Baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. Announces 2026-2027 Season Highlights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Katy Salomon | Primo Artists | VP, Public Relations 
katy@primoartists.com | 646.801.9406   

 

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Baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. Announces 
2026-2027 Season Highlights 

House and Role Debuts with Anchorage Opera in the Title Role of 
Verdi’s Macbeth, and Kentucky Opera as Jochanaan in Strauss’ Salome 

House Debuts at the Canadian Opera Company in Verdi’s La Traviata, Montgomery Symphony in Puccini's La Bohème, Symphony of Southeast Texas in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and Waco Symphony in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9

Annual Return to The Phoenix Symphony for Holiday Performances

 

“heartbreaking authenticity and an understated dignity" — Opera Magazine 

www.reginaldsmithjr.com 

 

New York, NY (August 26, 2026) – Lauded as a "passionate performer" (The New York Times) with a voice that is "electric, hall-filling" (The Baltimore Sun), GRAMMY® and Emmy Award-winning baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. announces his 2026-2027 season, filled with notable operatic highlights, including multiple role and company debuts, as well as concert performances.

Smith’s 2026-2027 season includes his house debut at the Canadian Opera Company in Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, before he makes his company and role debut at Anchorage Opera in the title role of Verdi's Macbeth. In the new year, he debuts with the Montgomery Symphony as Marcello in Puccini's La Bohème, with the Symphony of Southeast Texas as bass-baritone soloist in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and with the Waco Symphony as bass-baritone soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. In spring, he makes his company and role debut as Jochanaan in Richard Strauss's Salome with Kentucky Opera. He also returns to The Phoenix Symphony for his celebrated annual holiday performances.

From September 18 to October 17, 2026, Smith makes his Canadian Opera Company debut, performing as Giorgio Germont, alongside Russell Braun, in Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata. Conducted by Paolo Carignani and revived by Mo Zhou, this production features an exciting cast including Kathryn Lewek and Andriana Chuchman (Violetta Valéry), Long Long and Luke Norvell (Alfredo Germont), Ariana Maubach (Flora Bervoix), Emma Pennell (Annina), Peter Barrett (Baron Douphol), Nick Murphy (Marchese d’Obigny), and Alex Halliday (Dr. Grenvil).

From October 23 to November 15, 2026, at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, Smith makes his Anchorage Opera debut in Verdi’s Macbeth, conducted by Gregory D. McDaniel. He is joined onstage by Christina Major (Lady Macbeth), Zaikuan Song (Banco), and Ben Gulley (Macduff) in one of Verdi’s most gripping and theatrically inventive operas.

Smith returns to The Phoenix Symphony for Holiday Pops Spectacular!, an annual festive concert celebrating carols and hymns from diverse traditions, from December 4 to 6, 2026. Led by Daniel Wiley, Smith performs alongside soprano Katherine Henly and the Phoenix Symphony Chorus, conducted by Chorus Master Dr. Thomas Bookhout.

In the new year, Smith makes his Montgomery Symphony debut in Puccini's La Bohème on February 12, 2027, conducted by Music Director Jamie Reeves. Smith performs the role of Marcello alongside a stellar cast including Lydia Katarina (Mimì), Jasmine Habersham (Musetta), Daniel O'Hearn (Rodolfo), Eleomar Cuello (Schaunard), Wei Wu (Colline), and Paul Houghtaling (Benoit/Alcindoro). 

Smith goes on to appear at the Symphony of Southeast Texas for a performance of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess with the Symphony of Southeast Texas Chorus, conducted by Chelsea Tipton II on April 3, 2027. The program also includes Gershwin’s Overture to Crazy Girl and Zhou Tian’s Transcend.

On April 15, 2027, Smith makes his Waco Symphony debut in the orchestra's 2026-27 season finale concert, conducted by Music Director Lawrence Loh. The concert honors the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's death, bringing the season to a breathtaking conclusion with a program that features Dallas composer Jon Cziner's Rear-View, a work inspired by road trips and the nostalgic memories they evoke, and Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Smith performs the bass-baritone solo in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, alongside Katherine Whyte (soprano), Jamie Van Eyck (mezzo-soprano), Jack Swanson (tenor), and the Central Texas Choral Society. 

On May 7 and 8, 2027, Smith makes his house debut at Kentucky Opera, performing as Jochanaan for the first time in Richard Strauss’s Salome. Conducted by Teddy Abrams and directed by Ben Robinson, this co-production with the Louisville Orchestra features Jessica Faselt (Salome), Chad Shelton (Herod), Lindsay Ammann (Herodias), and Omar Najmi (Narraboth).

Reginald Smith, Jr. 2026-2027 Season Calendar 

Friday, September 18, 2026 to Saturday, October 17, 2026
Canadian Opera Company presents Verdi's La Traviata 
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts | Toronto, ON
Link: www.coc.ca/tickets/2627-season/la-traviata 

Thursday, November 12, 2026 to Sunday, November 15, 2026
Anchorage Opera presents Verdi's Macbeth
Alaska Center for the Performing Arts | Anchorage, AK
Link: www.anchorageopera.org/2026-2027-season/macbeth/ 

Friday, December 4, 2026 to Sunday, December 6, 2026
The Phoenix Symphony presents Holiday Pops Spectacular
Symphony Hall | Phoenix, AZ
Link: www.phoenixsymphony.org/shows/holiday-pops-spectacular-2026/  

Friday, February 12, 2027
Montgomery Symphony presents Puccini's La Bohème
Troy University Davis Theatre | Montgomery, AL
Link: www.montgomerysymphony.org/mw3/  

Saturday, April 3, 2027
Symphony of Southeast Texas presents Voices of American Traditions
Julie Rogers Theatre | Beaumont, TX
Link: www.sost.org/concert/voices-of-american-traditions/  

Thursday, April 15, 2027
Waco Symphony presents Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
Waco Hall | Waco, TX
Link: www.wacosymphony.com/performances/ode-to-joy/ 

Thursday, May 7, 2027 to Friday, May 8, 2027
Kentucky Opera presents Strauss's Salome with Louisville Orchestra
Whitney Hall at The Kentucky Center |  Louisville, KY
Link: www.louisvilleorchestra.org/events/detail/salome-25712 

More about Reginald Smith, Jr.
Last season, Reginald Smith, Jr. made his Carnegie Hall debut as soloist, returning later in the season for the centennial celebration of American composer Carlisle Floyd, performing as soloist in his cantata The Pilgrimage. His house debuts included Seattle Opera as the Pirate King in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance; Minnesota Opera as Tonio in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci; and the Oakland Symphony for his first performance of Verdi's Requiem. He also performed his role debut as Peter in Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel at the Houston Grand Opera, and the title role in Mendelssohn's Elijah with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra. To close the season, Smith returned to San Francisco Opera for its Pride Gala and to the Brevard Music Center as baritone soloist in Walton's Belshazzar's Feast, part of the season finale concert program featuring Yo-Yo Ma. His portrayal of the Pirate King was recognized by Opera Magazine, which featured him as its Stage Door young artist in October 2025. 

During his operatic career, Smith has performed with leading companies worldwide. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2019 as Jim in Porgy and Bess, winning a 2021 GRAMMY® Award (Best Opera Recording) for that production. Other highlights include his 2023 performance as Amonasro in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of Aida immediately after jumping in for the company’s production of Terence Blanchard’s Champion — inspiring New City Stage to write, “Baritone Reginald Smith Jr., who was so magnificent as the older Emile in Champion, made a chilling Amonasro in what is often a throwaway role.” In 2021, he debuted with Holy City Arts & Lyric Opera as Germont in La Traviata and gave a critically acclaimed performance as Castor in the world premiere of Gregory Spears’ Castor and Patience at Cincinnati Opera.  

In addition, Smith has also appeared with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Portland Opera, Dallas Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Hong Kong, Atlanta Opera, New Orleans Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Toledo Opera, Opera Idaho, Opera Carolina, San Diego Opera, and Fort Worth Opera. Some of his credits include roles in productions of Verdi's Falstaff (title role), Tosca (Scarpia), Porgy and Bess (Porgy; Jake), Aida (Amonasro), La Traviata (Giorgio Germont), I Pagliacci (Tonio), Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio), Le Nozze di Figaro (Count Almaviva), La Bohème (Marcello), The Pirates of Penzance (The Pirate King), Così fan tutte (Don Alfonso), L'Italiana in Algeri (Taddeo), Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Don Bartolo), Die Fledermaus (Falke), Madama Butterfly (Sharpless), Gounod's Roméo et Juliette (Capulet), Fellow Travelers (Senator Charles Potter/General Airlie/Bartender), Rigoletto (Monterone), and Madame Butterfly (Bonzo). 

In concert, Smith has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Nashville Symphony, National Chorale at Lincoln Center, and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra at Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, as well as the Oregon Symphony, May Festival, Cincinnati Pops, Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Lexington Philharmonic, Columbus Symphony Orchestra (GA), North Carolina Symphony, Boise Philharmonic, West Virginia Symphony, Johnson City Symphony, and The Syracuse Orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, he performed as a soloist with the New Jersey Symphony led by Xian Zhang, The Phoenix Symphony and Chorus, the Memphis Symphony, and St. Croix Valley Opera, and appeared in recital with Houston Grand Opera’s Giving Voice and at the Fine Arts Center in Greenville, South Carolina. He has also returned as the featured baritone soloist for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas Pops performances and participated in a United in Song performance with the American Pops Orchestra, televised nationally on PBS. Other highlights include Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, the Fauré and Duruflé Requiems, Schubert’s Mass in G, Schoenberg’s Ode to Napoleon Bonaparte, Handel’s Messiah, and Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette. Alongside the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Dallas-based WFAA-TV, he shared in a Lone Star Regional Emmy Award as the featured soloist in the DSO’s 2018 Christmas Pops concert.

Smith is the 2021 U.S. representative at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, a Grand Finals winner of the 2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and a Houston Grand Opera Studio graduate. Besides receiving recognition from the Dallas Opera Guild Competition, the Mildred Miller International Vocal Competition, and the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Vocal Competition, Smith has earned first place in the National Opera Association Competition: Scholarship Division, Orpheus Vocal Competition: Young Artist Division, George London Vocal Competition: Top Prize (George London Award), and Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition: Top Prize. He also received a 2015 Sara Tucker Study Grant and a 2016 Career Grant from the William Matheus Sullivan Foundation.

Born in Atlanta, Smith grew up a dedicated choral student from elementary school onward. His formative experiences as a music student inspired him to double major in Vocal Performance and Choral Music Education at the University of Kentucky, where he earned degrees in both. While he ultimately chose a performance career, he has channeled his love of teaching into numerous masterclasses, where he is known as a highly knowledgeable and engaging presenter. He returned to his alma mater during the 2017-2018 season for a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Lexington Singers and the University of Kentucky Chorale. He later returned to the University of Kentucky for a Master’s in Vocal Performance, completing the degree in the Spring of 2021. Learn more at www.reginaldsmithjr.com.

*Photo Credit: Jiyang Chen

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