GREGORY SMITH

Biography

The career of Gregory Smith (b. 1957) covers the entire range of the musical world from serious chamber music to Broadway to movie scores.  His television music can be heard on all of the major networks as well as stations around the world.   

The family/educational concert works of Gregory Smith have received over 700 performances by over 160 orchestras, often with Smith narrating. Orchestras such as the Atlanta, Baltimore, Bonn, Boston, Cincinnati, Minnesota, and Toronto symphony orchestras and the Rochester and Hong Kong philharmonic orchestras have embraced Mr. Smith’s unique approach to family/educational concerts.  More recently these works have found an international audience with numerous performances in the United Kingdom, China, South Korea, Germany, and New Zealand.  His latest work, The Melodic Life, was premiered by Marin Alsop at the Cabrillo Music Festival in August 2006.  

Smith enjoys a long association with the Walt Disney Company and has served as Composer and Music Supervisor for numerous productions at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Euro Disney.  He composed and conducted the music for the highly acclaimed nighttime spectacular, Wishes, at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.  Smith also composed and arranged the music for Disneyland’s 50^th anniversary celebration currently showing nightly in Anaheim.  His music accompanies the nightly fireworks display at Euro Disney.  Most recently, Smith composed, arranged and conducted the music for the fireworks show at Hong Kong Disneyland.  

Smith's television and film credits range from composing themes for MSNBC, The Discovery Channel, ESPN, TNT, Headline News, scoring for the various Star Trek TV dramas, additional music for The Mighty Ducks (II and III), orchestrations for Con Air and Now and Then, to arranging songs for the Disney animated features Pooh's Grand Adventure and Pochontas II, to composing animation music for Warner Bros. cartoons.   

Smith recently composed the logo theme for the newly merged CBS Paramount Television.  Also for CBS Paramount, he conducted and produced the re-recording of the original Star Trek theme to celebrate the show’s 40^th anniversary. 

In 2002 Smith was honored to compose the music for the Salt Lake Winter Paralympics, which was performed by the Utah Symphony and chorus.  Donny Osmond sang the centerpiece song, “Inspire The Spirit”, during the opening ceremonies that aired internationally on ABC.

As a conductor, Smith has recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and Seattle Symphony Orchestra as well as numerous recording studio orchestras in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Prague.

Works by Gregory Smith

Among the most popular and most performed educational/family concert works in North America are those of Gregory Smith. His works have been performed by dozens of orchestras including Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Rochester, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, and many more.

Conductors and Orchestra Staff desiring perusal scores/tapes, please e-mail tdstanton[@]stantonmgt.com.

Mr. Smith has a bowl full of notes-the same 12 notes that composers have used for centuries! This is the fascinating launching point for Mr. Smith's Bowl of Notes, a delightful romp through centuries of music opening the ears of new concertgoers--young and old--to discoveries of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th Century as ever-evolving musical styles leading up to…what? What will those 12 notes become in the hands of Mr. Smith?

Orchestration: (3pic),2(eh),2,2 4,3,3,1 Timp+2, harp, strings, narrator. Duration: 30 minutes.

Orchestration: 3,2,2,2 4,3,3,1 Timp+2, harp, strings, narrator. Timing: c. 17"

The latest from Gregory Smith is an exploration of music's major and minor tonalities disguised as a "who-dunnit." The cunning and ruthless major-minor sleuth, Inspector Beckensteiner, investigates an ill-fated concert where major suddenly became minor.

Orchestration: 3(pic), 2(eh), 2, 2 4, 3, 3, 1 Timp +2, Harp, Strings, Narrator. Timing: c. 22"

Not just another get to know the instruments piece, The Orchestra Games explores the various instruments' personalities and acquaints the listener with basic musical elements as it sprints through an Olympic array of events.

Orchestration: 3(pic), 2,2,2 4,3,3,1 Timp + 2, Harp, Strings, Narrator. Timing: 27" (length adaptable)   Reduced orchestration available: 2(pic),2,2,2 2,2,1,1 Timp+2, Harp Strings, Narrator.

Mr. Smith's Composition takes your YPC or Family Series audience on a rollicking and educational journey into the mind of Mr. Smith as he composes.

Orchestration: 3, 2(3), 2(3), 2(3) 4, 3, 3, 1 Timp +2, Harp, Strings, Narrator. Timing: 23"  Reduced orchestration available: 2(pic),2,2,2 2,2,1,1 Timp+2, Harp Strings, Narrator.

"It is difficult to find a work that is entertaining, educational and musically satisfying. 'Mr. Smith's Composition' is all of these and more." - Marin Alsop

Orchestras Which Have Performed His Educational/Family Works