Coastal Concerts to feature guitarist David Russell Feb. 23

Classical guitarist David Russell will appear at 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23, at Bethel United Methodist Church Hall as he performs the fourth concert in Coastal Concerts’ 20th season of world-class classical music in Lewes.

Russell is world renowned for his superb musicianship and inspired artistry, having earned the highest praise from audiences and critics alike. In 1997, he was named a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of his great talent and his increasingly successful international career. In 2005, he won a Grammy in the category of best instrumental soloist in classical music for his CD, “Aire Latino.”

Russell’s multicultural program for the Feb. 23 concert will include George Frideric Handel's Suite No.7 in G Minor, Spaniard Vicente Asencio y Ruano's Colletici Intim, two pieces by Brazilian Sérgio Assad, one of which is dedicated to  Russell, and a selection of Celtic music that will feature three traditional pieces and a composition by Peter Maxwell Davies.

Russell was born in 1953 in Glasgow, Scotland. At the age of 5, he moved with his parents to Menorca, a Spanish island in the Mediterranean. His father was an artist and an avid guitarist. It was natural for David to pick up the instrument with his father as teacher. Before he could read music, he learned the pieces by ear from listening to Andres Segovia’s recordings. As he got older, he also learned to play violin and French horn.

Russell returned to Britain at 16 and attended the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 1975, the Spanish government gave him a grant to enable him to continue his studies with Jose Tomas in Santiago de Compostela. Among the prizes he won was the most prestigious of all: Spain’s Francisco Tarrega Competition.

Russell will present an outreach performance at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 22, featuring selections from his Saturday concert annotated with insights into the music. Admission to the Friday performance is free.

The engagement of David Russell is made possible through the Special Presenters Initiative program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

Tickets to the Feb. 23 concert are $35, with free admission to each youngster 18 and under and an accompanying adult. Discounted tickets are available at $10 for students 19 and older, and for active-duty and retired career military personnel. Valid IDs are required for student and military discounts. 

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.coastalconcerts.org or call 888-212-6458.