Russ Nagy

Russ Nagy is an American composer and adjunct music instructor at the Capital University Conservatory of Music in Columbus, Ohio. Nagy resides in Hilliard, Ohio, with his wife Sandy; they have two children, Phil and Emily Nagy. Nagy studied composition at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, where his major instrument was actually the bass trombone, although he is now thought of more for his keyboard performances and his compositions.
Russ Nagy has written a diverse catalog of music, much of which has been in a partnership with his brother Joel being his primary lyricist. They have published works that can be found through Beckenhorst Press and through Gracewood Publishing. The most famous of their work being children's choral anthems.
Along with their vast array of anthems, band orchestrations, and chamber settings the Nagys also have three published musical theatre selections: Tetelestai, Benedictus, and Christmas Rose. These shows are owned by the non profit parent group Tetelestai Inc. While Christmas Rose and Benedictus were performed limited times during the Christmas season at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, Tetelestai has enjoyed a rich history of performances over its 35 year history.
Tetelestai is the greek word for "it is finished", the last words that the Gospel of John attributes to Jesus Christ during his crucifixion. Tetelestai the musical tells the story of the last week of Jesus Christ's life on earth. This musical was written in 1975 and bears many of the signature elements of popular American music of the time. Although many would call Tetelestai a rock opera, this is not truly what the show is. By musical standards jazz, rock, folk, and musical theatre stylings are fused together to create the musical textures of the show. Also not true to operatic stylings is the show's use of dialogue, where as a true "opera" has no speech, Tetelestai includes a significant amount of spoken word. Tetelestai has toured all over the United States, appearing throughout Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C.
Tetelestai and Cleveland Performing Arts Ministries
Although originally debuted in Columbus, Ohio. Tetelestai has been performed by Cleveland Arts Ministries since 1978. While the Columbus casts of Tetelestai have had years of dormancy, CPAM's performances have been an annual spring event.
Vacation bible school songs and memory verse songs.
Nagy has published a vast catalog of faith bases children's music. These include the albums "We Follow Jesus", "Nothing but the Truth" and "Scripture Songs" all recorded with Dulcy Delcamp as the primary vocalist.
In 2005, Russ' published works reached total sales of over one million.
Russell Nagy is also known for his "Sticky Hooks" series - songs for the elementary classroom. He has also written electronic scores for LeapPad scholastic products.
Russ' Production credits include:
*Earl Wild: "Variations on an American Theme; Gershwin: Concerto in F" 1993 Assistant Producer
*Stéphane Grappelli: "How Can You Miss?" 1989 Producer
*McCoy Tyner: "Live at the Musicians Exchange Cafe" 1987 Producer

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