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The American baritone, Adrian N. Smith, obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Voice Performance from Lenoir-Rhyne University (2008); and his Master of Music degree in Voice Performance (2008) and his Performance Certificate in Opera (2010) from Boston University. He also participated in several young artist training programmes: Brevard Music Center, Janiec Opera Company (2007); Central City Opera House Studio Artist (non AGMA) (2009); Opera North Young Artist Program (2010); Apprentice Artist at Opera Saratoga (2011); Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (2010, 2012); Studio Artist at Kentucky Opera (2012); Emerging Artist at Virginia Opera (2013-2014, 2014-2015); Apprentice Artist at Santa Fe Opera (2015, 2016; performing roles such as Larkens in La fanciulla del West, Friar Jean in Charles Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, and the Major Domo in Strauss’ Capriccio). He was a prize-winner in the Heafner/Williams Vocal Competition, the Shreveport Opera Competition, the Birmingham Opera Vocal Competition, and in 2016, received 1st Place in the South Carolina District of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
Hailed for his “big bronze voice” and commanding stage presence, Adrian Smith has garnered acclaim for performances across the country. Of his Count Monterone in NC Opera’s Rigoletto, critics said "Adrian Smith's Monterone poured out imposing tone in his outrage against the Duke." Of a performance of La fanciulla del West, critics hailed “Adrian Smith’s well-voiced Larkens was memorably affecting.”
In past seasons, Adrian Smith performed Colline in La bohème with Opera North, (2010) and Angelotti in a concert performance of Tosca with the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra (2012) amidst a wealth of debut performances including King Arthur in a performance of Camelot at Glimmerglass Opera (2013), Dr. Grenvil in Atlanta Opera’s La traviata (2013) and The Dodo in the USA premiére of Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (2012). Additional credits include appearances as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor (2009), The Old Doctor in Vanessa, Frère Laurent in Charles Gounod's Roméo et Juliette (2011), as Geronimo in Domenico Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto (2011), as Marquis de la Force in Francis Poulenc's Dialogues des carmélites (2012), and in the title role of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale (2012).
Adrian Smith's performances in Previous seasons include Alidoro in La Cenerentola (2017) and Zuniga in Georges Bizet's Carmen (2016), both with El Paso Opera, Lycos in Hercules vs. Vampires with North Carolina Opera. As a regular guest with the Asheville Lyric Opera, he has performed as Doctor Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore (2017), Papageno in W.A. Mozart's The Magic Flute (2016), and Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia (2015). His Adrian Smith's recent performances include L.v. Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in a return to Lynn Conservatory, as well as Schubert's beloved Winterreise in recital. He also rounded out his repertoire of J.S. Bach's solo bass cantatas with BWV 158, Der Friede sei mit dir (2021). Additional engagements include appearances with the North Carolina Opera as Count Monterone in Verdi's Rigoletto (2018) along with the roles of Ethan and Owens in the North Carolina premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain (2017), based on the epic civil war novel of the same name.
On concert stages, Adrian Smith's engagements include Johannes Brahms’ Requiem (2019), Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah (2017), Frère Laurent in Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette (2017), Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel (2015), and W.A. Mozart’s Requiem (2010) and Mass in C minor (2010). Other performances include Puccini’s Messa di Gloria (2010), Haydn’s Paukenmesse (2010), Dvořák’s Stabat Mater (2011), and George Frideric Handel’s Messiah (2011, 2017) and Dettingen Te Deum (2012). A passionate interpreter of the music of J.S. Bach, he has been heard in J.S. Bach’s Magnificat BWV 243 (2012), Mass in B Minor BWV 232 (2010), St. John Passion BWV 245 (2018), and Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 (2018), as well as several cantatas, including BWV 82 Ich habe genug (2016) and BWV 56 Ich will den Kreutzstab. |
