Guest ArtistsRuss Peck, organ

Russ Peck began his musical studies with piano in 1965, moving to the organ in 1970, while starting percussion lessons in junior high school. Forming a band called The Young Oldtimers (with Russ on the Hammond organ), he and three high school buddies played Elks Clubs and other small venues throughout San Diego County. Mr. Peck then studied classical organ under a scholarship with Professor Stanley R. Plummer at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. Returning to San Diego, Russ joined Voice and Video as a video engineer, staying with the firm for 28 years.

Specializing in the creation and performance of Silent Era film scores, Mr. Peck is currently the organist for the Fox Theatre Film Series at the Jacobs Music Center in San Diego. In addition to this solo work, he has performed with the San Diego Symphony for silent film presentations. Russ is also the “House Organist” at the Balboa Theatre in San Diego. His other organ work includes being an official guest organist at the Spreckels outdoor pipe organ in San Diego, and guest organist at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Lemon Grove (on a Wurlitzer Theatre pipe organ he helped install and continues to maintain). Not content with just the organ, Russ is Principal Timpanist for the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra and does “pick-up” percussion work for the Imperial Valley Symphony, the Coronado Concert Band, The Hillcrest Wind Ensemble and other bands and orchestras in San Diego County. Mr. Peck recently accepted a position as one of the organists at Resurrection Lutheran Church, in Coronado, on a Bosch pipe organ that he helped restore and install under the direction of the Blackinton organ company.

By day, Russ Peck owns and operates V dash V Service, a professional audio, video and musical equipment service (including pipe and electronic organs) throughout Southern California. He is the Rodgers Organ authorized service technician for San Diego County. Mr. Peck also works for L. W. Blackinton and Associates Organ Builders. In addition, Russ also gives private lessons on all keyboard and percussion instruments. Mr. Peck operates an amateur radio station, KG6CLA, and keeps busy in his spare time by maintaining the growing pile of instruments throughout his home, including reed and electronic organs and a small Robert-Morton theatre pipe organ. He currently holds memberships in The American Theatre Organ Society, The American Guild of Organists and The Reed Organ Society.

Mr. Peck’s recent Fox Theatre Film Series performances include The Thief of Bagdad, Nosferatu, several Charlie Chaplin short films, Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last! , The Freshman and My Best Girl, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Mark of Zorro, The Son of the Sheik, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Three Musketeers, The Cat and the Canary, Cyrano de Bergerac, Flesh and the Devil, Metropolis, F.W. Murnau's Sunrise and The Phantom of the Opera.