…all conducted with infectious energy by Barnaby Smith... this Messiah rocked along with breathtaking fervour, but left space for contemplation... This first Messiah of the season was a winner. 5*
The Observer
Barnaby Smith is Artistic Director of the internationally renowned vocal ensemble VOCES8, LIVE From London digital festivals, and the UK and US branches of The VOCES8 Foundation charity including its Digital Academy and Milton Abbey Festival. He is in demand as a conductor, choir trainer, teacher, countertenor and arranger.
With a schedule that takes him around the world, Barnaby has performed at many of the world’s prestigious festivals and halls including BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican Centre, Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Sydney Opera House, Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, La Seine Musicale and Cité de la Musique in Paris, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, BOZAR in Brussels, Tokyo Opera City, NCPA Beijing, Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and Vienna Konzerthaus.
Barnaby has conducted orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Academy of Ancient Music, Australian National Academy of Music, English Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Monte Carlo Symphony and he directed the music for the Olympic Mascots Film Scores at Abbey Road Studios with the British Film Orchestra. Barnaby’s collaborations have included projects with Rachel Podger, Roderick Williams, Christina Pluhar, Masaki Suzuki, Jacob Collier, Ola Gjeilo, Eric Whitacre, Jonathan Dove and Christopher Tin amongst others. Digital collaborations have included The Sixteen, the English Chamber Orchestra, Gabrieli Consort & Players, The King’s Singers, The Tallis Scholars, the Academy of Ancient Music and Chanticleer. A passionate pedagogue, he has taught at Academies and Universities across the world including co-curating the Masters course in ensemble singing at the University of Cambridge.
On disc Barnaby has released albums with record labels including Decca Classics, Universal, Sony, Warner, Naxos, Signum Classics and VOCES8 Records. He has five No.1 albums to his credit and has won numerous awards including Classic FM Album of the Year. Upcoming releases include his first solo album Handel (VOCES8 Records) with guest Mary Bevan and conducting the Philharmonia for the world premiere recording of Mårtin Jansson and Charles Anthony Silvestri’s Requiem Novum. Recent releases with VOCES8 include Infinity (Decca Classics) and After Silence (VOCES8 Records).
Barnaby completed his studies in Specialist Early Music Performance at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis where he was a pupil of Andreas Scholl and Ulrich Messthaler. He is an alumnus of the Britten-Pears Young Artists Programme and began his career singing as a treble in The Choir of Westminster Abbey. Barnaby Smith is managed worldwide by Percius. www.percius.co.uk
’The Messiah’ which went with a swing both fresh and joyous — Voces8 as Artists in Residence more than put their stamp on the festival… led by Barnaby Smith, a musical general who spearheaded all the musical endeavours and thus ensured quality in a class of its own… Jubilation and standing ovations at the close.”
Kultur, Graz
