Rate My Professor Ashley Smith
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Makes every class a memorable experience.
Always positive and motivating in class.
Fosters collaboration and teamwork.
Inspires a passion for knowledge and growth.
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About Ashley
Ashley Smith is an Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia’s Conservatorium of Music, serving as Chair of Woodwind and Deputy Head of School for Teaching and Learning. He holds a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours and a Doctor of Musical Arts (2020) from UWA, a Master of Music in clarinet performance from Yale University under David Shifrin, and is a Fellow of the Australian National Academy of Music. Specializing in post-tonal music analysis, contemporary performance practice, and new music development, Smith has established himself as a leading figure in these areas. His doctoral thesis, “Redefining moments: Interpreting flexible moment form in the late solo works of Franco Donatoni,” exemplifies his analytical depth.
Smith’s career trajectory includes his 2013 appointment as artist-in-residence and lecturer in contemporary performance, advancing to his current senior roles. Beyond academia, he directs the Perth Symphony Orchestra, serves as Acting Director of the Australian Music Examinations Board, and advises artistically for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Musica Viva Australia. An internationally acclaimed clarinet and bass clarinet soloist, he has premiered over 30 commissioned works and performed with prestigious ensembles such as the Calder Quartet, Dover Quartet, and at venues including the Kennedy Center and Beijing Modern Music Festival. Notable performances include John Adams’ Clarinet Concerto and Brian Ferneyhough’s Time and Motion Study No. 1. His research outputs feature peer-reviewed performances and the forthcoming article “Roger Smalley: Moment Form and Formal Structure in Monody (1971–1972)” (2026, co-authored with Adam Pinto). Awards include the Music Council of Australia Freedman Fellowship, ABC Symphony Australia International Young Performer Award (2010), Churchill Fellowship, APRA Performance of the Year (2015), UWA FABLE Excellence in Teaching Award (2020), and Conservatorium of Music Early-Career Research Award (2022). Smith teaches courses in woodwind performance, post-tonal analysis, music aesthetics, popular music studies, and arts entrepreneurship, while also serving as the Conservatorium’s Diversity and Inclusion Officer. In 2026, he will premiere a new clarinet concerto by James Ledger with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
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