Kile Smith

Composer

 

 

“There is no other music like this.” — Craig Hella Johnson

The Dawn’s Early Light: 2022 Grammy nominee

Best Choral Performance: Conspirare, L.A. Guitar Quartet, cellist Douglas Harvey, Craig Hella Johnson

The Arc in the Sky: 2020 Grammy nominee

Best Choral Performance: The Crossing, Donald Nally

Canticle: 2020 Grammy win for Classical Producer of the Year, Blanton Alspaugh

Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble, Craig Hella Johnson

The Consolation of Apollo: “A masterpiece. One of the most moving pieces of choral music written in the last 10 years.”

Christopher Jackson, Artistic Director, Bach Choir of Bethlehem

Vespers: “Our jaws just dropped”

Joan Kimball, Co-Founder, Piffaro, the Renaissance Band

“I don't think a single piece has impacted me so much as Kile Smith's The Waking Sun.”

Stephen Spinelli, Conductor, Boston Conservatory, Back Bay Chorale

“One of our most important composers”

Craig Hella Johnson, Artistic Director, Conspirare

“He knows how to generate an emotional life out of a few tiny notes—and that’s the only thing that matters”

Donald Nally, Conductor, The Crossing

“Kile Smith is reshaping the choral repertoire”

Cincinnati Movers & Makers

“New music with heart”

Alec Galambos, Director, Khorikos

"There are many days where, if asked what my favorite choral work is, Jerusalem might be the answer."

Erick Lichte, Director, Chor Leoni

“Sublimely ... ecstatically beautiful”

David Patrick Stearns, Philadelphia Inquirer

Where Flames a Word: “Many of my pro singers have said it is their all-time favorite piece of music”

Albert Pinsonneault, Madison Choral Project

“Smith’s vocal writing is eerily beautiful”

Boston Classical Review

Endless Morn of Light: “I haven't been moved to that depth by a piece of music for quite some time. The tears came as soon as the men opened their mouths and didn't stop until the end.”

Audience member

Endless Morn of Light: “A depth of urgency to express the ecstatic Good at the core of this Life. You write like no one else.”

Craig Hella Johnson, Artistic Director, Conspirare

You Are Most Welcome: “Perhaps the most intimately human work on the program”

John Eisemann, Artistic Director, In Medio, Portland, OR

Monstra te esse matrem: “It’s like a lullaby for my soul”

A singer from iSing Silicon Valley, after rehearsal

“At the top of his craft ... advancing the choral art form”

George Case, conductor

“Your music has expanded my life several times”

Alec Galambos, Director, Khorikos

“There is no other music like this. Utterly unique.”

Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare

You Are Most Welcome: “one of the most affecting moments of the evening"

John Eisemann, Artistic Director, In Medio, Portland, OR

Vespers: “a glowingly beautiful work ... stylistically timeless”

Peter Burwasser, The Absolute Sound, March 2024

The Arc in the Sky: “Masterful ... exhilarating ... emotionally charged ... Smith has set a new standard for himself. Strongly recommended.”

Jonah Pearl, The Classic Review

The Arc in the Sky: “maybe his best piece yet”

David Patrick Stearns, Philadelphia Inquirer

The Arc in the Sky: “A masterpiece … heights of revelation only great art can see and hear”

Michael Caruso, Chestnut Hill Local

The Arc in the Sky: “shimmering music that never quite goes where you think it will”

Jennifer Hambrick, WOSU Public Media

The Arc in the Sky: “a great explosion of energy ... rich and expansive ... real zest in both music and performance”

John Quinn, MusicWeb International

April Showers: “So incredibly beautiful ... such a joy to sing”

Simon Barrad, baritone

Canticle: “Achingly beautiful”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Canticle: “The writing for voices is exquisite ... contemplative, playful, devotional, exuberant, and sensual.”

Andrew Quint, The Absolute Sound

“Attracts and inspires a broad spectrum of listeners — from serious classical musicians to lovers of blues, folk and jazz”

Craig Hella Johnson, Artistic Director, Conspirare

Vespers: “like no other music”

Miami Herald

Vespers: “a major new work”

American Record Guide

Vespers: “almost preternaturally beautiful”

Philadelphia City Paper

Vespers: “one of the finest concerts I’ve heard in at least the last decade”

Chestnut Hill Local

Vespers: “spectacular”

Gramophone

Vespers: “ecstatically beautiful ... a sanctuary ... the Magnificat contains a minor miracle”

Philadelphia Inquirer

Vespers: “altogether gorgeous and haunting”

Buffalo News

Vespers: “a magnificent achievement ... fresh, vibrant ... bursts with the invention that characterizes the best music”

Fanfare

Vespers: “a crime to pass up ... easily one of the best releases of the year of any type ... profoundly direct emotional appeal”

Audiophile Audition

Vespers: “worldwide buzz ... exceptionally beautiful ... sneaks up on you, like a velvety cocktail, and then you are hooked”

Philadelphia City Paper Top Ten Classical

Deo Gratias: “almost giddy ... richly gratifying ... recalls Hugo Distler, but with a lighter heart and a natural exuberance”

Choral Journal

“His voice is unlike any other”

Craig Hella Johnson, Artistic Director, Conspirare

The Consolation of Apollo: “Top Ten… a highlight of the year”

TheaterJones, Dallas

The Consolation of Apollo: “will inspire your singers and audience to new heights”

David Montoya, California Choral Directors Association

The Consolation of Apollo: “imaginative, curiously stirring”

Tim Sawyier, Chicago Classical Review

“The piece I personally found most compelling was Kile Smith’s ‘Yes, it’s beautiful’ from The Consolation of Apollo ... stunning”

South Carolina Music Guide

The Bremen Town Musicians: "fun...a spritely, high-spirited score by Kile Smith"

Fanfare

Reflection, for organ: “Six minutes of pure musical bliss that brought tears to this reviewer’s eyes”

The Diapason

Alleluia: “going to be a staple of the choral repertoire”

Craig Hella Johnson, Artistic Director, Conspirare

A Child’s Afternoon: “spontaneous sounds of delight from the audience ... every time. We are lucky to have this piece.”

Anna Meyer, flutist

A Child’s Afternoon: “a slow burn ... the same delighted reaction ... every time I perform this piece. The anticipation ... is palpable”

Anna Meyer, flutist

American Spirituals: “among the very best examples of that type of composition that I’ve ever heard, bar none”

John McLaughlin Williams, conductor, violinist

Where Flames a Word: “an important world premiere … feels completely right in spellbinding ways I never imagined”

Philadelphia Inquirer

“The Waking Sun is a hit”

Philadelphia Inquirer

“Immediate appeal due to his melodic gift ... not forced or artificial”

Fanfare

Fanfare on Ein feste Burg: “Smith’s bristling variations ... exploded into life”

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Red-tail and Hummingbird: “excellent … distant kinship to Monteverdi’s Orfeo overture … more rapid and dense”

Philadelphia Inquirer

A Song of Sonia Sanchez: “the most dramatic piece of the evening … a deafening performance, physically and emotionally”

Temple University News

A Song of Sonia Sanchez: “one of the most powerful pieces of the evening”

Latinoamérica, Philadelphia

Two Laudate Psalms: “natural, un-ostentatious simplicity ... near-invisible touches ... The God-is-in-the-details adage holds true”

Philadelphia Inquirer

The three-time Grammy-nominated music of Kile Smith is hailed for its strong voice, sheer beauty, and “profoundly direct emotional appeal.” Commissioned by many of the nation’s top professional and university choirs, he is regularly performed nationally and internationally. Craig Hella Johnson calls Kile “one of our most important composers. His voice is unlike any other. Utterly unique.” Gramophone called his Vespers “spectacular,” American Record Guide, “a major new work,” Audiophile Audition, “a masterpiece of the deepest kind … easily one of the best releases of the year of any type,” and Cincinnati Movers and Shakers wrote, “Kile Smith is reshaping the choral repertoire.” More…

Kile’s YouTube Channel

2025

FINISHED 8 Jan. Jesus Stood on the Shore. SATB, SATB soloists, organ, 23′
REVISED 9 Jan. SATB arr. of America the Beautiful; added 2nd Soprano
1 Feb. Wie schön leuchtet from Vespers. American Kantorei, Maurice Boyer, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
2 Feb. Wie schön leuchtet from Vespers. American Kantorei, Maurice Boyer, St. Paul’s Lutheran, Des Peres, MO
FINISHED 7 Feb. Lord, Who May Dwell in Your Tabernacle (Psalm 15). St. David’s Episcopal Church, Austin, TX, Mark Wischkaemper
8 Feb. Engraved TTBB piano score of Wach auf, du alter Minnesang (Robert Pracht)
8 Feb. Engraved TTBB piano score of Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen (Heinrich Isaac, arr. Fritz Binder)
PREMIERE 28 Feb. Jesus Stood on the Shore. Choir and organ, 23′. Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Michael Plagerman, Seattle
28 Feb. Where Flames a Word. Madison Choral Project, Albert Pinsonneault, Luther Memorial Church, Madison, WI
2 Mar. Where Flames a Word. Madison Choral Project, Albert Pinsonneault, Luther Memorial Church, Madison, WI
PREMIERE 9 Mar. Jubilate Deo for chorus and orchestra. Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra, Sheldon Bair, Bel Air, MD
PREMIERE 14 Mar. Endless Morn of Light. Sylvan Viol Consort, Variant 6. Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia
15 Mar. Endless Morn of Light. Sylvan Viol Consort, Variant 6. First and Central Presbyterian, Wilmington, DE
16 Mar. Endless Morn of Light. Sylvan Viol Consort, Variant 6. Levering Mill Tribute House, Bala Cynwyd, PA
29 Mar. In the Midst of Life. Richmond Concert Chorale, Ryan Tibbetts
PUBLISHED 9 Apr. America, the Beautiful. SSAA, piano, 4′, ECS Publishing, Craig Hella Johnson Choral Series
FINISHED 6 Apr. Let All the Strains of Joy, SATB, 6’30”
10 Apr. Sometimes It Happens So. Benjamin Flanders, baritone, Sonya Szabo-Reynolds, piano. Skald Festival, Northern Kentucky University
12 Apr. I Want to Write a Book of Praise, from The Arc in the Sky. Wheaton College Men’s Glee Club, John Swedberg
PREMIERE 26 Apr. Even the Grass Must Sing and “To One Coming North” from Northland. The Choristers w/ orchestra, Lansdale, PA, David Spitko
10 May. The Consolation of Apollo. Apollo Chorus of Chicago, Stephen Alltop
10 May. Grandmother’s Garden. Oakville Choir for Children & Youth, Susan Wieler, Oakville, ON, Canada
17 May. The Waking Sun. Back Bay Chorale, Stephen Spinelli. Sanders Theater, Harvard Memorial Hall
RELEASED 23 May. my son my son. On the album Across the Open Spaces, Khorikos, Alec Galambos
14 Jun. my son my son. Release party, Across the Open Spaces CD Khorikos, Alec Galambos, including performance of this and Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn from Vespers
12 Jul. O Thou Who Camest from Above. Csehy Summer School of Music Chamber Choir, Floyd Rawleigh, Langhorne, PA
24 Jul. Northland. Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Joshua Habermann. Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe, NM
27 Jul. Northland. Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Joshua Habermann. Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe, NM
1 Aug. Northland. Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Joshua Habermann. Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe, NM
7 Oct. Reflection. Erik Meyer, organ, Episcopal Cathedral, Philadelphia
11 Oct. From The Consolation of Apollo, Thou Mayst Know, Yes, It’s Beautiful, The Stars Shine. Vox Venti, Kirsten Hedegaard, Chicago
PREMIERE 18 Oct. Let All the Strains of Joy (Tagore) plus Where the Mind is Without Fear (Tagore). The Crossing, Donald Nally, Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia
19 Oct. Let All the Strains of Joy (Tagore) plus Where the Mind is Without Fear (Tagore). The Crossing, Donald Nally, First Presbyterian Church Germantown, Philadelphia
23 Oct. You Are Most Welcome. In Media Chamber Choir, John Eisemann, All Classical Portland 89.9 public radio, live
24 Oct. Monstra te esse matrem. Variant 6, University Lutheran Church, Philadelphia
PREMIERE 25 Oct. A Rhythm to Walk In. NEWVoices, Phillip Swan, Lawrence Memorial Chapel, Appleton, WI
26 Oct. Where Flames a Word. Khorikos, Alec Galambos, Judson Memorial Church. NYC
1 Nov. You Are Most Welcome. In Media Chamber Choir, John Eisemann, Portland, OR
2 Nov. You Are Most Welcome. In Media Chamber Choir, John Eisemann, Portland, OR
2 Nov. “Conversation in the Mountains” from Where Flames a Word. Kevin Vondrak DMA recital, Yale Institute of Sacred Music
FINISHED 2 Nov. The Gift to Sing (James Weldon Johnson). SATB, piano, 4’30”. For Dolce Canto, David Edmonds, Missoula, MT
POSTED on YouTube 9 Nov. Jesus, Call Thou Me. Score video
POSTED on YouTube 10 Nov. There’s a Land Beyond the River (SATB, piano). Score video
POSTED on YouTube 11 Nov. There’s a Land Beyond the River (clarinet, piano). Score video
POSTED on YouTube 12 Nov. There’s a Land Beyond the River (clarinet, string quartet). Score video
14 Nov. “The Lord God is a sun and shield” from Symphony Lumen ad Revelationem. Bethel Philharmonic Orchestra, Brad Cawyer, St. Paul, MN. Livestream
POSTED on YouTube 14 Nov. Jesus, Call Thou Me. Live premiere video
POSTED on YouTube 14 Nov. Jesus Stood on the Shore. Live premiere video
POSTED on YouTube 15 Nov. Jesus Stood on the Shore. Score video
16 Nov. Sometimes It Happens So, Benjamin Flanders, Sonya Szabo-Reynolds, Dayton Music Club, Kettering, OH
POSTED on YouTube 19 Nov. Sometimes It Happens So. Score video
POSTED on YouTube 21 Nov. Even the Grass Must Sing, SATB, orchestra. Score video
POSTED on YouTube 22 Nov. To One Coming North, from Northland, SATB, orchestra. Score video
25 Nov. Sometimes It Happens So, Benjamin Flanders, Sonya Szabo-Reynolds, Troy-Hayner Recital Series, Troy, OH
PUBLISHED 25 Nov. Jesus Stood on the Shore. MusicSpoke
POSTED on YouTube 28 Nov. You Are Most Welcome. Score video
POSTED on YouTube 29 Nov. O Thou Who Camest from Above. Score video
POSTED on YouTube 30 Nov. Arise, O Lord (Psalm 132). Score video
2 Dec. Jerusalem from The Arc in the Sky. Boston Conservatory Chamber Choir, Stephen Spinelli, St. Clement’s Shrine, Boston
3 Dec. Two Meditations on Freu’ dich sehr, O meine Seele. Erik Meyer, organ, Advent Meditations, Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia
POSTED on YouTube 3 Dec. Home, Sweet Home from Wireless. Score video
POSTED on YouTube 4 Dec. I Love You Truly from Wireless. Score video
4 Dec. Four French Carols, string orchestra. Bethel Chamber Orchestra, Brad Cawyer, St. Paul, MN
POSTED on YouTube 5 Dec. And as the Stars Were Shining from Wireless. Score video
5 Dec. Four French Carols, string orchestra. Bethel Chamber Orchestra, Brad Cawyer, St. Paul, MN
6 Dec. Four French Carols, string orchestra. Bethel Chamber Orchestra, Brad Cawyer, St. Paul, MN
POSTED on YouTube 6 Dec. To One Coming North, from Northland, SATB, orchestra. Premiere video with subtitles
POSTED on YouTube 9 Dec. Jubilate Deo, SATB, orchestra. Score video
POSTED on YouTube 10 Dec. Where the Mind is Without Fear, SATB. Score video
POSTED on YouTube 11 Dec. Let All the Strains of Joy, SATB. Score video
12 Dec. Wie schön leuchtet from Vespers. Westminster Choir College Readings and Carols, Donald Nally
13 Dec. Wie schön leuchtet from Vespers. Westminster Choir College Readings and Carols, Donald Nally
POSTED on YouTube 19 Dec. Even the Grass Must Sing, SATB, orchestra. Live premiere
19 Dec. How Fair and Bright the Morning Star. Readings & Carols (Re)imagined, Roots in the Sky, Andrew Major, Bozeman, MT
POSTED on YouTube 20 Dec. Endless Morn of Light, SSATBB soloists, Viol Consort. Score video
20 Dec. How Fair and Bright the Morning Star. Readings & Carols (Re)imagined, Roots in the Sky, Andrew Major, Bozeman, MT
21 Dec. How Fair and Bright the Morning Star. Readings & Carols (Re)imagined, Roots in the Sky, Andrew Major, Bozeman, MT
23 Dec. Wie schön leuchtet from Vespers. Westminster Choir College Readings and Carols, Donald Nally, WWFM broadcast, 8pm, plus broadcast excerpts from The Consolation of Apollo by the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Christopher Jackson
25 Dec. Christmas Day. Wie schön leuchtet from Vespers. Westminster Choir College Readings and Carols, Donald Nally, WWFM broadcast, 3pm, plus broadcast excerpts from The Consolation of Apollo by the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Christopher Jackson

2026

25 Apr. Even the Grass Must Sing movements 2 and 4, The Choristers, Kelly Wyszomierski, Trinity Lutheran, Lansdale, PA
PREMIERE 25 Apr. The Gift to Sing, Dolce Canto, David Edmonds, St. Ignatius Mission Church, St. Ignatius, MT
26 Apr. The Gift to Sing, Dolce Canto, David Edmonds, St. Francis Xavier Church, Missoula, MT
29 Apr. The Dawn’s Early Light, excerpts, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI
18 Oct. Susquehanna. Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra, Sheldon Bair, Bel Air, MD
PREMIERE 25 Oct. Tesla’s Walk. Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble, Deborah Jenkins Teske

2027

PREMIERE 12 Apr. In the Shadow of the Most High. Mitchell Newman, violin, Elizabeth Starr Masoudnia, English horn, Gloria dePasquale, cello, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society concerts, American Philosophical Society, 2pm
PREMIERE 12 Apr. Blue Skies. Mitchell Newman, violin, Marvin Moon, viola, Elizabeth Starr Masoudnia, English horn, Gloria dePasquale, cello, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society concerts, American Philosophical Society, 2pm

Previous Calendars here.