Gregg Smith, the renowned composer and conductor passed away on July 12, 2016. Smith, a winner of three Grammy Awards, directed the Gregg Smith Singers for more than fifty years with international recognition and acclaim. He worked very closely with Igor Stravinsky and is closely associated with recording and performing the music of Heinrich Schütz, Giovanni Gabrieli, and Charles Ives.
Gregg Smith was a prolific composer himself but championed the works of dozens of contemporary composers throughout his career. The memorial service will feature former members of the Gregg Smith Singers, Long Island Symphonic Choral Association (LISCA), and the Choir of Saint Peter’s Church.
Dennis Keene, organist and conductor
Balint Karosi, organist
Thomas Schmidt, conductor and pianist
The 2016–2017 season opens with Mozart’s Requiem at Alice Tully Hall with The Dessoff Orchestra. Entitled “We Remember,” this concert will feature Steven Stucky’s Take Him, Earth, honoring President John F. Kennedy, and the premiere of an orchestrated version of David Hurd’s homage to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., In Honor of Martin.
