Kile Smith

Short bio

Gramophone Magazine hailed Kile Smith’s Vespers—written for Piffaro, The Renaissance Band and the new-music choir The Crossing—as “spectacular.” The Philadelphia Inquirer found it “breathtaking” and “ecstatically beautiful,” The Buffalo News called it “altogether gorgeous and haunting,” and the Philadelphia City Paper raved that it is “almost preternaturally beautiful.” The Inquirer put the premiere in its “2008 Top Ten” list and the Broad Street Review called it “one of the major events of the music season.” Audiophile Audition said, “this work is a masterpiece of the deepest kind … Seldom do I come across a piece with such profoundly direct emotional appeal … easily one of the best releases of the year.”

Kile’s frequently performed music is praised by audiences and critics for its emotional power, direct appeal, and strong voice. He is Curator of the Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music in the Free Library of Philadelphia, co-host of Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection, and host of the contemporary American music show Now is the Time on WRTI 90.1 FM in Philadelphia.

Other recent works include Exsultet for horn and string orchestra, written for Jennifer Montone, Principal Horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra, American Spirituals, Book One for violin and piano, written for and recorded by David Kim, Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, American Spirituals, Book Two for Anne Martindale Williams, Principal Cello of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and The Bremen Town Musicians for narrator, violin, and cello. Where flames a word, written for The Crossing on the poetry of Paul Celan, was selected for performance at the 2009 Annual Conference of Chorus America.

Vespers was commissioned by Piffaro and released in 2009 on the Navona label. Recent premieres include Two Laudate Psalms, a Lyric Fest commission for mezzo-soprano Suzanne DuPlantis and the Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Now ys the tyme of Crystymas by the Virginia Chorale, the string trio Thrice Blest for the Newburyport Chamber Music Festival, the bassoon and piano This Broad Land for Ursinus College, and the solo piano Diabelli Variation for the 25th Anniversary of Network for New Music. Among the 2011 season premieres will be a major work for The Crossing and Tempesta di Mare, The Waking Sun, on texts of Seneca. Where flames a word is due to be released on Navona Records by The Crossing in the coming year.

Long bio

Gramophone Magazine hailed Kile Smith’s Vespers—written for Piffaro, The Renaissance Band and the new-music choir The Crossing—as “spectacular.” The Philadelphia Inquirer found it “breathtaking” and “ecstatically beautiful,” The Buffalo News called it “altogether gorgeous and haunting” and “stunning,” and the Philadelphia City Paper raved that it is “almost preternaturally beautiful.” The Inquirer put the premiere in its “2008 Top Ten” list and the Broad Street Review called it “one of the major events of the music season.” Steven Ritter wrote in Audiophile Audition, “I’ll say it outright: this work is a masterpiece of the deepest kind … Seldom do I come across a piece with such profoundly direct emotional appeal … easily one of the best releases of the year.”

The frequently performed music of Kile Smith (b.1956) has been praised by audiences and critics for its emotional power, direct appeal, and strong voice.  He is Curator of the Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music in the Free Library of Philadelphia, co-host of Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection, host of the contemporary American music show Now is the Time on WRTI 90.1 FM in Philadelphia, and is a substitute classical host there.

Other recent works include Exsultet for horn and string orchestra, written for Jennifer Montone, Principal Horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra, American Spirituals, Book One for violin and piano, written for and recorded by David Kim, Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, American Spirituals, Book Two for Anne Martindale Williams, Principal Cello of the Pittsburgh Symphony, the string quartet The Best of All Possible Worlds, and The Bremen Town Musicians for narrator, violin, and cello. Where flames a word, written for The Crossing on the poetry of Paul Celan, was selected for performance at the 2009 Annual Conference of Chorus America.

Vespers was commissioned by Piffaro and released in 2009 on the Navona label. Recent premieres include Two Laudate Psalms, a Lyric Fest commission for mezzo-soprano Suzanne DuPlantis and the Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Now ys the tyme of Crystymas by the Virginia Chorale, the string trio Thrice Blest for the Newburyport Chamber Music Festival, the bassoon and piano This Broad Land for Ursinus College, and the solo piano Diabelli Variation for the 25th Anniversary of Network for New Music. Among the 2011 season premieres will be a major work for The Crossing and Tempesta di Mare, The Waking Sun, on texts of Seneca. Where flames a word is due to be released on Navona Records by The Crossing in the coming year.

Kile has been Resident Composer for both the Jupiter Symphony in New York City and Musica 2000 in Bucks County, Pa. Performances have included The Voice of One Who Spoke with the Sofia Philharmonic and with Musica 2000, a Pottstown Symphony commission of Alabanza with Latin Fiesta, a 175th-Anniversary commission from Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, for Psalm 46, a major chorus and orchestra work featuring New York City Opera baritone Todd Thomas, and Four French Carols by various orchestras.

Commissions include The Voice of One Who Spoke by Musica 2000, Symphony: Lumen ad revelationem and Three Dances by the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra, and Poems of Stephen Berg for soprano, clarinet, and piano by Network for New Music. Also commissioned by the Jupiter Symphony are The Three Graces for oboe, horn, cello, and strings, Variations on a Theme of Schubert for piano and orchestra, and Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins for high voice and orchestra.

Kile’s performances also include A Song of Sonia Sanchez for Latin band, singer, and orchestra by the Delaware, Grand Rapids, Philadelphia Classical, and Jackson (Tenn.) symphonies, Three Dances by many orchestras including the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the Sofia Youth and Shumen State Philharmonics of Bulgaria, and Poems of Stephen Berg at the Academy of Vocal Arts. His Variations on a Theme of Schubert has been performed numerous times in both its solo piano and piano with orchestra versions. The chamber version of A Song of Sonia Sanchez has been performed many times by the ensemble that commissioned it, Latin Fiesta.

Other chamber and solo works have received many performances, including his Stationen auf dem Wege zur Freiheit for soprano voice, tenor saxophone, and piano, on texts of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His song “Penmaen Pool” is included on soprano Nancy Ogle’s Capstone CD, An Evening with Gerard Manley Hopkins. He has edited the Clara Schumann Concerto for Piano and Orchestra for Hildegard Publishing. Many of his brass and organ works are featured on Westminster Brass recordings and broadcast nationwide. He continues to add to his many liturgical works. Among his awards are a grant from the Philadelphia Music Project, a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Composer Fellowship, and grants from Meet The Composer and the Argosy Foundation. He is a popular pre-concert lecturer.

Kile’s music has been performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the Sofia Philharmonic, the Delaware, Grand Rapids, Jackson (Tenn.), Jupiter, Missoula, Pottstown, and Princeton symphonies among many others, Charles Abramovic, Lawrence Indik, Marshall Taylor, Musica 2000, the Ocean City Pops, and Network for New Music. Kile lives in Philadelphia with his wife, the soprano Jacqueline Smith, and their daughters.

Selected Commissions

Auricolae
The Crossing Choir
Thomas Elliott, trombone
Ensemble Epomeo
First Presbyterian Church, Phoenixville Pa.
Gerard Manley Hopkins Centenary Conference
William Ghezzi, guitar
John Ilika, trombone
The Jupiter Symphony
Latin Fiesta
Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra
Lyric Fest
Musicopia
Network for New Music
Philadelphia Classical Symphony
Philadelphia Guitar Ensemble
Piffaro, The Renaissance Band
Pottstown Symphony Orchestra
St. Joseph’s University
Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra
Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia
Ursinus College
The Westminster Brass

Recordings

• David Kim, The Lord Is My Shepherd, American Spirituals, Book One, Paul Jones Music
• Anne Martindale Williams, Sacred Music for Cello, American Spirituals, Book Two, Paul Jones Music
• Nancy Ellen Ogle, An Evening with Gerard Manley Hopkins, Penmaen Pool, Capstone Records
• The Westminster Brass, Christmas Celebration, Four French Carols, Westminster Brass Publications
• The Westminster Brass, Great Hymns of the Faith, Vol. 2, Great is Thy Faithfulness, Westminster Brass Publications
• Latin Fiesta, Amor a la Vida, A Song of Sonia Sanchez, Latin Fiesta Recordings
• Piffaro, The Crossing, Donald Nally, Vespers, Navona Recordings
  

Publishers

Hildegard Publishing Company, Inc.
Edwin F. Kalmus & Co., Inc.
Paul Jones Music
Tau Imprints
Theodore Presser Company
Westminster Brass Publications

Associations

American Composers Forum
American Music Center
ASCAP
Delaware Valley Archivists Group
Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, Board
Music Library Association

photos 1 and 4 by Abu Tilghman, photos 2 and 3 by Mark Garvin