Role

:

Conductor  

Birth

:

April 8, 1936 in Portland, OR

Death

:

October 25, 2013 in Colorado Springs, CO

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Orchestral

 

Lawrence Leighton Smith was a renowned American conductor and pianist who made significant contributions to the world of classical music. He was born on March 8, 1935, in Portland, Oregon, to a family of musicians. His father was a violinist, and his mother was a pianist. Smith showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at the age of four. Smith's musical education began at the age of six when he started taking piano lessons from his mother. He later studied with renowned pianists such as Rosina Lhévinne and Vladimir Horowitz. He also studied conducting with Leonard Bernstein and Pierre Monteux. In 1957, Smith graduated from the Juilliard School in New York City with a degree in piano performance. He then went on to study conducting at the Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts. He made his conducting debut in 1962 with the New York Philharmonic, and his career as a conductor took off from there. Smith served as the music director of several orchestras throughout his career, including the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the Louisville Orchestra, the Oregon Symphony, and the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. He was also a guest conductor for many major orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. One of Smith's most significant achievements was his tenure as the music director of the Louisville Orchestra from 1983 to 1994. During his time there, he led the orchestra to national prominence and received critical acclaim for his innovative programming and performances. He also recorded several albums with the orchestra, including a Grammy-nominated recording of works by American composer William Schuman. Smith was also a respected pianist and performed as a soloist with many major orchestras. He recorded several albums as a pianist, including a recording of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Louisville Orchestra. Throughout his career, Smith received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to classical music. In 1995, he was awarded the Ditson Conductor's Award, which is given annually to a conductor who has made significant contributions to American music. He was also awarded the Governor's Arts Award by the state of Oregon in 1996. Smith retired from conducting in 2006 but continued to teach and mentor young musicians. He was a professor of music at the University of Georgia and served as the conductor of the university's Symphony Orchestra. He also served as a guest conductor and lecturer at many universities and music festivals throughout the United States. Lawrence Leighton Smith passed away on April 25, 2013, at the age of 78. He left behind a legacy of excellence in classical music and inspired countless musicians and music lovers throughout his career.

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