Adjunct Faculty
Frank Russo joyfully paints colorful soundscapes with his highly skilled, passionate,
musical drumming. He is an in-demand performer, recording artist, and educator who
currently resides in Maryland and teaches at Towson University. He is also an artist/educator
for Bosphorus Cymbals, MD Drums and The Vic Firth Education Team performing clinics
at festivals and universities across the United States and throughout the world. Raised
in the New York City area, he was steeped in the rich musical heritage of the Jazz
legends at an early age and carriers on the legacy of a musical family. Russo completed
a distinguished career with the prestigious Naval Academy Band where he performed
in and led several dynamic ensembles. He was stationed in Annapolis, San Diego, Great
Lakes, Monterey, and Norfolk during his career.
An incredibly adaptable musician, a partial list of his performances eloquently testifies
to his diverse talent. He has performed with Wessell “warmdaddy” Anderson, Dave Ballou,
Keter Betts, Ralph Bowen, The Coasters, Jeff Coffin, Hal Crook, Steve Davis, John
D’earth, Denis DiBlasio, Ethel Ennis, Michael Feinstein, George Garzone, Greg Gisbert,
Lee Greenwood, Tim Hagans, Craig Handy, Conrad Herwig, Ingrid Jensen, Frankie Lane,
Mundell Lowe, Donny McCaslin, Tim Miller, Chuck Redd, Ali Ryerson, Dave Samuels, Dr.
Lonnie Smith, Frankie Valli, Bill Watrous, Walt Weiskopf, among others.
Highlights of his performances include Jazz Festivals in the US, Canada, Asia, Europe,
The Kennedy Center, and many others. Russo is a Summit Records Recording Artist whose
recordings have gained national recognition and praise from Downbeat, Jazztime, and Modern Drummer among others.
He is proud to perform exclusively on maple drums designed by Keith Larsen (Baltimore
Drum Company), Bosphorus cymbals and Vic Firth sticks.