Eugenie Russo was born in New York City. She studied piano at Oberlin Conservatory with Jack Radunsky, in Vienna with Carmen Graf-Adnet and in Salzburg with Elizabeth Leonskaja before obtaining her diploma in piano performance with Hans Graf at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna. Ms. Russo has performed as a soloist in Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Russia, Finland, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, England, Japan and the USA. In 1986 she made a successful debut at the Carnegie Recital Hall in New York. Radio and television appearances for the Austrian State Radio, Saarland Radio in Germany, Czech State Radio, Leningrad Television, NTV in Turkey, and National Public Radio USA. She has also participated in the PBS television series ”Bernstein-Beethoven” and in both 1987 and 1992 was appointed artist-in -residence by the State of Virginia, USA. She recorded three solo albums for the world corporation YAMAHA’s Disklavier in Tokyo. Ms. Russo has performed as a soloist at the Capella Hall in St. Petersburg, at the Grosser Musikvereinsaal in Vienna and at Carnegie Hall in New York, and at many international festivals such as the Wiener Musiksommer, the Wiener Festwochen, the Bartok Festival in Hungary etc. In 2000 she premiered works by Egon Wellesz at Leighton Hall in London. Ms. Russo is head of the Piano Dept. at the Josef Matthias Hauer Conservatory in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. And Professor at the ”Vienna International Pianists” Summer Academy since 1999.

Recent recordings include two solo albums of American music on the English label Campion records: Aaron Copland (RRCD 1336) and George Gershwin (RRCD 1337). In addition, Ms. Russo has made a number of chamber music recordings including the Brahms Hungarian Dances arranged for violin and piano by Josef Joachim with violinist Yuval Waldman. Her most recent solo recording is Images with the music of Johannes Brahms, Claude Debussy, and Egon Wellesz , a successful premiere recording of the Dances, op 10 (see CDs in this article).

At her concert for the Vienna Festival 2003 on June 4 at the Arnold Schönberg Centre in Vienna, Ms. Russo performed music by Alexander Zemlinsky, Egon Wellesz, Viktor Ullmann, Arnold Schoenberg und Alban Berg. The 6 Piano Pieces by Egon Wellesz: 6 Klavierstücke, op. 26 (1918) with the movements ”Langsam - Leicht bewegt – Langsam – Allegretto – Adagio – Wuchtig were a real treat and high point of this successful recital, especially considering that Egon Wellesz is a rarely performed composer. Please refer to the program of this concert listed in this article.

Programme:

Alexander Zemlinsky: 4 Fantasien über Gedichte von Richard Dehmel für Klavier, op.9 (1900) Stimme des Abends Waldseligkeit-Liebe-Kaeferlied

Egon Wellesz: 6 Klavierstücke, op. 26 (1918) Langsam” Leicht bewegt-Langsam-Allegretto”Adagio-Wuchtig

Viktor Ullmann: 2.Klaviersonate, op.19 (1936-1941) Allegro energico e agitato-Moderato-Prestissimo

Arnold Schoenberg: 3 Klavierstücke, op. 11 (1909)

Alban Berg: Sonate, op. 1: Maessig bewegt (1906-08)

Concert Date:

Thursday, 20 November. 2003, 19.30

Die Bearbeitungen der Orchesterpartituren El Salon Mexico und Rodeo sowie vor allem Four Piano Blues und Piano Sonata bieten nicht nur Unterhaltsamkeit, sondern auch Poesie und Subtilität, geklärte Geistigkeit eines auch das Einfache und scheinbar Vernutzte zum ”Sprechen” Bringenden. Eugenie Russo artikuliert das mit Raffinement und technischer Bravour.

Gramophone Magazine
September 1996

Russo´s thoughtful, undemontrative brand of pianism works especially well in the gentler numbers of Rodeo (”Corral Nocturne” and ”Saturday Night Waltz”), and she is equally sympathetic in the Four Piano Blues. Moreover hers is an extremely assured, notably concentrated interpretation of the powerful Sonata (1941), full of subtle colour and nuance.

R. Wagner in
Fono Forum
Mai 1996

Gewiß sind El Salon Mexico und Rodeo nicht nur wegen der folkloristischen Postkartenklänge die griffigeren Stücke. Aber das Blues-Quartett und die Klaviersonate sind als Wegmarkierungen einer Selbstfindung zwischen neuer (jazziger) und Neuer (avantgardistischer) Musik ebenso spannend. Eugenie Russo präsentiert beide Facetten mit Drive und Feeling. Sie wird der Ernsthaftigkeit der Sonata ebenso gerecht wie den Louis-Moreau-Gottschalk-Anklängen.

Frankfurter Neue Presse
April 29,1996

Copland´s Four Piano Blues, die den Abend eröffneten, strahlten in ausdrucksstarker Tiefe, dank Russos technischer Finesse und ihrem kräftig- markanten Anschlag. ...die 1941 entstandene Piano Sonata... Der Künstlerin gelang es, das etwas hektische Wesen, das der Komposition mancherseits zugeschrieben wird, zu bändigen; sie spielte leicht und nachvollziehbar...

Pianoforte
Editor: William Lawes

Copland had the great American gift of sometimes setting down a few quiet notes which, when captured, convey a sense of vista, of silent and unending space, and this impression is frequently captured on this disc. New York born Eugenie Russo´s ...feeling for the Copland idom is evident... in Rodeo, her Corral Nocturne is very good, and the following Ranch House Party is about as wild as one can expect from ten fingers.

Fanfare Magazine
May/June 1996
review by Richard Burke

Her best work on the Gershwin disc is in the Preludes, where she captures the distinct mood of each piece perfectly....the Rhapsody and An American in Paris respond well to her attention to detail....Russo´s technique, musicianship and taste remain apparent.

CDs

		Campion BSIN01088610 Russo, Eugenie - Aaron Copland Composer: Aaron Copland American Piano Music at its best. Eugenie Russo plays works by Aaron Copland for solo piano. The arrangement of dances from RODEO is by the composer. EL SALON MEXICO is arranged by Leonard Bernstein. Price: 17,90 EUR
		Campion BSIN01088887 Russo, Eugenie - George Gershwin Composer: George Gershwin This item is currently not available! American Piano Music at its best. Eugenie Russo plays works by George Gershwin for solo piano. The authentic solo piano arrangements of works by George Gershwin, including eleven of the songs from "The Gershwin Songbook" and the composer's own arrangement of "Rhapsody in Blue". Price: 17,90 EUR
		Russo BSIN01089164 Russo, Eugenie - Images Composer: Johannes Brahms, Claude Debussy, Egon Wellesz Die amerikanische Pianistin Eugenie Russo spannt mit dieser Veröffentlichung einen breiten Bogen von Johannes Brahms über Claude Debussy bis hin zu Egon Wellesz. Mit viel Gefühl spielt die New Yorkerin die Klavierstücke (1871-1878), Opus 76 von Brahms ebenso wie Debussys Images von 1905. Eine echte Rarität präsentiert die Wahlwienerin aber mit den erstmals eingespielten „Sechs Klavierstücken, Op. 26 (1919) von Egon Wellesz. Alle Kompositionen wurden im August 2000 aufgenommen. Das Booklet beinh... more Price: 16,90 EUR
		Campion BSIN01486659 Russo, Eugenie / Waldman, Yuval - Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dances Composer: Johannes Brahms Eugenie Russo (piano) und Yuval Waldman (violine) perform the Hungarian Dances by Johannes Brahms, arranged by Joseph Joachim. About the Dances: The influence of Hungarian music can be heard repeatedly in Brahms’ orchestral and chamber music, the last movement of the Violin Concerto being an example. Sometimes Brahms even acknowledged this influence, as in the finale of the Piano Quartet Op. 25 in g-minor, entitled “alle zingarese“. It was one of the many musical predilections he share... more Price: 17,90 EUR

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Dieter Bock

BOCK'S MUSIC SHOP