Fabian Russell

Fabian Russell was born in Sydney, Australia in 1968. In a career spanning more than three decades, he has been at the forefront of the Australian classical music industry as a multi-award winning conductor, artistic director, pedagogue, orchestral musician and solo performer.

Fabian has received invitations to guest conduct orchestras including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Victorian Opera, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Australian National Academy of Music Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Niedersächsisches Jugensinfonieorchester, Sydney Youth Orchestra, Darwin Symphony Orchestra, Geelong Symphony Orchestra, University of Tasmania Conservatorium Orchestra, Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium of Music Symphony Orchestra, Monash University Academy Orchestra and the University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Fabian has collaborated with leading international soloists including legendary American pianist Gary Graffman, Brett Dean, Richard Tognetti, Leslie Howard, Daniel de Borah, Stefan Cassomenos, Kristian Chong, Michael Kieran Harvey and Kristian Winther.

Fabian has held numerous conducting positions including Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of The Orchestra Project since 2002, Associate Conductor/Assistant Conductor of the Australian Youth Orchestra for twenty-eight performance seasons since 2002, Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Melbourne Youth Orchestra from 2008-2012, Principal Conductor of the Monash University Academy Orchestra from 2011-2015, Conductor of the University of Melbourne Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra from 2011-2017 and Principal Conductor of the New South Wales Youth Orchestra from 2016-2018.

In 2002 Fabian founded The Orchestra Project – the Melbourne based training orchestra comprised of Australia’s pre-eminent emerging artists who perform alongside members of Australia’s professional orchestras. Fabian serves as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of The Orchestra Project, receiving significant support from the Australian National Academy of Music. The Project has completed 32 performance seasons since its inception.

Fabian Russell holds a Masters Degree in Music (Research) from Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium of Music. He was a recipient of a Sir Winston Churchill 2012 Fellowship to research leading American youth orchestra programs. He has been an international adviser to the London-based Australian Music Foundation since 2012. Fabian’s 2021/2022 engagements include concerts with the Australian National Academy of Music Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra National Youth Orchestra, Corpus Medicorum, Australian Youth Orchestra, Victorian Opera and The Orchestra Project.