RPS Presentation, June 12, 2024– Herb Smith– Connecting People with Music.
Herb Smith is widely known in both the classical and jazz worlds as an exciting performer who inspires musicians and audiences wherever he goes. Whether he is performing, conducting, teaching or composing, Herb’s expression of music draws from his multifaceted and dynamic musical experiences from around the world.
He plays for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, is cofounder of his group called the Freedom trio and performs across the nation in Gateways Brass Collective, a professional Brass Quintet. He composes music for many groups and ensembles including Gateways Brass Collective, Freedom Trio, Orchestras, Choirs and many other ensemble configurations. A piece he wrote for trumpet, piano and voice premiered in Carnegie Hall in 2008. As a conductor he has conducted the Orchestra formerly known as the Philadelphia Pops now called “the No Name Pops”, the North Carolina Symphony, Symphoria, and the Rochester PHilharmonic. Furthermore he conducts the Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra and many all County and All state bands across the Upstate New York Region.
Herb teaches classes throughout upstate NY, the Rochester City School district, and the surrounding suburbs, a guest conductor for all county and all state bands of NY, and the director of the Eastman Youth Jazz Ensemble.
Smith is leader of and composer for his jazz trio, plays for many traveling broadway shows, and is trumpet instructor for the Eastman Community Music School. He has played with many notable artists, including Al Jarreau, Natalie Cole, Doc Severinsen,and The O’Jays.
In 2020 he organized an event where he conducted the RPO at a BLM rally. After a night in jail he founded Herb’s City Trumpets, connected to the Hochstein School of Music, is a program that teaches trumpet and mentors black youth ages 8 – 16.