David Russell (guitarist)

David Russell (born 1953 in Glasgow) is a classical guitarist. He is considered a virtuoso with a captivating stage presence, impeccable tone, technical mastery over his instrument, and a soft spoken dedication to advancing the craft of classical guitar. Although he has a wide collection of instruments, he is most known for his association with Matthias Dammann guitars and D’Addario Pro-Arte’ Nylon strings.

Biography
When Russell was five years of age, his family moved from Glasgow to Menorca, where he became interested in the guitar, imitating the likes of Andrés Segovia and Julian Bream. Today, Russell resides in Galicia, but spends most of his time touring and playing in prestigious musical festivals around the world. He is also a keen golf enthusiast and has won amateur golf tournaments in Scotland and Spain. Russell is an avid supporter of his local football team, Celta de Vigo.

Honours And Awards
Under the tutelage of Hector Quine at the Royal Academy of Music, Russell won the Julian Bream Guitar Prize twice. He graduated in 1974 with a scholarship from the Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust. Later, he won numerous international competitions, including the Andrés Segovia Competition, the José Ramírez Competition, and Spain's Francisco Tárrega Competition. Russell was named a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1997. In May 2003, he was awarded the honour of being made "adopted son" of Es Migjorn Gran, the town on Menorca where he grew up. In November 2003, he was given the Medal of Honour of the Conservatory of the Balearics. In 2005, he won a Grammy Award for best instrumental soloist in classical music for his CD Aire Latino. In May 2005, Russell received homage from the music conservatory of Vigo, culminating with the opening of the new auditorium given the name "Auditorio David Russell." David was named honorary member of “Amigos de la Guitarra” - the oldest guitar society in Spain - in 2009 and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Guitar Foundation of America in 2018.