About

Russell Patrick Brown is a harper, singer and music app developer based in New York City. He has shared his music throughout North America and Europe, and has presented at: Dixon Place; Lily, Dale, New York; Mermaid Arts Centre; New York Public Library/Origin Theatre “1st Irish Theatre Festival; Bowery Poetry Club. He has worked on productions with: the WB Network, The Abbey Theatre, Mabou Mines, Stirling Productions/RTÉ/BBC, The Box NYC, Joey Arias, Darrah Carr Dance, Surflight Repertory Theatre, Manhattan Repertory Theatre, and many Broadway recording artists. His compositions include his original folk/electronic harp music with a fusion of house, Irish traditional and rock music styles.

Russell’s love of music and dance began with his father, who played the tin whistle and provided for Russell’s education in Continental European classical music. Russell’s grandfather was a renowned accordian player and entertainer, and he danced with his mother in step dances and céilídh at the East-Side and West-Side Irish-American Clubs. He received his BA in Music at the University of Cincinnati and the Baldwin-Wallace University Conservatories of Music, where he specialized in piano improvisation and received his Dalcroze Eurythmics certification, a unique approach to teaching music through movement.

Russell spiritual devotion in his music comes from a family of Roma, Irish and Eastern European Catholic migrants, who brought with them knowledge of the Tarot, the Saints and Otherworld Communication. While practicing his jigs, hornpipes and reels on the iconically queer Christopher Street Pier, he met Celso Satori LaBeija, of the Royal Iconic House of LaBeija. With Celso he studied Satori Form, a combination of “Old Way” Vogue, martial arts, New York Club Kid fashion and embodied spiritual practices. He has also trained in aerial circus as well as contemporary dance practices with Maureen Fleming, Dr. Finola Cronin and Maria Kerin. In concert, workshops and digitally-streamed works, Russell continues to support the ancient, sacred connection of music and dance.