Christopher Russell
Christopher Russell is a conductor internationally renowned for his artistic vision, his creativity in programming, and his dedication to nurturing new talent. He has conducted orchestras on five continents, performing everything from traditional classical repertoire to world premieres and lesser-known works of the 20th century. Los Angeles Times described him as “an intensely expressive and highly skilled director.”
His career has frequently taken him to China, where he has worked with orchestras such as the Shenzhen Symphony, the Harbin Symphony, and the Zhengzhou Yellow River Symphony. He has also been invited to speak and serve as a judge in cities such as Beijing, Dalian, Hong Kong, and Qingdao. During the 2024–2025 season, he made his debut with the Bursa State Symphony Orchestra in Turkey and the Orchestra Sinfonica della Basilicata in Italy, and he will make his debut with the Shanghai Philharmonic in 2026 with a program dedicated to American composers.
He has also conducted in countries such as Brazil, the United Kingdom, Austria, Russia, and Australia, performing at such iconic venues as Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and concert halls in London, Vienna, Prague, Moscow, and St. Petersburg.
Russell is an associate professor at Azusa Pacific University (California), where he conducts the APU Symphony Orchestra and heads the graduate program in instrumental conducting. At the same time, he is a frequent guest juror at international festivals and competitions.
Committed to contemporary music, he has conducted premieres and first performances in the United States of works by composers such as Tansy Davies, Brett Dean, Jonathan Harvey, Anders Hillborg, Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg, and Éric Tanguy, among others. He has also devoted himself to reviving rarely performed works, including U.S. and California premieres of pieces by 20th-century composers such as Havergal Brian, Rued Langgaard, Bohuslav Martinu, and Allan Pettersson. One of his most notable projects was the world premiere of Leopold Damrosch’s Symphony in A (1878), which he recorded with the APU Symphony for the Toccata Classics label.
In addition, Russell is a regular guest speaker with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he has interviewed figures such as Gustavo Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and John Adams.
His conducting students now hold positions in professional orchestras, are pursuing doctoral degrees, and participate in prestigious festivals and competitions in the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America.
Instagram: @russellconductor
Website: russellconductor.com