Hopkinson Smith
Smith was born in New York City, the son of architectural writer and photographer G. He graduated from Harvard University with Honors in Music (Thesis on "The Pavans of Daniel Bacheler"). He moved to Europe in 1973 to study lute and vihuela with the renowned Catalan classical guitarist Emilio Pujol, as well as Eugen Mueller-Dombois. In the mid-1970s, Hopkinson Smith was involved in the founding of the ensemble Hespèrion XX, which led to his ten-year collaboration with Jordi Savall.
Hopkinson Smith
Sguastevi · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Born
- 7 December 1946
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, United States
- Occupation
- Composer, instrumentalist, music teacher, pedagogue
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- classical music
- Education
- Harvard University
- Teachers
- Emilio Pujol · Eugen M. Dombois
- Languages
- English
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Smith was born in New York City, the son of architectural writer and photographer G. He graduated from Harvard University with Honors in Music (Thesis on "The Pavans of Daniel Bacheler"). He moved to Europe in 1973 to study lute and vihuela with the renowned Catalan classical guitarist Emilio Pujol, as well as Eugen Mueller-Dombois. In the mid-1970s, Hopkinson Smith was involved in the founding of the ensemble Hespèrion XX, which led to his ten-year collaboration with Jordi Savall.
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wikidata · Q2717075 · wikipedia · Hopkinson Smith
In this article
Biography
Biography
Since the mid-1980s, Hopkinson Smith has focused principally on solo music for early plucked instruments. These include the vihuela, Renaissance lute, theorbo, Renaissance and Baroque guitars and the baroque lute. His 2000 recording of the J.S. Bach sonatas and partitas for solo violin adapted for baroque lute has been called 'arguably the best you can buy of these works – on any instrument' by Gramophone magazine. He additionally recorded the J.S. Bach cello suites adapted for theorbo. Smith gives concerts and masterclasses throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and North and South America. He lives in Basel, Switzerland, where he taught at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis until his retirement in 2020.
Key facts
Key facts
• Born — 7 December 1946 • Birthplace — New York City, New York, United States • Genre — Renaissance music, Baroque music • Occupation — Composer, instrumentalist, music teacher, pedagogue • Instrument — lute, baroque guitar, vihuela • Years Active — 1970s–present
Teacher
Teacher
Hopkinson Smith’s former students include Rolf Lislevand, Xavier Diaz-Latorre, Evangelina Mascardi, Miguel Yisrael, Edin Karamazov, Luciano Contini, Andreas Martin, Yasunori Imamura, Rafael Bonavita, and Peter Croton.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1946
Hopkinson Smith born at New York City.
Primary material
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reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2717075: Hopkinson Smith
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
- “Hopkinson Smith”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Nouveau Dictionnaire des interprètes page=898 .
- 2.Bach: Sonatas and Partitas (Review). Gramophone Review. John Duarte - Gramophone - July 2000.
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Hopkinson Smith is recorded as lutenist, guitarist, music educator, music arranger and musician.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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