W. Stephen Smith

About

W. Stephen Smith is a distinguished baritone and Professor of Voice at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, where he serves as Coordinator of the voice and opera program. He joined Northwestern in fall 2011 after thirteen years as a faculty member at the prestigious Juilliard School. Prior to Juilliard, he taught at the University of Houston and served as Chair of the Voice Department at the Saint Louis Conservatory of Music. He was also a vocal instructor for the Houston Grand Opera Studio from 1990 to 2003 and held a position on the voice faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School from 1996 to 2017. Smith is the author of The Naked Voice: A Wholistic Approach to Singing, published by Oxford University Press in 2007, which presents his comprehensive pedagogical philosophy. His teaching approach emphasizes the integration of voice, body, and mind for optimal vocal expression and health. His students include many of today's most celebrated opera singers such as Christine Brewer, Joyce DiDonato, Eric Owens, and Marietta Simpson.

Education & Qualifications

Training in wholistic vocal pedagogy and opera performance; faculty experience at Juilliard School, University of Houston, Saint Louis Conservatory of Music, and Aspen Music Festival

Teaching Styles