Conductor and music educator Brad Smith leads the orchestra and string chamber music programs at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas. He has served in this role since 2014. Smith is also a member of the Artistic Staff of the Houston Youth Symphony, where he conducts the Sinfonia Orchestra (2016-present). Brad Smith has been working with musicians of all ages for his entire professional career. Prior to his current positions, he served in several different roles in the greater Philadelphia area, primarily at the University of Pennsylvania as Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble and as a Lecturer in both the Department of Music and in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies. During this time, Smith also served for nine years as Music Director and Conductor of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra, a group of over 100 student musicians based in the suburbs of Philadelphia.Brad Smith has served as a guest conductor and adjudicator in several states, and has presented twice to the College Orchestra Directors Association national conference. He has also published an article on conducting pedagogy in the CODA journal. Originally from Texas, Smith taught music in the public schools for four years prior to graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin. There he obtained Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Conducting. Dr. Smith's formal music study began at Stephen F. Austin State University with a Bachelor of Music and Texas Teacher Certification in Music Education.