Dr. Amelia Smith, a dedicated clarinet performer and educator, hails from a small town outside Minneapolis and has taught clarinet across the United States. She is currently a Lecturer of Clarinet at the Fresno State School of Music and has previously taught at the University of Mississippi and Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Coon Rapids, MN.
In addition to her teaching, Dr. Smith is an accomplished performer who has played both nationally and internationally. She has performed with the Fresno Philharmonic, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Santa Monica, and in a masterclass with members of the Mozarteum Orchestra, performing the Mozart Clarinet Quintet. She was invited to perform the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Sinfonietta Orchestra of Memphis and the Copland Clarinet Concerto with musicians from USC's Thornton School of Music. Dr. Smith has earned several competition placements, including first prize in the graduate division of the five-state Schubert Club Scholarship Competition in the Twin Cities, MN.
Dr. Smith teaches and performs in both Fresno and Los Angeles. In LA, she worked with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), a program funded by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and inspired by El Sistema. As YOLA Inglewood’s first Clarinet Teaching Artist, she not only cultivated students' musical skills but also fostered a strong sense of community. An activist committed to social justice, Dr. Smith believes in the transformative power of music education at all levels.
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.