Stefan L. Smith was born in Joliet, IL. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2008, Stefan studied at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music on a full tuition scholarship for a Masters Degree in Viola Performance with Professor Donald McInnes. His two Bachelors of Music Cum Laude degrees are in Viola Performance and Music Composition from DePaul University’s School of Music in Chicago.
In LA, Stefan has written music for the concert hall, film/TV, video games, R&B/Pop songwriting, as well as having an extensive professional symphonic playing career. He has served as a principal and/or acting principal violist with the: Hollywood Studio Symphony, New West Symphony Orchestra, Riverside Philharmonic, South East Symphony Orchestra, Henry Mancini Institute Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, DePaul Symphony Orchestra, Oistrach Chamber Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago (the training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), and many others. He is also a sought after on screen musician, where he can been seen on projects such as Modern Family, West Wing, The Voice, Glee, 90210, American Music Awards, and the BET Awards to name a few. In 2013, Stefan was appointed to the Viola Section of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
Smith is the recipient of numerous awards, including the National Award of Merit at the National Fine Arts Festival of 2000. In 2013, Stefan was invited to the UC Berkeley Young Musicians Program Faculty where he taught Violin, Viola, and Music Composition. He is a sponsored artist with the following companies:
- William Harris Lee Performing Artist (performs on a 2003 Bronek Cison Viola)
- Former Maestro Foundation Performing Artist
- Coda Bow International Performing Artist
- Remic Microphones Performing and Recording Artist
Stefan was commissioned to write a symphonic work for the Chicago Sinfonietta, which premiered at Orchestra Hall in Chicago in October of 2019. He keeps himself busy by working as a music composer for film, TV and video games, as well as a performer in the symphonic and recording industries of Los Angeles, CA. Smith is also the Artistic Director of Fever Up‘s “Candlelight” chamber series in Los Angeles as well as the Artistic Director of the Metropolis Chamber Musicians.
