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.
