Hailed for his “big bronze voice” and commanding stage presence, baritone 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.”
Mr. Smith’s most recent performances include 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 in 2024.
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. He also rounded out his repertoire of J.S. Bach's solo bass cantatas with BWV 158, Der Friede sei mit dir. 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, 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, Papageno in The Magic Flute, and Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Mr. Smith was twice a member of the Apprentice Artist program at the Santa Fe Opera, performing roles such as Larkens in La fanciulla del West, Friar Jean in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, and the Major Domo in Strauss’ Capriccio.
In past seasons, Smith performed Colline in La bohème with Opera North, and Angelotti in a concert performance of 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. Additional credits include appearances as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, The Old Doctor in Vanessa, Frère Laurent in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, as Geronimo in Domenico Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto, as Marquis de la Force in Dialogues des carmélites, and in the title role of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale.
Mr. Smith has garnered great acclaim on concert stages all over North America. Engagements include Brahms’ Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel, and Mozart’s Requiem and Mass in C Minor. 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, he has been heard in Bach’s Magnificat, Mass in B Minor, St. John Passion, and Christmas Oratorio, as well as numerous cantatas, including BWV 82 Ich habe genug and 56 Ich will den Kreutzstab.
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.
Mr. Smith’s most recent performances include 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 in 2024.
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. He also rounded out his repertoire of J.S. Bach's solo bass cantatas with BWV 158, Der Friede sei mit dir. 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, 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, Papageno in The Magic Flute, and Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Mr. Smith was twice a member of the Apprentice Artist program at the Santa Fe Opera, performing roles such as Larkens in La fanciulla del West, Friar Jean in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, and the Major Domo in Strauss’ Capriccio.
In past seasons, Smith performed Colline in La bohème with Opera North, and Angelotti in a concert performance of 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. Additional credits include appearances as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, The Old Doctor in Vanessa, Frère Laurent in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, as Geronimo in Domenico Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto, as Marquis de la Force in Dialogues des carmélites, and in the title role of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale.
Mr. Smith has garnered great acclaim on concert stages all over North America. Engagements include Brahms’ Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel, and Mozart’s Requiem and Mass in C Minor. 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, he has been heard in Bach’s Magnificat, Mass in B Minor, St. John Passion, and Christmas Oratorio, as well as numerous cantatas, including BWV 82 Ich habe genug and 56 Ich will den Kreutzstab.
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.