Welcome to the OFFICIAL MySpace for NEIL SMITH
NEIL SMITH is one of Britain's finest classical guitarists having given concerts in over 40 nations making over 2000 appearances in total
His early studies took place in the UK with pupils of Segovia and Llobet in addition to Duarte and later, he attended classes at Toronto University, Canada to study with Diaz and Brouwer.
He returned to the UK and made his Wigmore debut to great acclaim - "He played with great assurance and a fine, strong sound"
He followed this with tours under some of the finest conductors including Sir Alexander Gibson and Sir Simon Rattle, and the finest orchestras including the SNO, RLPO, CBSO, BBC Ulster, City Of London Sinfonia, the English String Orchestra and the London Philharmonic. With the London Philharmonic he made his Barbican debut - "The huge audience enjoyed every moment"
His first album was featured "Pick of the Month" in two national journals and he became a regular player on BBC Radio 3 in addition to television & radio performances Worldwide.
He has recorded for seven labels, his latest CD with John Turner on Recorders ranked high in The Times "the performances are impeccably polished" wrote Geoff Brown.
His debut in the USA received a standing ovation and led to several return trips coast to coast. Later he toured behind the Iron Curtain, on one occasion his performance was broadcast to over 45 million people direct from Budapest Art Gallery.
Recent tours have included Japan, Arabia, Russia, Scandinavia, Holland Portugal and Spain, where he gave masterclasses - a rare honour for an Englishman.
In August 2000 he was invited to play at Glamis Castle for the 100th Birthday of Her Majesty, The Queen Mother. He has also played for His Highness General Sheikh Maktoum in Arabia, for His Excellency The Spanish Ambassador, His Excellency The Colombian Ambassador, His Excellency The Israeli Ambassador in London, in addition to the film star Elizabeth Taylor in Rome and a special recital in the USSR for a Red Army tank division at the castle of Atilla the Hun near the Transylvanian Mountains.
His amazing experiences have been set down in his best selling book HAVE GUITAR, WILL TRAVEL where he documents the above events along with near death adventures when a killer escaping from the police threatens his life, a petrol bomb explodes near his taxi in Belfast, and in the CSSR a spy ring attemps to blackmail him. The book can be purchased in E Book format from www.authorsonline.co.uk and is also available in hard copy at concerts and mail order direct from www.guitaristuk.com
He has been an Examiner for the University of Wales and for the Royal Northern College of Music, and is a Fellow of the London College of Music.
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