Russell Steinberg Classical Music Talks

I get people excited and passionate about classical music. My talks include playing piano, playing recordings, and lots of audience interaction. By the end of my talks, people are feeling joy and listening to music deeper than they have before.

Composer Russell Steinberg received a Ph.D. in Music from Harvard University, an M.M. from the New England Conservatory, and a B.A. from UCLA. Performances of his solo, chamber, and orchestral music recently included concerts in Los Angeles, Baltimore, New Jersey, Vienna, and Prague. Aria for a Calmer World (violin and orchestra) was featured in the SAN BERNARDINO CARES benefit concert for the families of the victims of the 2015 terrorist attack. Cosmic Dust (commissioned by a tri-consortium of orchestras—the New West Symphony, the Bay Atlantic Symphony, and the Hopkins Symphony) was featured in a special Science News Magazine article for the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope and performed for the Hubble scientists. The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony recently premiered Canopy of Peace based on meditations by noted scholar and philosopher Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis.

Steinberg performs concerts on both piano and classical guitar. He studied piano with Earle Voorhies and Salome Arkatov; guitar with Dorothy Compinsky and Ronald Purcell. In spring 2016, he released Blue Pool CD, a collection of solo guitar pieces influenced by Hawaiian Slack Key.

In addition to composing, Steinberg is Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra, a widely praised group that includes 120 students from over 60 schools. Steinberg is also a popular speaker for pre-concert talks with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and annually offers a Winter Evening Lecture Series on a wide range of topics. For information about Steinberg’s current performances, recordings, and pre-concert lectures, please visit (link hidden).

I prefer to use a grand piano, a sound system that I can hook up to my iPhone, and a mic if I'm speaking to crowds over 50 people.