Organist Daniel Russell returns to Columbus County for special performance | Community Spirit

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT) - Daniel Russell, an organist who was raised in Columbus County and who took music lessons at Southeastern Community College, will return to deliver a concert on Sunday, Nov. 18, at 3 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Homes Chapel at Lake Waccamaw. Admission to the performance, part of the Richard F. Burkhardt Fine and Performing Arts Series, is free of charge.

Daniel, 25, the son of Dolan and Ella Russell, grew up in Chadbourn and has many family members who live in Columbus County. He credits his grandmother, Marie Collins, also of Chadbourn, for encouraging him to study music.

In middle and high school, Russell studied under Dr. Sharyn Edwards, initially taking private lessons and later as a dual-enrolled high school student at SCC.

“The fundamentals I learned from Dr. Edwards at Southeastern Community College provided me with a solid musical foundation on which to build,” Russell said.

After graduating from Waccamaw Academy in 2005, Russell earned a Bachelor of Music in Sacred Music from East Carolina University. While at ECU, he studied organ performance with Janette Fishell and Colin Andrews and choral conducting with Daniel Bara. He received additional coaching from Ludger Lohmann and Dame Gillian Weir as part of the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Visiting Professorship. In 2008, he traveled with the East Carolina organ studio to Germany, where he played instruments of historical significance.

Russell received his Master of Music in Organ Performance from the University of Houston, where he studied with Robert Bates. While in Houston, he served as Director of Music at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Angleton, Texas. He has also participated in both solo and studio recitals in Houston, with recent engagements at Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) and the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (Catholic). Russell currently serves as the music intern at West End United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., where he provides musical and administrative support to the music program.

“I am excited about performing in Columbus County and being able to share my love of music with friends and family,” Russell said.

The Richard F. Burkhardt Fine and Performing Arts Series, funded by the SCC Foundation, continues with: Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, December 9; Dr. Sharyn Edwards in Concert, January 25; Beauty and the Beast, February 18; Dr. Sharyn Edwards Piano Festival and Competition, March 14-16; and the 8th Annual Honors Jazz Band Festival, April 18 and 20. A schedule with the details of all shows can be viewed on the SCC webpage, www.sccnc.edu.