Jonathan Russell

Composer, Clarinetist, Bass Clarinetist

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We Are Broken

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PROGRAM NOTE: All of us are broken in some way. Life just does that to you. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, a professional setback, or even that bully in 4th grade whose confidence-shrinking taunts still linger inside you. We all have parts that are stunted, twisted, broken. […]

Still Here

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PROGRAM NOTE: It’s the evening of February 25th, 2022. In the darkness, a grainy 30-second selfie video of five men on the streets of Kiev: “Good evening to all” says the gravelly voice of the man in front, holding the phone. “The leader of the bloc is here. The head of the President’s office is […]

Rowdy Red (The Strutting Ferret)

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After a string of Very Serious Compositions on topics like sorrow, the year 2020, and the war in Ukraine, I needed to let loose with something a bit more fun and whimsical. “Rowdy Red (The Strutting Ferret)” is the result. The title comes from the character of the music: there is something very confident, even […]

Nomad Concerto

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Program note: Humans evolved as nomads: hunter-gatherers following the seasonal migrations of animals. Yet today, nomadism is a distant memory for most of us, a concept both marginalized and romanticized by our society. Actual nomadic cultures have become rare, and they almost always exist on the margins of the states that contain them, often mistrusted […]

Nomad Concerto (piano reduction)

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Originally for bass clarinet and wind octet. Program note: Humans evolved as nomads: hunter-gatherers following the seasonal migrations of animals. Yet today, nomadism is a distant memory for most of us, a concept both marginalized and romanticized by our society. Actual nomadic cultures have become rare, and they almost always exist on the margins of […]

Suite for Flute and Piano

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Suite for Flute and Piano was commissioned by flutist Carl Gutowski to honor the over two decades of service that my mother, Laura Russell, provided as the Music Director at Christ Episcopal Church, Poughkeepsie, NY. It was premiered on April 24th, 2022 as part of a church service honoring Laura’s service before her retirement in […]

Funky Groove Vortex

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The seed of this composition comes from music I was writing for a dance production in 2019 with the San Francisco-based choreographers Janice Garrett and Charles Moulton, who have been dear friends and frequent collaborators for the past 13 years. One of the dance numbers was called “Vortex” and the music I had created for […]

Prelude / Chant

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The original version of this piece was simply a solo melody for any solo instrument. I composed it in 2006 or 2007 to use as a prelude for a church service when I was working as the music director at First Congregational Church, San Francisco. I didn’t notate it down at the time beyond a […]

Double Concerto for Clarinet Cello, and Orchestra

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The combination of clarinet and cello has special significance for me; my wife plays the cello, and we fell in love in college playing the Brahms Clarinet Quintet together. It should perhaps come as no surprise, then, that my Double Concerto for Clarinet, Cello, and Orchestra turned out to be especially lyrical and romantic. The […]

A Requiem for 2020

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Program Note: 2020 was an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully) year. It began with raging wildfires in Australia, a stark embodiment of the impending catastrophe of human-made climate change. This was followed by a once-in-a-century (hopefully) global pandemic that would cause the death of millions around the world, as well as untold social disruption, as millions upon […]

Lockstep

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A rollicking work in three short movements, commissioned by the Harbinger Duo.

Refried Bean Groove Machine

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A re-arrangement by Jonathan Wintringham of “Twelve Bean Groove Machine” for saxophone choir and piano

Procession and Burlesque

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Procession and Burlesque was commissioned by the Rochester-based ensemble five-by-five as a response to Judith Schaechter’s stunning stained glass work “The Battle of Carnival and Lent” (above). The work on its own is so vital and fresh, so teeming with energy, passion, and intricate detail, that I was initially doubtful about what music could possibly […]

Double Concerto for Clarinet and Cello: Piano Reduction

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(recording is of orchestral version) The combination of clarinet and cello has special significance for me; my wife plays the cello, and we fell in love in college playing the Brahms Clarinet Quintet together. It should perhaps come as no surprise, then, that my Double Concerto for Clarinet, Cello, and Orchestra turned out to be […]

Hunting Gathering

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The music for Janice Garrett’s 2019 dance work “Hunting Gathering” from the Garrett + Moulton production “4 Acts of Wonder.”2019

Ball Passing

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The music for the August 2019 version of Charles Moulton’s dance work “Ball Passing” from the Garrett + Moulton production “4 Acts of Wonder.”