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Paul Smith
 Guitar Starting this September the Amadeus Conservatory welcomes guitarist Paul Smith to their faculty. Praised as “Versatile and Interesting” (NYlon Review) Mr. Smith takes on all styles from Rock to Classical, Songwriting to Pop tunes, and everything in between. With a reputation for mixing things up, Mr. Smith fosters a studio that is all about possibilities and encourages students to follow their passions. When people think of a Conservatory they are sometimes shocked to see guitarists roaming the halls. That’s because “Guitars can do it all. Every genre has its own unique music to play; Blues, Rock, Jazz, Acoustic/Country, even Classical the guitar is always there. We sometimes forget that our Classical music was once Popular music; our Popular music is the doorway to all of what music has in store.” Mr. Smith’s approach gives a backbone of musical fundamentals and technique from the works of Green Day to The Beatles and includes all of the well-known guitar heroes. Guitars work especially well in ensembles and small orchestras where the many colors of the instrument work together into a unique gathering. With an ‘open-door’ music policy Mr. Smith hopes that new faces will enter the conservatory and discover all that music has in store for them. Praised as a “Versatile and Interesting Player” by Nylon Review, Paul Smith is a champion of new works for the guitar. Mr. Smith has premiered over twenty works by New York City composers including David Loeb, Jorge Sosa, Niccolo Athens, and Raphael Fusco. In 2007 Paul gave the World Premiere of Robert Cuckson’s Concerto For Guitar under the direction of David Hayes with the Mannes Orchestra. Mr. Smith studied with Emmy-winning composer and guitarist Frederic Hand at the Mannes College of Music where he received his Bachelors of Music Degree and was awarded the Associated Music Teacher’s Award. Paul continued his studies at The Juilliard School to study with double Grammy-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin and to receive coaching from Harpsichordist Lionel Party. In 2003 Paul formed the Spoon River Duo with Tenor Daniel Molkentin. The duo specializes in the entire spectrum of the Voice and Guitar repertoire. Oher collaborations have included work with Glenn Kurtz writer of Practicing, guest lecturer at the New York Classical Guitar Society, and outreach programs throughout NYC as a McCabe Fellow at the Juilliard School. As a composer Mr. Smith has written for numerous soloist, the Mannes Guitar Ensemble, The Aurora Borealis Duo and recently has had works performed at Columbia University and Alice Tully Hall. Mr. Smith’s arrangements for ensembles have been featured in Korea and throughout the United States. Recent performances include The Monkey, New York Society for Ethical Culture, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Morgan Library and Museum and the New York Public Library Performance Series. Studies also include working alongside such notable performers as Evangelos and Liza “The Greek Duo”, The Newman and Oltman Guitar Duo, Benjamin Verdery, Scott Tennant, Roland Dyens, cellist Yehuda Hanani and Baroque Ensemble La Mela di Newton. Mr. Smith has taught at LaGuardia Community College, The School at Columbia and is the Head of Guitar at the Bergen Academy of Music and Art. |