Alexander Montgomery Smith is an performing artist, educator, and artistic director, based in Bern, Switzerland, who maintains an active career in musical performance and artistic collaboration. Alexander has performed in many ensemble and solo settings around the world, including The Netherlands, China, Mongolia, Germany, Spain, England, Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, Canada, Austria, Slovenia, and across the United States. Alexander has been selected twice to perform in the the world largest international percussion competition,TROMP, in 2016 and 2018, as well as other prestigious competitions. His repertoire ranges from 20th century master works such as Karlheinz Stockhausen and John Cage, to the performance and advocacy of contemporary composers. Alexander holds a Bachelor of Music degree in performance from the University of Kentucky, of which he graduated Magna Cum Laude, Master of Music Performance from the University of Tennessee, and a Master of Arts in Contemporary Arts Practice from the Hochschule der Künste Bern, Switzerland, where he is actively collaborating and performing with numerous ensembles and performers as a freelancer both locally and internationally.
Recently, he has appeared as the featured soloist for the “World Percussion Group,” performing numerous concerts over a 4-week long international tour. Alexander has also earned numerous honors and awards for artistic interpretation and performance, and has recently been supported by the “miniMAX” Foundational Support for Artistic Development and the Hirschmann Stipendium for Outstanding Artistic Achievement.
Alexander is a founding member of the ensemble "Shockwave," and currently serves as the assistant director of the ensemble. He also pursues ambitious projects with his duo partner, Philippe Gaspoz, as they navigate the relationship between historical contemporary music and the most modern works of today.
Alexander currently holds a position as a Lecturer in the Masters of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Popular Musik, at the Hochschule der Künste Bern.
Focusing on interdisciplinary and multimedia projects, Alexander continues to pursue the forefront of contemporary art through his experimental approach to musical interpretation and performance.