Jonathan Russell

Composer, Clarinetist, Bass Clarinetist

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Sonata #2 for Bass Clarinet and Piano

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PROGRAM NOTE: I think of “Sonata #2 for Bass Clarinet and Piano” as a sort of exhale after the tumultuous Trump and Covid-19 years. During that time, I wrote a series of pieces responding pretty directly to external events – the Trump presidency, the covid-19 pandemic, the police murder of George Floyd which led to […]

Bullfrog’s Love Chant (unrequited)

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“Bullfrog’s Love Chant (unrequited)” tells the story of a bullfrog emerging from the depths of a swamp, looking for love. He struts his stuff, showing off his agility, his romantic spirit, his dance moves, and his deep, deep voice. But it is to no avail. Finally, resigned, he slinks back down into the mud from […]

Bass Clarinet Double Concerto: bass clarinet choir version

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My basic idea for the Bass Clarinet Double Concerto was of Weber’s clarinet concertos meeting heavy metal. I am intimately familiar with both genres, through extensively practicing the Weber concertos in high school, and performing heavy metal bass clarinet tunes as a member of the Edmund Welles bass clarinet quartet. When it came to writing […]

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 […]

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 […]

On Sorrow (piano version)

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(recording is of string quartet version) On March 31st, 2017, my 37-year-old wife was diagnosed with what turned out to be Stage III Breast Cancer, and our life was turned upside down. We made the decision to leave London, where we had lived for the past four years, and move in with her parents in […]

On Sorrow

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Sorrow is inevitable in all of our lives. We all carry the weight of our losses. For no matter how lucky a life we live, the simple fact remains that the longer we are here the more loss we will experience. “On Sorrow” is in five continuous movements that flow together without pause: I. Prelude […]