[4][5] Russo received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Juilliard School in New York City and did post-graduate study in France and Germany.

[6] He participated in the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition in 1998, returned to New York at the age of 25, and created Music Journeys Inc., a nonprofit youth educational foundation.

[3][6] Russo played in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2001, and released Voice of the Whale, an album of songs by composer George Crumb, for the British label Black Box Records in 2002.

[2][5][7] Subsequent albums for Black Box, Corigliano: Violin Sonata; Etude Fantasy; Fantasia on an Ostinato; Chiaroscuro (2006), Aaron Jay Kernis: 100 Greatest Dance Hits (2007), Paul Schoenfield: Four Parables; Four Souvenirs; Café Music (2007), and Mix Tape (2008) received positive reviews by Allmusic.

[18] Russo attacked Valesky over his support for same-sex marriage and for "broken promises", "painful tax hikes", and "failed leadership".

[25] Russo's campaign publicly demanded Valesky return donation from Democratic State Senate leaders, whose names were included in a government report alleging unethical business dealings.