Piano Accompanying Studio
Gregory Smith
Piano Accompanying
STUDENT PROFILE
Gregory Smith, a Texas native, began his piano studies at age 5. He graduated summa cum laude from Brigham Young University, receiving his BM in Piano Performance in 2021. His former instructors include Dr. Stephen Beus, Dr. Jeffrey Shumway, and Dr. James Rauscher.
At BYU, Gregory frequently assisted the opera program, serving as a rehearsal pianist for many productions, including Purcell’s Dido and Anaeas, Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. He also performed with the BYU’s concert choir and wind ensembles.
Gregory’s awards and honors include 1st place in the 2021 Utah Young Collaborative Pianists Competition, Eastman’s Koeng Award for vocal collaboration, Eastman’s Barr Award for accompanying, and 2nd and 3rd place pianist in the 2022 and 2023 versions of Eastman’s Kneisel Lieder Competition. He has twice participated as a full-fellowship pianist at SongFest, studying with Martin Katz, Graham Johnson, and Roger Vignoles, and he also participated in Toronto’s Art of Song Program in 2023.
Under the direction of Dr. Andrew Harley, Gregory completed his MM in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music in 2023, and he has since begun his DMA studies in the same program. Equally passionate about music theory, he is also pursuing an Advanced Certificate in Music Theory Pedagogy and serves as a teaching assistant in the theory department.