Russell Kirk

Multi-instrumentalist and Composer Russell Kirk is a distinguished musician, a force in the industry whose expressive performance style punctuates his nuanced compositions.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Russell received his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University, Peabody Conservatory. Following graduation he traveled for several years with the USO, performing across continents including Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

While still on tour with the USO he received a scholarship from the Eubie Blake Foundation allowing him to pursue his graduate studies at New York University. While earning his master’s degree, Russell was an adjunct faculty member at NYU Steinhardt, where he headed a music outreach program for inner city youths in Harlem and the East Village. He also worked at Saturday Night Live and played with various ensembles and artists such as John Scofield and Chris Potter. Being in the heart of jazz central provided him the opportunity to collaborate with progressive musical geniuses and push the boundaries of traditional jazz.

After graduation from NYU he toured Japan with his long-time mentor Gary Thomas. Russell has performed and recorded with a widely diverse and celebrated list of musicians and orchestras, among them – The Baltimore Symphony, George Clinton’s Parliament Funkadelic, The Soulful Symphony, The Cab Calloway Orchestra, The Eubie Blake Legacy Band, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. In addition he has played with the best in the business – Paquito D’Rivera, Sam Rivers, Terri Lyne Carrington, Dennis Chambers, Mike Clark, Wayne Krantz, Kenny Werner, Jill Scott, Vusi Mahlasela and many others.

He and his band have opened for Herbie Hancock, at The Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, and Yo- Yo Ma, at the BSO Gala. Other festival performances have included The International Association of Jazz Educators Conference, The Jazz Educators Network Conference, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Milford Jazz Festival, NYC Winter Jazz Fest, Brooklyn’s Summer Festival, and many others.

Russell is a Buffet Crampon USA Performing Artist and holds annual master classes throughout the United States under their banner. He is a 6-time recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council’s Individual Artist Award and has been featured in numerous published articles including an extensive artist profile in Saxophone Journal Magazine. Baltimore Magazine featured him in the “Best of Baltimore” issue. His compositions have led to residencies at the John F. Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.

Russell Kirk is currently a recording artist on the Inner Circle Music Label. He records regularly for film and television. His work has been featured on several popular films and TV shows, including ABC’s reboot of the popular sitcom “The Wonder Years”. Other notable film collaborations include: SNL, Kevin Hart, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James.

In addition to his active performance career, Russell teaches the next generation of musicians, working with a wide range of students from elementary age, in inner city Baltimore, to graduate and undergraduates at the University of Maryland. He is a devout husband and father of three children. Russell is an avid runner and has several non-musical hobbies, in 2024 he competed in the Baltimore Marathon.