Hailed for his “big bronze voice” and commanding stage presence, baritone Adrian Smith has garnered acclaim for performances across the continental US and Puerto Rico.  Of his recent performance of Mephistopheles in Berlioz’ La Damnation de Faust, critics hailed “The vocal projection of the entrance of the character of Mephistopheles was impressive…in performance and absolute command of the scene by the magnificent baritone Adrian Smith” (El Nuevo Día).

Mr. Smith’s most recent performances include a return to Puerto Rico to perform Mephistopheles in Berlioz’ La Damnation de Faust with the Festival Pablo Casals.  Prior performances included back-to-back engagements performing Frère Laurent in Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette with the Santa Fe Symphony and Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico, of which critics hailed "American baritone Adrian Smith...captured the attention of the audience with both the deep drama of his performance, as well as with the projection of his dark sound" (Olga Iglesias Project). Adrian was delighted to return to Puerto Rico to celebrate OSPR’s 65th anniversary in a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. 

Recent seasons saw performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette with Lynn Philharmonia, as well as Schubert's beloved Winterreise in recital.  Additional engagements include appearances with the North Carolina Opera as Count Monterone in Verdi's Rigoletto along with the roles of Ethan and Owens in the North Carolina premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain, based on the epic civil war novel of the same name.   Previous seasons’ performances include Alidoro in La Cenerentola and Zuniga in Carmen, both with El Paso Opera, and Lycos in Hercules vs. Vampires with North Carolina Opera.   As a regular guest with the Asheville Lyric Opera, he performed as Doctor Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Papageno in The Magic Flute, and Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia. 

In past seasons, Mr. Smith performed Colline in La bohème with Opera North, and Angelotti in Tosca with the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra amidst a wealth of début performances including King Arthur in a performance of Camelot at Glimmerglass Opera, Dr. Grenvil in Atlanta Opera’s La traviata, and The Dodo in the U.S. premiére of Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.

Mr. Smith’s concert engagements include Brahms’ Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel, and Mozart’s Requiem.   Other performances include Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, Haydn’s Paukenmesse, Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, and Händel’s Messiah and Dettingen Te Deum.  A passionate interpreter of the music of J.S. Bach, his repertoire includes the Magnificat, Mass in B Minor, St. John Passion, and Christmas Oratorio, as well as numerous cantatas, including all of Bach’s cantatas for solo bass. 

A native of Hickory, NC, Mr. Smith holds degrees from Lenoir-Rhyne University and Boston University.  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. More information is available at www.adrian-n-smith.com.