Dr. Aaron Smith

"...the audience realized there's nothing like a big, finely trained chorus and Aaron Smith gets the credit for training this one at Annapolis." -Charlotte Observer
 
"The chorus numbered 89 Midshipmen, all amateurs, but Dr. Aaron Smith, director of the Musical Activities Department at Annapolis, has molded them into a coherent entity that sounds virtually professional. There is none of the muddiness that one usually encounters with a large group of untrained singers." -Maine Sunday Telegram 

"The choirs contributed shimmering, translucent timbres to the vocal movements." -The New York Sun 

"The Dessoff Choirs, capably conducted by Aaron Smith, matched the Kronos Quartet in derring-do, taking the work as seriously, finding the beauty..." -Musical America 

"...with a conductor whose gentle connection to the music and singers was an art form in itself." -Mander Organs

Audio (Live Performances)

Ubi caritas (Durufle)
If Ye Love Me (Tallis)
Ave Maria (Biebl)
Requiem (Durufle)
          Introit and Kyrie
          Domine Jesu Christe
          Sanctus
          Pie Jesu
          Agnus Dei
          Lux aeterna
          Libera me
          In paradisum
Cum jubilo (Durufle)
          Kyrie
          Gloria
          Sanctus
          Benedictus
          Agnus Dei
Missa Vidi speciosam (Victoria)
          Kyrie
          Gloria
          Credo
          Sanctus
          Agnus Dei
Weihnachtsoratorium - Excerpts (Bach)
Shenandoah (Bartholomew)
Spaseniye sodelal (Chesnokov)
Eternal Father (Dykes)
America the Beautiful (Ward)

Professional Experience (past 15 years)
 
Director of Musical Activities, Chairman, and Principal Conductor
United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland
2006-present
 
Lead Clinician and Adjudicator
Annapolis Music Festival
Annapolis, Maryland
2007-present
 
Conductor
Multiple ad hoc Amateur and Professional Ensembles (Choral and Orchestral)
New York, New York
2001-2006
 
Assistant Director of Music
Church of St. Ignatius Loyola
980 Park Avenue, New York, New York
2001-2005
 
Guest Conductor
Montclair State University
Montclair Heights, New Jersey
2003-2006
 
Principal Guest Conductor
The Dessoff Choirs
New York, New York
2001-2006
 
Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities
Bard Early College (Bard College, Manhattan Campus)
New York, New York
2001-2003
 
Assistant Conductor
Masterwork Chorus
Morristown, New Jersey
1999-2001
 
Professional Collaborations
 
New York Philharmonic
Philadelphia Orchestra
Minnesota Orchestra
Dallas Symphony
New Jersey Symphony
Nashville Symphony
Portland Symphony
Winston-Salem Symphony
Jacksonville Symphony
Charlotte Symphony
Memphis Symphony
Annapolis Symphony
Orchestra of St. Lukes
Brooklyn Philharmonic
Kronos Quartet
Chanticleer
Baltimore Choral Arts Society
The Dessoff Choirs
Masterwork Chorus
American Boychoir
Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola
Mark Morris Dance Group
Live from Lincoln Center
Mostly Mozart Festival
Great Performers Series
Kurt Mazur
Wolfgang Sawallisch
Sir Colin Davis
Zdenek Macal
John Rutter
Joseph Flummerfelt
Andrew McGill
Craig Hella Johnson
Albert-George Schram
Robert Moody
Jeff Tyzik
George Stevens
Ian Fraser
Tom Hall
Stephen Paulus
Cultural Services of the Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, France, and Korea Embassies
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Lincoln Center
Kennedy Center
Carnegie Hall
HBO, ABC, CBS, NBC, TNT, PBS Television
 
Selected Soloists With Whom Dr. Smith Has Recently Collaborated
 
Renee Fleming
Stephanie Blythe
Marietta Simpson
Jeanine DeBique
Heidi Grant Murphy
Susanne Mentzer
Irene Roberts
Tamara Mumford
Meredith Arwady
Janice Chandler Eteme
Christine Brandes
Kiera Duffy
Danielle Talamantes
Richard Croft
Gregory Kunde
Lawrence Wiliford
Dean Peterson
Stanford Olsen
Karen Clift
Karla Scott
Erin Wall
Elizabeth de Trejo
Sarah Mesko
Kevin Burdette
Benjamin Butterfield
Robin Blaze
David Portillo
Sara Murphy
Michael Sumuel
Arthur Woodley
Musa Ngqungwana
Grant Youngblood
William Burden
Oren Gradus
Paul Groves
Kathleen Kim
Morris Robinson
 
Selected Performance Highlights 2001-2019

Funeral Service for H. Ross Perot
Members of the US Naval Academy Glee Club
Aaron Smith, conductor
2019

Guest Chorus for Performances with Annapolis Symphony Orchestra
Whitacre Deep Field, Beethoven Symphony No. 9
US Naval Academy Glee Club and the Annapolis Symphony Orchstrea (Annapolis)
Aaron Smith and Jose-Luis Nuvo conductors, Strathmore Concert Hall
2019

State Funeral for President George H. W. Bush
US Naval Academy Glee Club
Aaron Smith, conductor
2018

Guest Chorus for Performances with Minnesota Orchestra
US Naval Academy Glee Club and the Minnesota Orchstrea (Minneapolis)
Aaron Smith, chorus master (Sarah Hicks, conductor)
2018

Funeral Services for Senator John McCain
US Naval Academy Glee Club
Aaron Smith, conductor
2018

Durufle Requiem
US Naval Academy Glee Club and the Annapolis Symphony
Aaron Smith, conductor
2018

Guest Chorus for Performances with Memphis Symphony
US Naval Academy Glee Club and the Memphis Symphony (Tennessee)
Aaron Smith, chorus master (Robert Moody, conductor)
2017

Concert Tour - Savannah, Hilton Head, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte
US Naval Academy Glee Club
Aaron Smith, conductor
2018

Durufle Cum jubilo, Poulenc Gloria, Whitacre Deep Field
US Naval Academy Glee Club, Baltimore Choral Arts Society, and the Annapolis Symphony
Aaron Smith, conductor
2017 

Concert Tour - Los Angeles
US Naval Academy Men's Glee Club
Aaron Smith, conductor
2017

Guest Chorus for Performances with Dallas Symphony
US Naval Academy Men's Glee Club and the Dallas Symphony (Texas)
Aaron Smith, chorus master (Jeff Tyzik, conductor)
2016

Bernstein Candide
US Naval Academy Glee Club, Baltimore Choral Arts Society, and the Annapolis Symphony
Aaron Smith, conductor
2016

Concert Tour - San Francisco
US Naval Academy Men's Glee Club
Aaron Smith, conductor
2016

Kennedy Center Honors
US Naval Academy Glee Club
Aaron Smith, conductor
2015 - National Broadcast on CBS

Guest Chorus for Performances with Charlotte Symphony
US Naval Academy Men's Glee Club and the Charlotte Symphony (North Carolina)
Aaron Smith, chorus master (Albert-George Schram, conductor)
2015

Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem
US Naval Academy Glee Club, Baltimore Choral Arts Society, and the Annapolis Symphony
Aaron Smith, conductor
2015

Concert Tour - Florida
US Naval Academy Men's Glee Club
Aaron Smith, conductor
2015

Handel Messiah
US Naval Academy Glee Club and the Annapolis Symphony
Aaron Smith, conductor
2014 - National Broadcast on P.B.S.

Guest Chorus for Performances with Jacksonville Symphony
US Naval Academy Men's Glee Club and the Jacksonville Symphony (Florida)
Aaron Smith, chorus master (Michael Krajewski, conductor)
2014

   
Guest Chorus for Performances with Nashville Symphony
US Naval Academy and the Nashville Symphony (Schermerhorn Symphony Center)
Aaron Smith and Albert-George Schram, conductors
2007
 
Riley Sun Rings for String Quartet and Chorus (*Connecticut Premiere)
Kronos Quartet and the Dessoff Choirs for the University of Connecticut, Jorgensen Auditorium 50th Anniversary
Aaron Smith, conductor
2006
 
Handel Judas Maccabaeus
Brooklyn Philharmonic and Festival Singers
Aaron Smith, conductor
2006
 
Paulus Voices of Light
1st Performance Since World Premiere
Aaron Smith, conductor
2005

New York Metropolitan Museum of Art "Lighting of the Christmas Tree" Concert
Canticum Sacrum Choir
Aaron Smith, conductor
2004
 
Riley Sun Rings for String Quartet and Chorus (*New York Premiere)
Kronos Quartet and the Dessoff Choirs at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Concert Hall
Aaron Smith, conductor
2004
 
Victoria Missa Vidi speciosam and Durufle Requiem
Professional Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola
Aaron Smith, conductor
2003
 
Vivaldi Gloria
Mark Morris Dance Group and the Dessoff Choirs
Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center
2003
 
Cain Goldberg Variations (*New York Premire)
"Great Performers Series" at Lincoln Center
Aaron Smith, conductor
2003
 
Durufle Messe Cum jubilo
Professional Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola (in collaboration with the Sounds French! Festival)
Aaron Smith, featured conductor along with Boulez, Rostropovich, and selected notable others
2003
 
Works of Poulenc, Johnson, Thompson, and others
Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, The American Boychoir (Featured Concert of ACDA National Convention)
Aaron Smith, Vincent Matello, and Kent Tritle, conductors
2002
 
D'Indy Saint Marie-Magdeleine and works of Massenet, Frank, Guilmant, and Saint-Saens
Professional Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola
Aaron Smith, conductor
2002
 
Barber Prayers of Kierkegaard
Professional Choir and Orchestra of St. Ignatius Loyola
Aaron Smith, conductor
2001
 
Handel Messiah
Masterwork Chorus at Carnegie Hall
Prepared chorus (Andrew Megill, conductor)
2001
 
Recordings
 
Kennedy Center Honors, 2015
National Broadcast on CBS
US Naval Academy - Aaron Smith, conductor
 
Handel's Messiah: A United States Naval Academy Tradition, 2014
National Broadcast on P.B.S.
US Naval Academy Glee Club and Annapolis Symphony Orchestra - Aaron Smith, conductor

Kennedy Center Honors, 2013
National Broadcast on CBS
US Naval Academy, Joseph Calleja, Sondra Radvanovsky - Aaron Smith, chorus master

JFK 50th Commemoration, 2013
National and International Broadcast on All Major Network and News Television Stations
US Naval Academy - Aaron Smith, conductor
  
"Christmas in Washington", 2012
National Television Broadcast
US Naval Academy, Conan O'Brien, Diana Ross, Megan Hilty, Demi Lovato, Scotty McCreery, Chris Mann, PSY - Aaron Smith, chorus master

PBS' Anthem, 2012
National Broadcast on P.B.S.
Features Chorus as Definitive Rendering of the U.S. National Anthem - Aaron Smith, conductor
 
"Christmas in Washington", 2011
National Television Broadcast
US Naval Academy, Conan O'Brien, CeeLo Green, Victoria Justice, Jennifer Hudson, The Band Perry - Aaron Smith, chorus master

On Tour: Volume II, 2010
US Naval Academy Men's Glee Club CD
Aaron Smith, conductor
 
New Sounds Live, 2005
Radio Interview with John Shafer (WNYC)
Kronos Quartet, Aaron Smith, and other panelists
 
The Littlest Light on the Christmas Tree, 2003
Animated Film
Assembled Choir - Aaron Smith, conductor
 
Wedding Music, 2003
Professional Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola
AMDG Records - Aaron Smith, conductor
 
PBS' "Live from Lincoln Center", 2001
Mozart Requiem, The Dessoff Choirs
Gerard Schwarz, conductor - Aaron Smith prepared chorus
*Emmy-Nominated Broadcast
 
Dvorak Requiem, 2000
Westminster Symphonic Choir
DELOS Records (Performer)
*Grammy Award Winning Recording
 
Education
 
Doctor of Musical Arts
Choral Conducting
State University of New York, Stony Brook
 
Master of Music (with Highest Honors and Distinction, 4.0 GPA)
Choral Conducting
Westminster Choir College
 
Bachelor of Music
Choral Music Education / Choral Studies
University of Texas at Austin
 
Performance Certificate
Vocal Performance
University of Texas at Austin