John Morris Russell

John Morris Russell, also known as JMR, is an American orchestral conductor best known for his association with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra.

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Russell attended Ludlow Elementary School in Shaker Heights, outside of Cleveland. Active in theater and music in high school at Shaker Heights High School, he played piano and trumpet in band, orchestra, jazz ensemble, and theatrical productions, and formed a "garage band" that played cover tunes from the great funk horn bands of the late 1970s. He began more seriously studying music while attending Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, during which he spent a year at King's College London and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and began taking conducting lessons. In 1982, he graduated with a B.A. cum laude with highest honors. He continued his study with private conducting lessons at the Cleveland Institute of Music. His first work as a conductor included teaching in the public schools as well as leading the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestras in Oberlin, Ohio, and the Akron Youth Symphony.

He received a Master of Music degree in conducting from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Williams College in Massachusetts. He has also studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, and the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors in Hancock, Maine.

On December 6, 2010, Russell was named conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, effective September 1, 2011, succeeding the late Erich Kunzel. As the Cincinnati Pops Conductor, Russell programs and conducts performances annually at Music Hall and Riverbend Music Center, as well as leading performances in the community and overseeing the Orchestra's Lollipop Family Concerts. He will be staying with the Pops through the 2027–28 season.

Russell was named the music director and principal conductor of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra in March 2012. He began his season with the symphony on October 22, 2012. There he leads the classical series as well as the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.

In April 2015, Russell was named Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra principal pops conductor, following in the footsteps of Marvin Hamlisch and Doc Severinsen.

Russell served as music director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, between 2001 and 2012. He conducted performances of 45 world premieres, many under the auspices of the Windsor Canadian Music Festival, and recorded the Juno nominated album of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. During his time with the WSO, he was a two-time recipient of Ontario's Lieutenant Governor's Award for the Arts. In May 2011, the University of Windsor awarded him an honorary degree for his contributions to the growth and invigoration in musical life in Windsor, Ontario.

As a guest conductor, Russell has led many of North America's most distinguished ensembles, including the orchestras of Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, Kitchener-Waterloo, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Dallas, Louisville, Boston Pops, The Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestra London, Miami's New World Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, Oregon Symphony, Colorado Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, New York Pops, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.