Jonathan Russell

Composer, Clarinetist, Bass Clarinetist

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The Silence

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These pieces are settings of several poems from Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca’s Poem of the Deep Song. The first one, The Silence, sets up a beautiful image which envelopes the set as a whole: listening to the silence – “silence” represented here by a resonant, very soft sustained A major chord. I imagine the […]

Strange Brew

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A strange piece composed for strange people.

Evil Robot Spooky Space Jam

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It’s Friday night. You’ve been working hard all week for your evil alien overlords. Now it’s time to kick back with your fellow evil space robots at the Evil Robot Spooky Space Jam!

Wind Octet

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Wind Octet was composed as a companion piece to Mozart’s C Minor Wind Serenade, and premiered alongside it. In addition to writing for the same instrumentation, I wanted to find a way to channel the spirit of Mozart’s work, but to re-interpret it in my own way. One thing I love about Mozart’s wind writing […]

untitled skeleton

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(“untitled skeleton” begins at 29:24)        Inspired by a work of street art by Stormie Mills, as seen and photographed by the composer on Great Eastern Street, London, October 2016. Commissioned by ZOFO with generous support from the Van Dyke Family Foundation as part of the ZOFOMOMA PROJECT

Fragile Fanfares: The Woodcarvers’ Legacy

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Fragile Fanfares: The Woodcarvers’ Legacy is by far the most unique commission I have ever received. Beatrice and Douglas Broadwater commissioned it to accompany an astonishing woodcarving which they owned by their friend, the brilliant carver David Esterly. The new work was premiered at a special concert in the Broadwaters’ New York home honoring Esterly’s […]

Symphony for Piano and Orchestra

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PROGRAM NOTE: Suffering and loss are a central part of life. Yes, there are joys and triumphs as well. But, due to our mortality, the simple fact remains that the longer we are here, the more loss and sorrow we experience. What is the proper response to this loss and suffering? Do we confront it, […]

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 […]

Ultimate Transformation: Fire

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The final movement of the mega-bass-clarinet-ensemble multi-composer work The Parliament of Reeds.   The Parliament of Reeds 5 movements – 5 composers Homage to Harry Sparnaay & Guido Six I. Ancient Roots (Earth) – Cornelius Boots II. Inspirated (Water) – Beth Custer III. The MythoLogical Heart (Air) – Stephan Vermeersch IV. o (Space) – Eric […]

DREAD

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An evocation of the deeply human experience of “dread.”

Not Today

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A brief, jaunty work for bass clarinet trio, composed for and premiered by the Not Today bass clarinet trio at the 2015 European Clarinet Association conference in Ghent, Belgium.

Wunitzian Dances

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The tiny Queendom of Wunitzia was founded in 1546, when, after centuries of feuding, a peace treaty was signed between the powerful Wu and Moonitz clans. This treaty established the extraordinary “bi-queenal” governing structure – two equal co-rulers, one from each clan – that has fascinated scholars of government ever since. From its founding, Wunitzia […]

This Homeless Way

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This Homeless Way is inspired by three poems by Jacob Folger, a formerly homeless person who now runs an organization called “Friend to the Homeless” (www.friendtothehomeless.org), whose purpose is “to educate on Homelessness and help people to discover simple things they can do to ease the lives of Homeless People.” All proceeds from sheet music […]

ELEVEN: SAXOPHONE VERSION

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(video is of clarinet version) ELEVEN, originally composed for 9 Bb clarinets and 2 bass clarinets, was written for the San Francisco Conservatory clarinet studio as a companion piece to Steve Reich’s New York Counterpoint. I am a great admirer of Reich’s unique combination of intricately interlocking patterns, jazzy harmony, and propulsive rhythms, and I have been […]

Fantasy on Five: E-FLAT and Bass Clarinet Version Piano Reduction

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(recording is of saxophone version) Fantasy on Five is a double concerto of sorts, originally for solo soprano and baritone saxophones with wind ensemble. This Eb and Bass Clarinet version is a direct adaptation, with no changes to the solo parts beyond the different transpositions.  The piece plays with the idea of “five-ness” in several […]