Russell Scott

“Russell Scott is an inspiration”​

Russell Scott BW Photo

Where it all began

Russell Scott has been in the music industry professionally for over 40 years working in the worlds of Classical Music and Musical Theatre. He is not only an accomplished singer, but also a Vocal Coach, Producer, Musical and Artistic Director. He has a superb reputation for working with performers and getting the best of them in technique and performance. He has enormous enthusiasm and charisma.

By the tender age of nine, Russell Scott, a London schoolboy, had developed a talent as a cabaret organist and made two LPs, which had totalled sales of over 100,000 copies. He had appeared on Thames TV’s Telethon, helping to raise thousands of pounds for underprivileged children, entertained thousands in the UK, France, Germany and Eire, and guested on many radio and TV programmes.

In 1980, at the age of 8, Russell was entered in to the Guinness Book of Records for being the youngest member of the Musicians’ Union.

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Learning the Craft

Between the ages of 13 to 18 he established an astonishing reputation as an overall entertainer, with two residences, and performing 5 nights a week whilst still studying at school.

Russell did not attend music college but studied classical music and musical theatre privately. He studied music during his school years, passing examinations with The Royal Schools of Music and attending The Sylvia Young Theatre School in London.

In his adult life he has studied with Nick Powell, Neville Creed and David Wilson-Johnson to name a few. After finishing his studies he developed into an all-round cabaret entertainer. He presented and performed many shows across the country including a major summer season on Blackpool’s North Pier.

Choral Achievements

In 1995, after several years performing cabaret around the UK, Russell joined The London Philharmonic Choir. He has performed many of the large-scale choral works including Verdi’s Requiem, Aida, Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess, Beethoven’s Choral Symphony, Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, Berlioz’s The Damnation Of Faust and Requiem to name a few. He also performed in several gala and musical theatre concerts which included Bryn Terfel, Reneé Fleming and José Carreras. In addition to his performing, Russell was Librarian and Marketing Manager for the LPC and became a Director on the board (1997-1999). Russell sang regularly with the Exmoor Singers, performing works including Bach’s St. John Passion and many chamber works from composers including Tippett, Rachmaninov, Tavener and Finzi. Exmoor Singers were winners of the Sainsbury’s Choir Of The Year competition. His smaller ensemble work included a Chandos recording of music by Sir Thomas Armstrong – Russell was one of a small group of singers chosen to premiere several part-songs on disc conducted by Paul Daniel.

Since turning fully professional as a Classical Music performer in 1999, Russell has sang with many of the UK’s leading choirs. His chorus work has included singing with The Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, The English Concert, The Choir Of The Age Of Enlightenment, The Richard Hickox Singers, London Voices, The Simon Joly Singers, European Voices, Maida Vale Singers, Netherlands Radio Choir and Metro Voices. He has toured with some of the finest orchestras and choirs in the world.

He was also a regular singer as part of an octet at The Carmelite Church in Kensington for over 4 years.

On Stage and Screen... and everything in between!

As a soloist, Russell has performed with the Avanti Chamber Orchestra as part of the Royal Festival Halls Meltdown Festival. In the Resolution Festival, Russell was one of the four soloists performing works by Tavener, Duruflé and Tippett. Later that year he sang solo alongside Joan Rodgers in a performance of the Fauré Requiem with the London Philharmonic Choir. His opera work has included playing Papageno in The Magic Flute, Shaunard in Puccini’s La Bohéme and as The Count in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

Russell has sung on countless film soundtracks including Pirates of the Caribbean, Shrek, Troy, Sinbad and many many more.  He has also worked with artists including Sir Elton John, Seal, Hayley Westenra and Il Divo.

Russell performs regular with Maida Vale Singers and has performed with them in concerts across the UK including Danny Elfman on Tour and John Wilson Orchestra at the BBC Proms.

In 2019 Russell had the honour of singing in Phoenix, Arizona with Sounds of the South West Singers to open for the Harlem Globetrotters as well as a Major League Baseball game.

Voice Coaching

In 2000, Russell began Vocal Coaching. He specialises in Musical Theatre (performance) and works regularly, privately and in schools, with both emerging and established performers, as well as choirs and production companies. His past projects have included working on the BBC special Celebrate Oliver and, productions and workshops including Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Les Misérables.

He taught at Lenvon School for Performing Arts for 5 years, and at Sylvia Young Theatre School in London.  He is regularly invited to teach, coach, workshop and direct at schools and music colleges across the country.

Artistic Direction

In 2007-8 he was Artistic Director of ‘Songbirds’, where he coached and developed young talent, giving some, the opportunity to perform on stage for the first time. In the same period he was an invited judge for the nationwide Festival4Stars regional and finals competition.

Russell has regularly been invited as a judge for competitions and showcases around the UK including Open Mic UK, Live And Unsigned, The Voice Festival, Concorde Idol, Rock Challenge, Festival4Stars, Brit Idol, The Concorde Factor, and is renowned for his frank yet constructive observations.

In 2008-9, Russell Scott co-created and produced ‘The Voice of Tomorrow’, a West End Musical Theatre project, aimed at developing and showcasing new Musical Theatre talent, with support and sponsorship from Channel4 Television and The Royal Academy of Music. He was also Artistic Director of the production Company.

Chorus Director

For many years, he worked closely with Next Stage Drama who specialised in bringing inexperienced singers to the singing and performance world, running courses and workshops, and in 2010, helped form Next Stage Choir to which he was invited to become Chorus Director. In 2012, he and his wife, Denise, took over the Choirs full-time, and has since transformed the choir into a leading community choir, which has made 3 commercial recordings and featured on Absolute Radio and BBC Radio 3.  The choir has toured in Austria, Sweden, the US where it opened a MLB baseball game for Arizona Diamondbacks, performed in a 9/11 concert and was featured on ABC and CBS TV.  In 2013 he became Chorus Director of Waddesdon Manor Choir.  In 2019 he was appointed by Westminster Council to head up a brand new staff choir based at City Hall called Every Voice Counts.  Most recently, he conducted Next Stage Choir in a collaborative concert at the Berlin Philharmonie.

Workshops and Masterclasses

Specialising in ‘performance’, he regularly directs masterclasses, and has worked with choirs and ensembles around the UK including the acclaimed Military Wives Choir.  He also runs workshops for the Royal Opera House.

He has conducted concerts both on the small stage and on the large outdoor bowl arenas, including 2013’s MAD About Waddesdon festival. He is a highly sought-after musical director with enormous drive, enthusiasm and charisma.

Producer and Musical Director

Russell created New Talent Spotlight in 2009, dedicated to finding, developing and giving opportunity to emerging professional talent. He has since produced and directed in the West End as well as shows across London and around the UK.

in 2014, he produced and music directed the sell-out, publicly and critically acclaimed Godspell in Concert at the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End, and then gained the rights to produce a UK tour.  After raising £250K of private investment, he toured the production in the UK in 2015.

UK Choir Festival

In 2016, Russell created the UK Choir Festival which had its inauguration in St Albans.  The UK Choir Festival brings some of the best workshop leaders in the UK together to help choirs learn, develop and perform to the very best of their abilities in a fun, supportive and non-competitive environment.  The festival has continued to grown into one of the country’s most acclaimed festivals, being hailed by American Express Essentials as “one of the most awe-inspiring choral festivals of the world”.   The festival has since been produced in Manchester, Chichester, Monmouth, Exmouth and York.  Its patron is Bazil Meade MBE.

Russell Scott presents the
UK Choir Festival Podcast

11+ Music Test Prep Course

Russell has launched a course to help parents and children get through the 11+ Music Test.

A Life in Music

Russell leads an enormously busy life as a versatile performer, vocal coach, musical director and producer, having achieved great success in a cross-over of genres.

He also mentors choir leaders in personal development, business and leadership and is a Certified Keap Partner.

Music is his soul and his passion, and he is committed to finding and developing new musical talent, giving opportunity to those with the ability and dedication to succeed at the highest level.

Russell Scott is a member of the Association of British Choral Directors.

Russell’s website platform, A Life In Music® with Russell Scott, is dedicated to performers who want to be the very best they can be, and includes a Podcast, YouTube Channel and Blog. www.alifeinmusic.com