Russell Gilmour was born 1956 and received his early musical training at Guilford Grammar School W.A. Since graduating from the University of New England, he has worked as a teacher, lecturer and arts administrator.
Gilmour is best known for his short, quirky, humorous compositions (Dark on Bach, 2003) and sometimes melancholic, brooding work (Seven Things I'll Do Tomorrow, 2005). His musical style developed intuitively following a brief flirtation with neo-Romanticism in the 1980s (A Peaceable Kingdom, 1985; Host Of The Air, 1984).
He established the music publishing imprint Opus House Press in the mid 1990s, initiating projects involving contributions from a number of composers. The first of these 'musical portraits' The Keating Tangos was launched in1999, followed by The Whitlam Rags in 2002.
The Gilmour Ensemble formed in 2003 with saxophonist Jabra Latham, violinist Zac Johnson, cellist Greg Woodwood and percussionist Ben Smart. Their first CD, Seven Things I'll Do Tomorrow was released in 2006.
Notwithstanding his formal musical education, Gilmour regards his compositional approach as largely intuitive.
He currently teaches - on a casual basis - at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, accepts the occasional commission, plans Gilmour Ensemble projects and maintains his farm.