A native of New York City, Russell Hershow took his first music lessons from his father, an amateur violinist. He went on to attend the Juilliard School and the Indiana University School of Music, graduating with a bachelor of music degree. He received private instruction from Josef Gingold and Yuval Yaron at Indiana University and Joseph Fuchs at Juilliard.
Hershow participated in numerous music festivals and competitions before joining the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 1987. In 1989, he played with the Pittsburgh Symphony for a short time before joining the Chicago Symphony Orchestra later that year—just in time to participate in the Orchestra’s sixth tour to Europe with Sir Georg Solti.
In addition to his orchestral duties with the CSO, Russell Hershow pursues an active chamber music career in Chicago.
