Anna Smith

Anna Smith is the founder and artistic director of the Shenandoah Valley String Orchestra. Fueled by Shenandoah’s Conservatory’s leading musicians, this ensemble has performed famous works in the string orchestra repertoire by Tchaikovsky, Barber, Bach, and Suk. She currently studies conducting under Maestro Juliano Aniceto, Director of Orchestras at the New England Conservatory Preparatory. Recently, Anna participated in the New York Conducting Workshop and Respighi Competition where she conducted the New York Chamber Orchestra through works by Mahler, Wagner, and Gershwin. Last spring, she had the opportunity to work with her colleagues at Shenandoah Conservatory in a Silent Film project with music by Cliff Hernandez, where she conducted the orchestra in a live accompaniment to the film utilizing streamers and punches. In the summer of 2024, she was awarded the Shenandoah University Summer Internship, through which she worked for the GreenSpring International Academy of Music. There, she was able to conduct ensembles, lead rehearsals, and teach music theory classes.

In addition to conducting, Anna is also an organist, currently studying under direction of Dr. Wayne Wold. Recently awarded the position of Church Music Intern for the 2025-2026 year at Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, Virginia, her responsibilities include but are not limited to playing organ for Sunday services as well as helping to conduct the choir. Previously, Anna served as church organist at Zion United Church of Christ in her hometown of York, Pennsylvania. An active member of the American Guild of Organists (AGO), Anna is a board member of the D.C. Chapter, and was recently selected to serve as the Young Organist Coordinator for the chapter. Through the AGO, Anna has participated in masterclasses with renowned organists Dr. Mary Beth Bennett and Paris Notre Dame organist Thierry Escaich. Most recently, Anna performed a recital on the newly-restored 1804 Tannenberg Organ, located in the York Historical Center.

Anna currently studies harp with Ms. Lynnelle Ediger at Shenandoah Conservatory. She is the co-founder of Calypso Harp Duo alongside harpist Brynn Olden which performs free concerts throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Anna has performed with the Shenandoah Conservatory Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. In 2024 she was invited to perform with former Royal Harpist, Claire Jones, in Jones’s concert series releasing her new collaborative album, 2K+ Fusion. In the summer of 2024, she was awarded a scholarship to work for the GreenSpring International Academy of Music, where she taught classes, led rehearsals, and curated research on historic harps. Anna often performs solo recitals, with a specific goal to inform the public about harp and organ duo repertoire. Most recently, she performed Aria in Classic Style by Marcel Grandjany at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Winchester, Virginia.

"Anna Smith possesses the rare combination of natural talent, intense drive, insatiable curiosity, and joyful enthusiasm for her instrument. She is a harpist way beyond her years with an ability to marry the nuanced colors and dynamics of her instrument with technical facility and true artistry. Music is her life force!” -Lynnelle Ediger
 

​​With the goal to interpret timeless mastery in the writings of many romantic and baroque composers with power and elegance, Anna performs frequent recitals ranging from solo organ and harp to collaborative concerts throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.