Jordan Randall Smith

Assistant Conductor, 2018-present

Award-winning conductor Jordan Randall Smith is the Music Director of Symphony Number One, and Assistant Conductor of Hopkins Symphony Orchestra at Johns Hopkins University. Smith was recently named Visiting Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Orchestras at Susquehanna University. Also serving as Principal Conductor of Opus Concert Theatre, Smith was formerly Co-founder and Artistic Director of the Dallas Festival of Modern Music and Graduate Assistant Conductor of the Peabody Opera Theatre. Smith was lauded for being “an attentive partner” by the Baltimore Sun. His leadership of Mahler’s fourth symphony was praised by the Sun’s Tim Smith: “The third movement, in particular, was quite sensitively molded.” Conductor Alan Gilbert called Jordan’s conducting of Boulez’ Le Marteau sans Maître, “impressive.”

In 2016, Jordan was named a Baltimore Social Innovation Fellow for his work with Symphony Number One. He was the recipient of a Bruno Walter Fellowship at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in 2010 and a Finalist for the 2018-2019 American Prize in Conducting. An active supporter of new music, Jordan has a discography spanning four commercial releases and a history of commissions, leading over 50 world premieres. Jordan is also a student of early music, having formerly served as Apprentice Conductor of the Dallas Bach Society Orchestra and Chorus. Jordan is also a Creative Director of the International Florence Price Festival.

Jordan is a former public school music educator and in-demand clinician, having mentored thousands of young musicians in ensembles across the country including the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Cross Timbers Youth Orchestra, and the Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra.

A Doctor of Musical Arts candidate in Conducting at the Peabody Conservatory, Smith was a student of Gustav Meier, Marin Alsop, and Markand Thakar. Jordan was invited to give a TED Talk at TEDxMidatlantic 2017 and is a contributor to Baltimore Magazine.

Learn more about Jordan at jordanrsmith.com.

Updated July 2019