The College of Southern Maryland welcomes ragtime and jazz pianist Russell Wilson to perform at the Ward Virts Concert Series at 3 p.m., May 1 at the Prince Frederick Campus, Room 119.
The performance is the last of six in the concert series, which is held at CSM’s Prince Frederick Campus, 115 J.W. Williams Road, Prince Frederick. Wilson, a native of Clinton, Md, is a pianist in the President’s Own United States Marine Band. In addition to the piano, Wilson performs on the keyboard,
harpsichord and accordion for the Marine Band in public performances throughout the Washington, D.C. area with its concert band, string orchestra, small chamber groups and as a solo background musician at the White House. Wilson is the winner of the 2010 Carolina Ragtime Piano Contest and runner-up in the 2010 World Championship Old Time Piano Playing Contest. Wilson graduated from Surrattsville High School as valedictorian and went on to receive his bachelor degree in classical piano and master degree in jazz at the University of Maryland, College Park where he studied classical piano under Cleveland Page and jazz with Ron Elliston. While attending college he spent a summer working at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va playing in an Italian music group and another summer working for Norwegian Cruise Lines playing in a show band and performing solo classical recitals.