Biography

Toronto-based artist, guitarist, bassist, producer, and composer Russell Molina has been cultivating a musical career over the past fifteen years. His diverse musical interests and intense work ethic have allowed for many opportunities to educate, perform, and record music all across the GTA.
Molina has worked and performed with a plethora of names in the Toronto music scene, from all different styles, such as Project Phoenix, Marigold, Blue Hour, Bitter&Broke, Mauve, Ari Daye King, Bandesals, Mung Beans Band, Christopher Ma, ALLI, Matt Leo Trio, AVERY, Pete Loveland, Martin Gomes, Nick Glass, Emily Liendo, and many others.
At the young age of 5 years old, he had taken his first steps on his musical journey in classical piano and would continue for five years until he discovered the guitar. With a household permeated with 80s and 90s R&B, soul, funk, and blues music that would play from his father’s speaker systems, Molina’s affinity for the guitar would be all but ensured. His influences include guitar players such as John Mayer, Wes Montgomery, and Cory Wong, crafting a taste for rhythm guitar while his peers pursued lead guitar endeavours. Molina would also develop a love for hiphop production throughout high school, studying the ins and outs of Logic Pro X and making beats daily everywhere he went. His early love for guitar and music production would serve as foundations for the work he has accomplished so far.
Molina was accepted into York University’s jazz program in 2019, where he spent 4 years studying with professors and instructors such as Lorne Lofsky, Anthony Michelli, Denis Martin, and Al Henderson, among many others. He spent an additional 2 years completing his Masters in composition where he focused his research and creativity into original Filipino jazz compositions. He developed an affinity for jazz fusion by way of his peers within the institution and under the tutelage of faculty such as Sundar Viswanathan and Noam Lemish. The institution also offered a course in gospel ensemble instruction spearheaded by Corey Butler, which elevated Molina’s guitar playing to a whole new level. Molina is a recipient of the Joseph Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship for his masters research proposal focusing on Filipino jazz and original Filipino jazz composition.
Molina has been active in the live music scene for the past 6 years, performing in venues such as Longboat Hall, Drom Taberna, Monarch Tavern, Burdock Music Hall, The Paddock Tavern, BSMT 254, The Emmet Ray, Mrs. Robinson, Poetry Jazz Cafe, and Linsmore Tavern, among others. He is a full-time member of groups such as Blue Hour and Bandesals on electric bass guitar and Project Phoenix on electric guitar. He also leads traditional jazz and jazz fusion combos of various sizes and is in the process of releasing his debut jazz EP. Molina has also begun his professional music production journey in 2023, producing ALLI’s Wilderness, for which the debut single, “I Dreamed About You,” has amassed 41k views on YouTube. The summer of 2026 will be fruitful for Russell Molina, with performance opportunities at Beaches Jazz Festival, Taste of Manila, and Burlington Ribfest, among others upcoming. Molina is always open to more opportunities as they become available despite a busy performance and teaching schedule.