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Departments
Woodwind Chamber Music
Courses Taught
Wind Chamber Music
Education
MM Bassoon — SFCM,
Professional Studies Diploma - SFCM
Bachelor's — University of Washington
Ensembles
San Francisco Contemporary Music Players
Quinteto Latino
One Found Sound
Q&A
What is your hometown?
Mukilteo, WA
What is your favorite recording?
Sibelius 2, recorded by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. It was the very first piece of classical music that I had ever heard and it was at that point that I knew I wanted to have a life full of music.
What are you passionate about outside of music?
Perfecting my chocolate chip cookie recipe, and reading!
Who were your major teachers?
Stephen Paulson, Seth Krimsky
If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?
A chef!
What is your daily practice routine?
My daily practice routine is really rooted in fundamentals. Every practice starts with scales, intervals, and long tones. The time spent on these building blocks helps me feel ready to tackle whatever I have coming up that day.
What is your unrealized project?
Creating a concert series/collective focused on contemporary chamber music written by Black composers of today.
Please list your most important collaborations.
Meredith Monk, Rebekah Heller, Nathalie Joachim
Media
Biography
Jamael Smith is a San Francisco-based bassoonist and educator. A dedicated performer of contemporary and chamber music, they are a member of the San Francisco Contemporary Players and Eco Ensemble; as a chamber musician, they perform as a member of Quinteto Latino and the Avenue Winds. They also serve as a core member of the conductorless chamber orchestra One Found Sound. They have performed frequently with the San Francisco Symphony and appear on multiple recordings with the orchestra, including Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring (a 2023 Grammy nominee) and Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony. Other regular engagements include the Santa Rosa Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, and Opera Parallèle, among others.
A passionate educator, Smith serves as the Director of Wind Chamber Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the instructor of bassoon at San Jose State University. Primary teachers include Stephen Paulson and Seth Krimsky, with additional training at the Kent Blossom, Pierre Monteux, and Bay View Chamber Music Festivals.