Russell Burnham earned his bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees—all in clarinet performance—at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. 

He is a past Director of KIXE of Redding and Chico, Public Television for Northern California, and of the Chico Chamber Music Workshop. 

He has taught single reeds, theory, history-literature, chamber music performance,
and general studies courses at California State University, Chico for the past 33 years. 

He has performed widely, and was composer in residence in 2003-4 for the
San Francisco Choral Artists.