Dr. Amelia Smith, a dedicated clarinet performer and educator, hails from a small town outside Minneapolis, MN and has taught and performed across the United States and abroad. She is currently Clarinet Lecturer at the Fresno State School of Music, Adjunct Instructor at Fresno City College and has previously taught at the University of Mississippi.
In addition to her teaching, Smith is an accomplished performer who has enjoyed many national and international opportunities. She has performed with the Fresno Philharmonic, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, and in masterclass with members of the Mozarteum Orchestra, performing the Mozart Clarinet Quintet. Her soloist appearances include invitations to perform the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Sinfonietta Orchestra of Memphis, the Copland Clarinet Concerto with musicians from USC's Thornton School of Music, and Scott McAllister’s Black Dog with the Clovis North High School Wind Ensemble. Amelia also earned first prize in the graduate division of the Schubert Club Scholarship Competition in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Fresno and Los Angeles are primarily where Dr. Smith teaches and performs. In LA, she is proud to have taught at Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), an El Sistema-inspired program funded by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. As YOLA Inglewood’s first Clarinet Teaching Artist, she not only cultivated student’s musical skills but also fostered a strong sense of community. In addition to Fresno State, she is proud to currently serve as the clarinet coach at Clovis West and Clovis North high schools, and maintains a private studio in the area. An activist committed to social justice through music, Dr. Smith believes in the transformative power of visibility and education at all levels. Her recent performances include a newly-commissioned work Urban Pulse for flute, clarinet and piano trio written by SiHyuhn Uhm. This piece was written for and performed by Trio Hana, CA-based trio comprising Deanna Pyeon (flute) and Matt Harikian (piano).
Dr. Smith holds degrees from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University (BM), the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis (MM), and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (DMA). Her former instructors include Howard Klug, Dr. Robyn Jones, Alexander Fiterstein, and Timothy Zavadil.