Jeffrey R. Smith graduated with a Music Composition degree from Ithaca College, after which he moved to NYC where he was musical director and/or keyboardist for several Broadway and off-Broadway shows. After a few years in New York, he returned to his home city of Philadelphia to become the conductor for the Grammy-nominated and Emmy-winning Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale.
Now based in Philadelphia, Smith often plays piano or keyboard for the Philadelphia Orchestra and Philly Pops. His vocal and orchestral arrangements and compositions have also been performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra and Philly Pops, as well as various other ensembles across the country. He recently began conducting orchestral concerts of video game music touring around the country, most notably as music supervisor and principal conductor for Stardew Valley: Festival of Seasons and Symphony of Seasons.
Smith is Artistic Director of the newly-renamed Philadelphia Youth Choral Ensembles (PYCE), home of the Philadelphia Boys Choir, Philadelphia Girls Choir, and Commonwealth Youth Choir. He has led the boys choir on numerous concert tours throughout the US, Europe, Africa, South America and Asia, most recently to India and Ghana. Under his direction, the choir has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philadelphia Ballet, Opera Philadelphia and the Philly Pops; they have performed in prestigious venues around the world including Carnegie Hall, the Vatican, and the Singapore Esplanade; and they have made several appearances on local and national television, including annual performances on Good Morning America and The Today Show.
