Christina Smith

Biography

Christina Smith is one of the most sought-after flutists in the country as an orchestral player, soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. She has held the Principal Flute chair in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 1991, endowed in perpetuity by Jill Hertz. Ms. Smith’s flute solos can be heard on over 40 ASO recordings. She has also appeared with the orchestra numerous times as concerto soloist, including works of Mozart, Vivaldi, Ibert, Rodrigo, Nielsen, Jolivet, Leonard Bernstein, and Christopher Rouse. Ms. Smith performed the southeastern U.S. premiere of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s “L’aile du songe,” with Robert Spano conducting.

Ms. Smith began studying flute at age seven. She spent her formative years in Northern California, before attending Interlochen Arts Academy, where she received the Young Artist Medal (the Academy’s highest honor) in 1989. Immediately after graduation, Ms. Smith began her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music as a pupil of Julius Baker and Jeffrey Khaner.  After just two years at Curtis, she won the principal flute chair in the ASO at age 20. Ms. Smith has also studied with Tim Day, and has collaborated extensively with master teacher and clinician Keith Underwood.

Throughout her career, Ms. Smith has continued to perform and teach at the nation’s most prestigious summer festivals, including Marlboro, Grand Teton, Strings, Mainly Mozart, and the Aspen Music Festival. She has performed with the Bellingham (WA) Festival of Music chamber orchestra since 1994, and has performed there as concerto soloist several times. In addition, Ms. Smith has been invited to teach some of the world’s most promising young orchestral musicians at the Aspen Music Festival and the National Orchestral Institute in College Park, MD.

Ms. Smith has appeared as guest principal flutist with orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Vancouver Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Symphony. In 2018, she performed with the World Orchestra for Peace in Künzelsau, Germany, and at the BBC Proms for the UNESCO anniversary concerts of the WWI Armistice. She has been featured as a gala concerto soloist at the National Flute Association convention in Salt Lake City.

A prolific and accomplished chamber musician, Ms. Smith helped launch a pre-concert chamber music series featuring ASO musicians—a program that began its first official season in 2011-12, and is now thriving both financially and artistically. Ms. Smith’s longtime collaboration with ASO principal harpist Elisabeth Remy Johnson resulted in the 2008 release of a duet album entitled “Encantamiento.” She is a member of the Merian Ensemble, a group of ASO women who perform and commission works by historic and contemporary female composers. The group has recently recorded its first album, "The Book of Spells", to noteworthy reviews.

Equally passionate about teaching, Ms. Smith serves on the faculty at Emory University and maintains a busy private studio. She remains highly in demand to teach masterclasses across the country, and has been featured as the guest artist at a number of flute clubs, including New York, Chicago, and Atlanta.

Ms. Smith performs on vintage flutes, handmade by Verne Q. Powell. She is proud to be a Powell artist.