Hopkinson Smith

Hopkinson Smith (born December 7, 1946) is an American lutenist.
 
Born in New York, he graduated from Harvard with Honors in Music (Honors Thesis on &The pavans of Daniel Bacheler&). He moved to Europe in 1973 to study with Emilio Pujol, a great pedagogue in the highest Spanish artistic tradition, and also Eugen Dombois, whose sense of organic unity between performer, instrument and historical period has had a lasting effect on him.
 
In the mid 1970s, Hopkinson Smith was involved in the founding of the ensemble Hespèrion XX and his ten year collaboration with Jordi Savall led to important experiences in chamber music which were a creative complement to his work as a soloist.
 
Since the mid 80s, 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.
 
With his recitals and series of over 20 solo recordings, he continues to rediscover and bring to life works that are among the most expressive and intimate in the entire domain of early music. His 2000 recording of the 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.
 
Internationally recognized as a leading personality in the field of early music and one of the world's great lutenists, Hopkinson Smith gives concerts and master classes throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and North and South America. He currently lives in Basel, Switzerland, where he teaches at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.