Fabian Russell
{{Short description|Australian conductor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
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| name = Fabian Russell
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| birth_place = Sydney, Australia
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| occupation = Conductor
| instrument = Tuba
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Fabian Russell is an Australian conductor and music educator.
In 2002 he founded The Orchestra Project, where he is the artistic director.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theorchestraproject.com.au/|title=The Orchestra Project|website=www.theorchestraproject.com.au}} From 2011 to 2015 he was Principal Conductor and artistic director of the Monash Academy Orchestra at the Monash Academy of Performing Arts.{{Cite web|url=https://www.artshub.com.au/education/news-article/news/arts-education/artshub/monash-university-appoints-new-conductor-185737|title=Monash University appoints new conductor|website=ArtsHub Australia}}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Other conducting roles include appointments as an Associate Conductor of the Australian Youth Orchestra;{{Cite web|url=https://www.ayo.com.au/content/fabian-russell/gjs2eh?permcode=gjs2eh|title=Fabian Russell - Australian Youth Orchestra|website=www.ayo.com.au}} Principal Guest Conductor of the New South Wales Youth Orchestra (2016–2019);{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}} and Principal Conductor and artistic director of Melbourne Youth Orchestras (2007–2011).{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}}
Early life and training
Born in Sydney, Australia in 1968, Russell's early musical training was as a euphonium and tuba player.{{Cite web|url=http://rehearsalmagazine.com/articles/in-conversation-fabian-russell|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180825163239/http://rehearsalmagazine.com/articles/in-conversation-fabian-russell|archive-date = 2018-08-25|title = 未备案}} At the age of 19, he was appointed guest principal tuba of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra where he remained for three years. He was then offered the principal tuba position with Orchestra Victoria and in 1993 he was appointed to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra where he remained for fourteen years, retiring at the end of its 2006 season. During this time Russell also appeared as a soloist, including as a finalist in the 1997 Symphony Australia Young Performer Awards performing the Tuba Concerto by John Williams.{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/816502938|title=1997 young performers awards|date=September 27, 1997|oclc=816502938|via=Open WorldCat}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/russell-showcases-his-agile-and-athletic-tuba-20020814-gduhst.html|title=Russell showcases his agile and athletic tuba|date=August 14, 2002|website=The Age}}
Russell holds a master's degree in music from Griffith University, Queensland{{Cite thesis|last=Russell|first=Fabian|url=https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/bitstream/handle/10072/374755/Russell%2C%20Fabian_Final%20Exegesis_Redacted.pdf|title="Introducing Pre-Professional Training Orchestras to Austro-Germanic Orchestral Works of the Late Romantic Period: A Conductor's Perspective": Masters Thesis|year=2017|location=Griffith University|doi=10.25904/1912/3024|type=Griffith thesis}} and in 2012 he was also awarded a Sir Winston Churchill Fellowship to undertake a study of international youth orchestra programs.{{Cite web |url=https://www.churchillfellowsvic.org.au/vic-fellows/ |title=VIC Fellows | Winston Churchill Memorial Trust |access-date=2020-07-11 |archive-date=2020-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310065636/https://www.churchillfellowsvic.org.au/vic-fellows/ |url-status=dead }}
Conducting career
In 2002 Russell founded The Orchestra Project – a Melbourne-based training orchestra composed of leading young musicians from across Australia who are given the opportunity to perform large-scale symphonic works while being mentored by members of Australia's professional orchestras.{{Cite web|last=Rash|first=Lucy|date=12 April 2017|title=Young performers star in The Orchestra Project|url=https://www.cutcommonmag.com/young-performers-star-in-the-orchestra-project/|website=CutCommon Magazine}} In 2013, Russell made his Victorian Opera debut conducting a new production of John Adams’ Nixon in China.{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/victorianopera/docs/nixonprogram|title=Victorian Opera 2013 Nixon in China Programme|website=Issuu}} Critically praised,{{Cite web|url=https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/features/interviews/101-arts-update/1482-nixon-in-china|title=Nixon in China|first=Peter|last=Rose|website=www.australianbookreview.com.au|date=16 May 2013}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/opera/nixon-in-china-20130517-2jr2s.html|title=Nixon In China|first=Michael|last=Shmith|date=May 17, 2013|website=The Sydney Morning Herald}} these performances resulted in a Green Room Award for Best Conductor of an Opera.{{Cite web|url=https://www.victorianopera.com.au/behind-the-scenes/green-room-awards-2014|title=Green Room Awards 2014|first=Carter|last=Digital|date=April 28, 2014|website=Victorian Opera}}
Russell has also been a guest conductor with the following orchestras:
Awards
- 1999. Elton John Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Scholarship
- 2012. Sir Winston Churchill Fellowship
- 2014. Green Room Award for 'Best Music Direction, Opera'
References
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Category:Musicians from Sydney