Anna Smith has recently completed her studies at the Royal Academy of Music, where she was a postgraduate scholar under Erich Gruenberg and graduated with the Academy’s highest diploma, the DipRAM. Prior to this she read music at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, and studied the violin privately with Ani Schnarch. She has also played in masterclasses with Zvi Zeitlin, Itzhak Rashkovsky, Joji Hattori, Thomas Brandis and Matthew Trussler.

As a soloist, Anna has performed many concerti, including those by Tchaikovsky, Sibelius and Dvorak, Brahms’ Double Concerto (with Alexander), Vivaldi’s Seasons, and Bach’s A minor, Emajor, Double and Triple concerti. She also gave the world premiere of Bourgeois’ Romance for violin, cello and orchestra. She has won awards from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and Martin Musical Scholarship Fund, and was the recipient of a Foundation Award from the RAM and the Howard Gough Prize form the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

Anna is in great demand as an orchestral musician and performs regularly with groups such as the BBC Philharmonic and Concert Orchestras, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia and the Orchestra of English National Opera. She is an experienced principal player and has acted as guest principal with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra as well as guest leader of Sinfonia Cymru and the Nonesuch Orchestra. She was previously leader of Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra and principal 2nd violin in the RAM Symphony Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. She is often invited to work with smaller ensembles such as the Aegean Trio, Ensemble MP3, Surrey Soloists’ Ensemble and Lady Gray’s Strings.

From 2006 Anna takes up a post in the 1st violin section of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. She plays on a 1784 violin by Joseph Gagliano.

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