Friday, December 30, 2016

Flute Oboe Concerto Performance in March 2017

At 3pm on Sunday, March 26, 2017 Russo's Concerto for Flute & Oboe will be performed by the Nutmeg Symphony in Bristol CT.   If you would like to listen to each of this concerto's three movements you may do so below. The location of the performance is:  Bristol Eastern High School, 632 King St., Bristol CT.   Note:  Russo will be playing bass on this performance.   If you would like to view and listen to the video of this performance you may do so by clicking here.



                                                                                              Janet Rosen, Joseph Russo and Tracy Norkun

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

New work for Solo Flute

Russo recently completed work on "Romanze" - a one movement work for solo flute composed at the request and for his friend Rita D'Arcangelo -- Rita lives and works in Berlin and plans to both record 'Romanze' and give the world premiere performance in Japan in April 2017.   If you would like to listen to a computer generated sound file of this music you may do so below.
     Rita D'Arcangelo


Sunday, October 16, 2016

World Premiere of Flute, Clarinet, Piano Trio


Russo was commissioned to compose a new trio for the Palisades Virtuosi -- Margaret Swinchoski flute, Donald Mokrynski clarinet and Ron Levy piano.  The ensemble will perform the world premiere of this new trio at 8pm on Friday, November 4, 2016 in Fair Lawn, NJ.  For more information about this performance - including ticket information and directions to the performance location you may click here.

Update: Russo's Trio "Friendship" received a very successful world premiere performance on Friday, November 4th by the Palisades Virtuosi in Fair Lawn NJ.  

from left to right: flutist Margaret Swinchoski, clarinetist Don Mokrynski, Joseph Russo, pianist Ron Levy.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

New work: New England Portrait Completed

On July 9, 2016 Russo completed work on a one movement tonal work called "New England Portrait".  This piece is scored for 1 flute, 1 clarinet, 1 bassoon, 1 piano and strings (...the same instrumentation as Copland's "Appalachian Spring".   This programmatic music expresses the feelings of various New England activities throughout one typical day.   Here are the activities (in order of appearance in the music):  Daybreak, Playtime, Friendships, Playtime Again, Go to Church, Church Hymn, Sunset.  This one movement work runs approximately 20 minutes.  If you would like to listen to a performance of this music you may do so below. 

UPDATE: Russo's New England Portrait will be given its world premiere by Orchestra New England at the United Church on the Green in New Haven, Connecticut at 7:30pm on Saturday, February 25, 2017.   (Russo will be playing bass on this performance).




Saturday, July 9, 2016

Elm City ChamberFest Student Orchestra Performs "Four Pieces for Strings"

On Saturday, July 9, 2016 the student string orchestra of the Elm City Chamber Festival -- a two week chamber music festival in New Haven, Connecticut performed Russo's 2nd movement from his Four Pieces for Strings (Homage to Bach).....Russo attended this very moving and successful performance of his music.  If you would like to listen to his Four Pieces for Strings you may do so below.

Friday, July 8, 2016

Evergreen Prelude Performed Again

Russo's brass quartet "Evergreen Prelude" was performed again at assisted living Evergreen Woods in Branford CT at 7:30pm on Monday, June 13th.   The world premiere of this music was given last June at the same location.  The Nutmeg Symphony Brass quartet was:  trumpets - Julia Caruk, Andrew Caruk - French Horn: Jaime Thorne - Trombone: Marshall Brown.




Pictured from left to right:  Marshall Brown, Jaime Thorne, Joseph Russo, Andrew Caruk, Julia Caruk


If you would like to listen to a computer generated sound file of this music you may do so below.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Psalm 23 for Four Basses and Tenor Given World Premiere

On Sunday, June 12, 2016 Russo's "Psalm 23" for four double basses and tenor was given its world premiere on a concert of coach-bass teacher Susan Powell's Bass Ensemble class at the Hartt School Community Division of the University of Hartford (CT).   Russo conducted the ensemble for this performance.  Tenor Steve Mitchell was the singer for this performance.   If you would like to view the video of the performance you may do so by clicking on the arrow in the picture - you may also enlarge the video by clicking on the small box in the lower right hand corner of the picture once the video begins.     To the right: Joe Russo and Susan Powell at the event.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Wedding Music Completed

Russo completed work on his new work "Wedding Music" in January 2016.   The four movements of this work were composed for his friend and former bass student Michael Bertkau.  Michael's wedding will be in September 2016.   Here are the four movements:   Wedding Prelude Music (for the church seating) - it is about 10 minutes long;  Wedding Party March - 2 minutes; Bride's Wedding March - 2.5 minutes and Wedding Recessional Music - 4.5 minutes.   The total length of this work is about 19 minutes.  This piece is score for string quintet - 2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello and 1 bass.   It will be given its world premiere at Michael's wedding in September 2016.   If you would like to listen to the computer generated sound files of this music you may do so below.