Russell was educated at the University of New Mexico and then the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and began a career both as a classical guitarist and as a composer of classical music, in which he follows in the stylistic footsteps of Aaron Copland.
He has also been associated with the vocal ensemble, Chanticleer, as well as holding a professorship at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Middle Earth, a suite after J. R. R. Tolkien"s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, was composed by Craig Russell for the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony. Commissioned in 1995, a recording was released on disk in 2000 by the San Luis Obispo Symphony, together with his Rhapsody for Horn and Orchestra, and the second movement of his Symphony Number.
2 ("American Scenes").
He also arranged three compositions for the 2006 film Nacho Libre, which were performed by Chanticleer.
