Luke Russell - Flute
Born in Bath and growing up in Bristol, with the support of the South Gloucestershire Music Service, Luke participated in local wind orchestras, jazz bands and flute choirs.
He graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff with 1st Class Honours. He was then awarded a scholarship to study as a postgraduate on the Orchestral Artist Masters course at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London in 2011.
After graduating in 2013, Luke won a position of co-principal flute with Southbank Sinfonia; an annual orchestral training academy based in London. Tours to William Walton’s Italian island of Ischia, Paris and numerous fabulous concerts including a very special performance of Faure’s Pavane at the Australian Embassy conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy are among Luke’s fond memories of his Southbank year.
After the next five years as a freelancer, in 2018 Luke won the position of Principal Piccolo with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra based in Glasgow. Highlights since include annual trips to the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and tours to Japan and the Salzburg Festival in Austria.
Alongside his full-time position with the BBCSSO, Luke has freelanced and continues to freelance with many other orchestras across the UK including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, English National Opera, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, Ulster Orchestra, Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and John Wilson’s Sinfonia of London. He has toured to China, Dubai and many European countries. Earlier this year, he performed for the first time at Carnegie Hall in New York with the Oxford Philharmonic and Maxim Vengerov.
He also can be found in the recording studio and makes the odd tv and film appearance; he’s soon to be glimpsed in scenes for the upcoming Netflix film “Maestro” about the life of Leonard Bernstein, which is released next year, starring and directed by Bradley Cooper!
Works performed:
Mozart - Flute Concerto - Sun 19 Mar 2023
