Lawrence Leighton Smith (1936-2013) was an American conductor and pianist. He won first prize in the Mitropoulos International Conducting Competition in 1964. He was assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera 1964–1967 and music director of the Westchester Symphony Orchestra 1967–1969. He was principal guest conductor of the Phoenix Symphony 1970–1973 and music director of the Austin Symphony 1972–1973. He served as music director of the Oregon Symphony 1973–1980 and the San Antonio Symphony 1980–1985.
Portrait by Jerilee Bennett
Studios
Sprague-Smith
Lawrence Smith worked in the Sprague-Smith studio.
In
January of 1976, the original Sprague-Smith Studio — built in
1915–1916 and funded by music students of Mrs. Charles
Sprague-Smith of the Veltin School — was destroyed by fire.
Redesigned by William Gnade, Sr., a Peterborough builder, the
fieldstone structure was rebuilt the same year from the foundation
up, reusing the original fieldstone. A few…
