Dr. Wyatt Smith

Instructor of Harpsichord, Organ

DMA University of Washington

MM Yale University

BM University of South Dakota

American concert organist Wyatt Smith is a native of Rapid City, South Dakota. He performs with “nuance, polish, and personality” (Michael  Barone, APM Pipedreams). Wyatt concertizes extensively, keeping an active concert schedule throughout the United States and Europe. Notable  performance venues include the US Air Force Academy Protestant Cadet Chapel (Colorado Springs), St. Thomas Church (New York), St. Andrew’s Cathedral (Honolulu), St. George’s, Hanover Square (London), St. Mark Episcopal Cathedral (Seattle), Spreckels Organ Pavilion – Balboa Park (San Diego), National City Christian Church (Washington, D. C.), King’s Chapel (Boston), Trinity Church – Copley Square (Boston), Woolsey Hall – Yale University (New Haven), William Jewell College (Liberty), and Overture Concert Hall (Madison). He performed at the 2012 AGO National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee as a Rising Star, having won the AGO/Quimby Regional Competition for Young Organists - Region VI in 2011. His performances have been heard on several episodes of American Public Media’s Pipedreams. His achievements in performance were recognized by The Diapason’s program "20-under-30" as a member of the "Class of 2016," which recognizes young leaders in the fields of organ, harpsichord, carillon, and church music. As a harpsichordist, Wyatt has performed primarily in the Pacific Northwest with the Discovery Trio, the University of Washington Baroque Ensemble, and as a solo artist. He has performed harpsichord repertoire ranging from Bach and Couperin to Rudolf Kelterborn and modern improvisations. Wyatt also regularly performs with mezzo-soprano Tracelyn Gesteland, as a member of the Gestelend-Smith Duo. Together they perform repertoire for solo voice and organ, both standard and commissioned works. Their first project led to a compact disc recording, Make a Joyful Noise, which is available from RAVEN CDs (OAR-989).

Wyatt has a passion for commissioning and performing new works for the organ. Over the last several years, he has commissioned and premiered works by David Cherwien, Carson Cooman, Emma Lou Diemer, Kurt Knecht, Kristina Langlois, Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra, among  others. 

He is also the Affiliate Artist in Organ & Harpsichord at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma where he teaches private lessons, curates the care of the Fritts organ in Kilworth Chapel, along with performing “Organ at Noon” recitals throughout the year. Wyatt is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, where he received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance, under the guidance of Dr. Carole Terry. Wyatt received his Master of Music degree from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and the Yale School of Music, where he studied organ performance with Dr. Martin Jean. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where he studied with Dr. Larry Schou. 

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