Tadd Russo

Tadd Russo (b. 1976 Medina, Ohio) is a composer and arranger of contemporary classical music active mainly in the 21st century.
Musical Training
Russo's early musical studies included private trombone lessons, but he is self-taught on his principal instrument of guitar. He studied voice while an undergraduate at The Ohio State University. Upon completion of his undergraduate degree, he taught briefly in the Gahanna (Ohio) school system before beginning his Masters degree in composition at The Ohio State University. Throughout his degree programs, his principal instructor was Thomas Wells. Russo has also studied with Gerre Hancock, Donald Harris, and Jan Radzinski.
Career
In 2000, he served as the Ohio State University School of Music Composer-in-Residence, composing for the Ohio State University Symphony Orchestra. His major work for this orchestra, "Reading a Wave," is based upon the short story by Italo Calvino. Russo spent his early career writing extensively for theatre and dance. He has composed music for the Ohio State University Department of Theatre and Department of Dance, Berea Summer Theater, Grandparents Living Theatre, and Columbus Children's Theatre.
As a member of the Tryad Writers Group, Russo composed and arranged music for the original musicals I Was Young, Now I'm Wonderful and I've Almost Got the Hang of It. He is co-creator of The Druid Tree which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, at Kirk o' the Field, in 2000. His collaborators are theatrical historian, director, and librettist Joy O'Reilly, and composer/arranger Bill Benton.
In 2003, Russo was appointed staff arranger for the United States Air Force Band in Washington, DC.
Russo's original works have been performed at the NOW new music festival (Capital University) at the OCEAn festival (Oberlin Conservatory), the Electrolune Festival (Lunel, France), the Contemporary Music Festival (The Ohio State University), and the Society of Composers National Convention (San Antonio, Texas), and by the Dallas Wind Symphony (Dallas, Texas). His first publication, "Schizologue" (Bocal Music), was premiered by bassoonist Tama Kott in 1999.
As an arranger, he has worked with Ben Vereen, Ronan Tynan, the San Juan Children's Choir, and Kool and the Gang, among others. His recent premieres include "Go N'Eírí an Bóthar Leat: Irish Blessings in memory of Christine Judd," a work for wind band commissioned by the Medina (Ohio) County Schools, "First I'll Try Love" (Baltimore, 2009), a song for mezzo and piano, "Where Waters Bend" (New Cumberland, 2006), a work for wind band, and "And Down the Stretch They Come" (Columbus, 2006), a work for wind band commissioned by the Ohio Music Education Association. "At the Zoo," a duet for bassoon and trumpet which premiered in 2007, was recently performed on the International Double Reed Society's 2009 convention. This work was also published in 2009 by TrevCo Music, a double-reed specialist.
Russo has a primary belief in music to be performed for any audience, rather than creating it for the sake of its own existence. In addition to his wind band commissions, he has also been commissioned to write works for SA and SATB choirs, and for electro-acoustic media. Several of his compositions for voice incorporate the writings of American author Edgar Allan Poe. He currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland, where he has taught music technology at Morgan State University since 2004.
List of works
Works for Large Ensemble:
*Go N'Eírí an Bóthar Leat: Irish Blessings in memory of Christine Judd, for concert band and SAB chorus. Commissioned by the Medina County Schools' Junior High/Middle School Fair Honor Band, 2009, Medina, Ohio.
*Family Voices, for string orchestra, transcribed from the original string trio version, 1996 transcr. 2007.
*And Down the Stretch They Come..., for concert band. Commissioned by James Dowdy and the Capital University Junior Winds, 2006, Columbus, Ohio.
*Where Waters Bend, for concert band, commissioned by the New Cumberland Town Band, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania 2006
*Symphony Fanfare, for a symphonic brass section (orchestral or concert band) and percussion. Winner: 2005-2006 Dallas Wind Symphony Fanfare Competition. Premiered 2006 at the Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, Texas.
*...in a network of lines that intersect, for narrator and chamber orchestra based on the writings of Italo Calvino. Premiered 2001--Jim Lovensheimer, Narrator.
Works for Voice and Chorus:
*Build a House Unto the Lord, for SATB chorus and organ. Commissioned and premiered by the First United Methodist Church of Boulder, 2009, Boulder, Colorado.
*O My Luve's Like a Red, Red Rose, for bass vocalist and piano. For Soloman Howard, Bass, Baltimore, Maryland and New York, New York. Premiered in Baltimore, 2008.
*The Star, for SATB chorus. Premiered by members of The US Army Field Band, 2006.
*Great is this Place, for SATB chorus and organ. Commissioned by The Church of the Redeemer, Baltimore, Maryland. Premiered 2005; also performed at the rededication of the Baltimore Basilica, 2006.
*Excita, Domine, for SATB chorus a cappella. Premiered by The Church of the Redeemer, 2006.
*Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, for SATB chorus and organ.
*Shadows Rise and Fall, for SATB chorus and organ. Premiered 2001, The Ohio State University.
*Psalm 104, for SATB chorus. Commissioned and premiered 1999 by St. Mark's Episcopal Church adult choir, Columbus, Ohio.
*I Have Walked in Integrity (formerly "Psalm 26"), for treble chorus. Commissioned and premiered 1999 by St. Alban's Episcopal Church children's choirs, Bexley, Ohio.
*Spirits of the Dead, song cycle for bass and piano. Commissioned 1997 and premiered 1998 by S. Todd Christopher, bass, Columbus, Ohio.
*Deep in Earth, for SATB chorus. Premiered 1997, Columbus, Ohio. Performed in revised version by Providence Singers, March 2009, Providence, RI.
Works for Solo and Chamber Instruments:
*AT THE ZOO, for trumpet and bassoon. Commissioned and premiered by Tama Kott and Matthew Winkler, 2007.
*Schizologue, for solo baritone saxophone, transcribed for James Hill in 2006.
*Reflections, for solo flute and sampler. Commissioned and premiered by Greg McMahon, solo flute, 2001.
*Salzburg Prelude, for solo organ. Premiered by Thomas H. Wells, 1999.
*Love Doth Befriend Thee, for two clarinets and two horns. Premiered 1999.
*Schizologue (formerly "Tout de Suite"), for solo bassoon. Commissioned and premiered by Tama Kott, 1999. Published by Bocal Music.
*Family Voices, for violin, viola, and cello. Premiered 1996.
*Dangerous Corner, for clarinet, violin, and piano. Premiered 1996.

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