BRENDA SMITH

UF Quest 1 Co-Leader

Dr. Brenda Smith, DMA, is a lyric soprano and professor of voice, diction, and vocal pedagogy at the University of Florida. A leading expert in voice science and vocal health, she is internationally recognized for promoting lifelong singing through proper vocal care. Dr. Smith was a key collaborator and translator for Drs. Wilhelm Ehmann and Frauke Haasemann, pioneers of “voice building for choirs,” and continues to work as a clinician, conductor, and consultant with choirs across the U.S.

She is an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and the American Choral Directors Association and regularly presents at the International Symposium on the Care of the Professional Voice. In 2000, she received the Van Lawrence Award for excellence in teaching and voice science research.

Dr. Smith is co-author of Choral Pedagogy and Choral Pedagogy and the Older Singer, as well as Diction in Context, So You Want to Sing for a Lifetime, and Class Voice: Fundamental Skills for Lifelong Singing. She also co-directs the “Sing for Life” program for Parkinson’s patients and the Oak Hammock Singers, earning the 2018 Spirit of Gainesville Arts Award with Ronald Burrichter.

Prior to UF, she taught at Westminster Choir College, Dickinson College, Rowan University, and the German School at Middlebury College, where she founded the “German for Singers” program. Dr. Smith holds degrees from the University of Evansville, Westminster Choir College, and the University of Maryland, with advanced study in Germany.