Renowned pianist, author, cherished educator, fearless interpreter and thinker, Russell Sherman was the beacon for pianists in New England for over half a decade.  Known for his colorful, bold renderings of repertoire from Mozart to Beethoven to Liszt to Debussy, Russell brought not only adroit technical facility to his playing, but perhaps more importantly, a curiosity and poetic fluency.

Russell's career boasts solo appearances with Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Orchestra of St. Luke’s (with whom he performed the five Beethoven concerti), Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony. Abroad, Mr. Sherman performed in the major cities of Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Korea, Russia, and South America.

Yet he kept Emmanuel Music at the center of his musical life. Rusell's long collaboration with Emmanuel Music began when he met the young Craig Smith in 1967 at New England Conservatory’s summer program at Castle Hill in Ipswich. Russell would become one of the most important influences on Craig's musical thinking. Russell went on to perform and record the complete Sonatas of Mozart with Emmanuel Music, record Mozart’s two concertos in minor keys plus solo fantasies with the Orchestra of Emmanuel Music under Craig Smith, and collaborate in numerous chamber music concerts and recitals.

Considered the "thinking man's virtuoso," we continue to cherish Russell's profound influence on the musical life of Emmanuel and Boston.‍‍