Serving as Assistant Conductor of the Arlington Philharmonic since 1991, JAMES RUSSELL SMITH is a versatile conductor, composer, and performer. He earned his Master of Music degree in Composition at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and his Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition at Boston University. He has been on faculty at the Berklee College of Music in Boston since 1986, where he is an Associate Professor of Theory and Composition and has been honored with the Dean of Curriculum Award. He has also served on the faculties at Boston University, the University of Wyoming, Middle Tennessee State University, and the Armed Forces School of Music.
In addition to his work in Arlington, Dr. Smith has conducted a range of groups, including the a cappella chorus Zerbazzyx, the Percussion Ensemble of the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra (GBYSO), the Delta Omicron Orchestra, and the Youth Orchestra of Southampton, England.
A respected composer, his works range from symphonic, chamber, and choral compositions, to pop, jazz, and film scores. Dr. Smith's works have been performed and commissioned by such groups as the BBC Orchestra in London, Back Bay Chorale, Arcadian Winds, CrossCurrents, Dinosaur Annex, the Marsh Chapel Choir at Boston University, the Burgett Ensemble, Underground Composers, the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra, and the Western Arts Festival, as well as by the Arlington Philharmonic and the Arlington-Belmont Chamber Chorus. His symphonic work, "Quiet Earth," recently earned semi-finalist status in the prestigious Masterprize international competition in London, and will be broadcast by the BBC in 1998.
As an accomplished percussionist specializing in keyboard percussion, he has performed with orchestras in Boston, Memphis, Nashville and Michigan. He is a former member of the U.S. Marine Band ("The President's Own") where he was featured at state functions and on national tour as a marimba soloist.
Dr. Smith presently takes an active role in the Boston free-lance music community, where he has played with most major orchestras and chamber ensembles, including the Boston Ballet, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, Harvard Chamber Orchestra, Masterworks Chorale, New Hampshire Symphony, Portland Symphony, Alea III, Dinosaur Annex, and the Cantata Singers, among others. His versatility also ranges to performances with Celtic harpist Aigne Minogue, recordings with folk singer Diane Taraz, and performances in elementary and middle schools throughout the Commonwealth as a guest percussionist with the Spectrum Percussion Ensemble, as part of the Young Audiences of America program. Dr. Smith is a native of Memphis, Tennessee, and now resides on the North Shore with his wife and two sons. In addition to his love of music and teaching, he is an avid golfer and a baseball fan.
