Calvin Leigh Smith

SMITH, CALVIN LEIGH - 61 of Knoxville passed away suddenly at his home Sunday, May 8th. He was a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and a member of Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church. He was a loving husband and father and is survived by his wife, Paula and sons Nathan and Jeremy Smith, all of Knoxville. At the University of Tennessee Cal taught horn, directed the Horn Ensemble, taught Brass Literature, coached chamber music, and performed with The Brasswind Quintet, the faculty brass quintet. He was principal horn of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and the Knoxville Wind Symphony. In the Summer he taught at the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts and at the International Music Camp at the International Peace Garden on the North Dakota/Manitoba border. Mr. Smith frequently presented solo recitals and master classes at universities throughout the United States. He was an active recording musician in Nashville, primarily in Christian Music. For nearly twenty years he was one of the busiest freelance hornists in Los Angeles, performing extensively in chamber music, ballet, opera and symphony orchestras and in the recording industry (TV, motion picture, records and jingles). Mr. Smith was a former member of the Annapolis Brass Quintet (America's first full time brass ensemble), the Westwood Wind Quintet, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Cascade Festival of Music Orchestra, the Los Angeles Brass and the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra. Mr. Smith had performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, The Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Nashville, the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra, the Ojai Music Festival Orchestra, the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and had been a substitute principal horn for the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Chautaugua Festival Orchestras. He had recorded with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Long Beach Symphony, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, and as a soloist or chamber musician on Crystal Records, W.I.M. Records, Richardson Recordings, and Hornists' Nest Recordings, and with many artists as adverse as Jewel, Luis Miguel, Jo Dee Messina, Barbra Streisand, Arturo Sandoval, Gloria Estefan, Faith Hill, Wynonna, and Prince. He was an educational specialist with Conn-Selmer Musical Instruments. Since 1999 he was a recordings reviewer for the HORN CALL, the journal of the International Horn Society. He is also survived by many loving aunts, uncles and cousins, most of Lockport, NY and Morgantown, PA and special friend, Mary Wichelt of Knoxville. Family will receive friends Wednesday, May 11 at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. followed by a Celebration of Life service in the sanctuary at 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to www.internationalmusiccamp.com/donate. Condolences may be offered at www.mccartyevergreen.com