Joshua Smith

Joshua Smith joined The Cleveland Orchestra in September 1990 as principal flute and appears as soloist with the Orchestra on a regular basis, in repertoire ranging from Bach to Takemitsu, including the concertos of Mozart, Penderecki, and Nielsen.  He was most recently featured in concerts in 2011 at Severance Hall performing the world premiere of a new concerto by Jörg Widmann written expressly for him.

Joshua Smith enjoys a multi-faceted career as soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and educator.  He chairs the flute department of the Cleveland Institute of Music and is the head of woodwinds at each summer's Kent/Blossom Music Festival professional training program.  He is frequently invited to present masterclasses and workshops at conservatories and major universities around the world.

Mr. Smith can be heard in more than 100 works with The Cleveland Orchestra on recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Nonesuch, and Teldec, including featured performances in Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.  He has also released two albums of Bach sonatas on Delos with harpsichordist Jory Vinikour, and is featured on a Grammy-nominated Telarc recording of works by Debussy and Takemitsu with harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and violist Cynthia Phelps. 

Joshua Smith is dedicated to performing chamber music, and appears regularly as a chamber musician and recitalist throughout the United States and abroad.  Recent and upcoming appearances include his debut with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and a tour of Israel as a guest artist with the Israeli Chamber Project.  He has participated in summer residencies with the Marlboro Music Festival, toured with Musicians from Marlboro, and performed at the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego and the Pensacola Chamber Music Festival.  He has collaborated with such eminent artists as the Miami and the Guarneri quartets, violinist Soovin Kim, and pianists Mitsuko Uchida, Gilbert Kalish, Kathryn Brown, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and Christina Dahl.

Mr. Smith is intrigued with finding new outlets for his music and bringing classical music to new audiences.  In 2007, he served as guest curator of music for the Cleveland Museum of Art, creating a series of chamber music concerts presented during the museum’s special exhibit “Monet in Normandy.”  He has also been a driving force behind the innovative chamber group Ensemble HD, comprised of Cleveland Orchestra members and special guests. The group performs in concert halls as well as nontraditional venues, including bars, parks, festivals and schools around the region. Smith and Ensemble HD have released their first album, and their activities and artistry have been featured on National Public Radio.

Joshua Smith is a Powell Artist, and performs on a Powell flute, often with a Folkers and Powell wooden headjoint.  A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Smith worked closely with renowned pedagogue Frank Bowen before attending Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Julius Baker and Jeffrey Khaner.

For additional information, please visit www.soloflute.com.