Artistic Director & Conductor Joseph Smith

JOSEPH SMITH has conducted various choral and instrumental ensembles over the years.  With the Sylvan Chorale he has conducted the Requiem of John Rutter in our inaugural year, Haydn’s Creation in 2014, the Mozart Requiem in 2015, “Rejoicing in the Spring” in 2016 which included the Schubert Mass No. 2 in G Major, and our 5th Anniversary Spring concerts in 2017 as well as our 2018 Spring concert and  our 2019 Concert “Spring, Spring, Spring.” Joseph has created our productions of “A Harrisburg Christmas” and composed the title song. He has sung and recorded with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Chorus, including the 2012 Grammy Award winning Verdi’s Requiem, on the CSO’s own “Resound” label under the baton of Maestro Riccardo Muti.  He was a charter member of the Chicago Symphony Singers and has sung in other small ensembles with the CSO. He has sung as a chorister in several operas with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and has performed extensively as an operatic Bass-baritone in Opera, Musical Theater and Oratorio, most recently in his recurring engagement as the bass soloist in annual performances of Handel’s Messiah with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra. His many operatic and musical theatre roles with various companies include “Valentin” in Gounod’s Faust, “Don Alfonso” in Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte,  “Marcello” in Puccini’s La Boheme, and the title role in Capitol Opera Harrisburg’s production of Rigoletto.  Joseph performed the role of “Germont” in Capitol Opera’s production of La Traviata in Raleigh in June, 2015, in Harrisburg in June, 2016, and California in both July, 2016 and November, 2017.      He performed the role of “Marcello” in the Capitol Opera Harrisburg’s production of La Boheme in June, 2017.

Joseph is a member of the American Choral Directors Association.

Joseph studied instrumental conducting under Dr. Paul Wiens and choral conducting under Dr. Mary Hopper.