It was fabulous. My wife insisted we go for the experience, as honestly we didn’t feel I was going to win the Grammy. But we felt we could enjoy the whole atmosphere of the event. We had lots of fun. The unexpected surprise of winning caught me unaware without a speech written, so I had to improvise. It was a magical moment.
R.V.B. - How is your golf game going? Do you follow the pro's at all?
D.R. - I love watching the pros. They play a game quite different from us, amateurs, but it is inspiring to watch them. This year I hardly played, so my golf game is not so great.
I also run regularly with my wife and we love it. It keeps us sort of fit. We run a “slow” marathon each year.
Thank you for considering answering these questions
Interview conducted by Robert von Bernewitz
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For more information on David Russell visit his website www.davidrussellguitar.com
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