Esme M. Smith is a violinist based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Welcome! I’m a senior at the Waterford School who loves chamber music and ensemble playing. This site is a portfolio of my violin experience and recordings.

 

Esme McBaine Smith – Violin Performance and Training (as of January 2022)

  • Interlochen Arts Camp, Interlochen, MI. Summer 2021. World Youth Symphony Orchestra.

    • Selected to lead the second violin section.

    • Received both Honor Camper Award (selected by cabinmates and counselors) and Fine Arts Award (selected by faculty).

    • Performed Stravinsky’s Firebird, Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Sibelius 2nd Symphony, among other works.

    • Conducted by JoAnn Falleta, Cristian Macelaru, and Christian Reif

    • First chair violin in quintet group for Mendelssohn Quintet No. 1, 2nd movement 

  • Junior Year Independent Study: Concert of works by women and people of color, Waterford School Concert Hall. April 10, 2021. Selected, learned and performed a complete concert as the culmination of a year of study. Invited colleagues to perform in ensembles, coordinated rehearsals and shared research with the audience. 

    • Clara Schumann, Piano Trio Op. 17. Performed with cello and piano. YouTube links here and here. 

    • Ethel Smyth, Sonata for Violin and Piano in A minor. YouTube links here and here.

    • Margaret Bonds, Three Dream Portraits. Performed with soprano and piano. YouTube links here (I, Too), here (Dream Variation), here (Minstrel Man).

    • Florence Price, My Dream. Words by Langston Hughes. Performed with soprano and piano. YouTube link here.

  • Credo Summer Chamber Music Program, Oberlin Conservatory, Oberlin, OH. Summer 2020. Selected through audition to be one of 60 string players to study under Oberlin faculty. Also invited to participate in additional pre-program intensive. All programming was modified to focus on solo work and held online. Private lessons with Peter Slowik.

  • Waterford School High School Quartet, Sandy, UT. First chair (2019-2022), Second chair (2018-2019). In Spring 2021, received the highest recognition granted by the Utah High School Activities Association for quartet competition. 

    • L. van Beethoven, String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, 1st movement 

    • Johannes Brahms, String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, 4th movement 

    • Alexander Borodin, String Quartet No. 2 in D Major, 1st movement, 4th movement 

    • Franz Schubert, String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor “Death and the Maiden,” 1st movement

    • Antonin Dvorak, String Quartet No. 6 in F Major “American,” 3rd movement 

    • Maurice Ravel, String Quartet in F Major, 4th movement 

    • W. A. Mozart, String Quartet No. 19 in C Major “Dissonance,” 1st movement 

  • Waterford School Chamber Orchestra, Sandy, UT. 2018 - 2022. Concertmaster both Junior and Senior years. Assisted in preparing the orchestra for a tour to Croatia and Slovenia (didn’t happen due to Covid).

    • Bela Bartok, Romanian Folk Dances 

    • Antonin Vivaldi, Four Seasons “Summer,” Allegro, soloist

    • Edward Elgar, Introduction and Allegro For String Quartet and String Orchestra Op. 47

    • Camille Saint-Saens, Danse Macabre 

    • Anton Webern, Langsamer Satz 

    • W. A. Mozart, The Abduction From the Seraglio (Overture)

    • Richard Wagner, Overture to Rienzi 

    • J.S. Bach, Concerto for Two Violins, Vivace

    • Gustav Holst, St. Paul’s Suite

    • Bedrich Smetena, String Quartet in E Minor, “In My Life”

    • Samuel Barber, Adagio for Strings

  • Waterford School High School Orchestra, Sandy, UT. 2018 - 2022. Concertmaster both Junior and Senior years. 

    • Arcangelo Corelli, Concerto Grosso No. 4

    • Peter Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture 

    • Aaron Copland, Hoedown from Rodeo

    • George Bizet, Carmen Suite

    • Johannes Brahms, Hungarian Dance No. 5

    • Gioachino Rossini, “Figaro, Figaro,” from The Barber of Seville

    • Edward Elgar, Pomp and Circumstance 

  • Utah Youth Symphony Orchestra, Salt Lake City, UT. 2019-2020. First violin. Orchestral music included Ravel’s Bolero, Beethoven’s Creatures of Prometheus Overture, and Saint-Saens’ Samson and Dalila Dance Bacchanale Op. 47.

  • Interlochen Arts Camp, Interlochen, MI. Summer 2019. World Youth Symphony Orchestra violinist. 

    • Antonin Dvorak Violin Concerto in A Minor with visiting artist Midori. 

    • Peter Tchaikovsky,  Symphony No. 5

    • Dimitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 11

    • Paul Dukas, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

    • Franz Liszt, Les Preludes

    • First chair violin in quartet group, performed Edvard Grieg, String Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, 1st movement.

  • Interlochen Arts Camp, Interlochen, MI. Summer 2018. Intermediate Symphony Orchestra.

  • National Federation of Music Clubs, Superior (highest) rating in senior concerto division. 2018 and 2019.

  • Intermountain Suzuki String Institute, Sandy, UT. 2013-2018. Classes in orchestra, quartet, theory, and master classes at the largest Suzuki conference in the U.S. Also received coaching as part of Chamber Days from the Fry Street Quartet.

  • Gifted Music School Preparatory Division, Salt Lake City, UT. 2010-2017. Performed under guest conductors Bill McGlaughlin (of NPR’s Exploring Music) and Craig Jessop (of Utah State University). Repertoire included Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, Mozart’s Divertimento in D Major, Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 in D Major.

  • Rocky Mountain Strings, Salt Lake City, UT. 2016-2017. Prepared violin ensemble repertoire during the school year and then toured Germany and Austria with a group of 30 violinists over the summer. Under the direction of Michael McClean of the Colburn School. 

  • Waterford Middle School Orchestra, Sandy, UT. 2016-2018. Selected as concertmaster for middle school orchestra. 

Third Street Music School, New York, NY. 2013. Attended summer program in chamber music.