SLO Review

San Luis Obispo County's Connection to Arts and Culture

Craig Russell

Craig Russell is a classical guitarist, author, and composer of classical music following in the stylistic footsteps of Aaron Copland. Educated at the University of New Mexico and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he is retired from the music department at Cal Poly. In 1995 he received the CSU system’s highest teaching award, and in 2013 he was one of only a few North American scholars to be inducted into the Spanish Royal Academy. His compositions have been performed internationally to significant acclaim and his publications have received numerous awards. He co-hosts a weekly radio show, KCBX In Concert, that features local arts organizations, recordings by touring artists performing on the Central Coast, and conversations with the people who make the music.