As a chorister at Westminster Abbey, Barnaby Smith appeared as a treble soloist on many important occasions, including the Proms. He continued his education as a music scholar at Bedford School, and later spent his gap year singing with the renowned choir at Winchester Cathedral and as a member of staff at the Pilgrims’ School. At this time he also appeared as a soloist with the Wayneflete Singers. He enjoys a busy schedule conducting both choirs and orchestras. As Artistic Director of Voces Cantabiles Music, he spends a significant amount of time working on both an education and performance programme that is unique in the United Kingdom. Alongside this he sings in the ensemble Voces8, performing in Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Slovenia, Germany, Austria and the United States.
Barnaby Smith conducts Voces Cantabiles, the flagship chamber choir of the organization, in a schedule that sees them sing both in concert and on several recordings. Some of his most notable achievements so far include leading Voces Cantabiles to a record seven awards in Italy at the International Choral Grand Prix, where he was also awarded the USCI del Friuli Venezia Giulia award for the best conductor and the jury’s award for the best programme selection. He also currently holds many directing positions which include Musical Director of Bracknell Choral Society and Brockham Choral Society, and Deputy Conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra’s St Luke’s Community Choir, and he relishes the opportunity of conducting the newly formed Voces Cantabiles Youth Choir, with their planned concert tours.
As a countertenor Barnaby Smith’s solo appearances have included Messiah and the St John Passion. Other solo performances include Handel’s Dixit Dominus with Rupert Gough and a semi-staged production of Handel’s oratorio Saul with the Bray Ensemble, and the Manchester-based chamber choir Ad Sonum. In 2005 Barnaby Smith made his operatic début, taking the role of Bertarido in Handel’s opera Rodelinda.