Maestro’s Smolij’s pedagogical accomplishments as orchestra builder and conducting teacher are widely acknowledged on three continents. His collaborations with college and university orchestras are consistently marked by substantially raising the level of group and individual performance, understanding of musical styles and discipline, as well as the “technology” of ensemble playing. Members of university orchestras taught by him occupy positions with major orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, among many others.
Many of his conducting students enjoy notable professional conducting careers and have been associated with such distinguished institutions as the English National Opera, the BBC Symphony, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, the Gulbenkian Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Berkeley Symphony, the Chicago Chamber Orchestra and the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, among many others.
Private Conducting Lessons, 2000 - present Acadiana Symphony & Conservatory of Music, Lafayette, Louisiana, 2003 – present
Music Director and Conductor of unique performance/educational musical venture. Tianjin Conservatory of Music, Tianjin, China, 2011 - present
Visiting Professor, Conductor of Tianjin Conservatory Symphony Orchestra.
Rehearsals, master classes and a concert tours in Asian countries. Northwestern University School of Music, Evanston, Illinois, 1996 – 2000
Assistant Professor, Assistant Director of Orchestras, Director of Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra, teacher of Graduate Conducting and Chamber Music Coordinator. Orchestral program in conjunction with the Civic Orchestra of the Chicago Symphony. Northwestern University Summer School, Evanston, Illinois, 1996 – 2000
Founder and teacher of Summer Orchestral Conducting Courses for advanced students and young professionals from the U.S. and abroad. International Summer School for Conductors, Czech Republic, 1998 – 2005
Teacher at one of the largest and most successful summer conducting programs in the world, attracting advanced students and professionals from all continents. Zűrich Conservatoire, Zűrich, Switzerland, 2001 – 2005
Conducting workshops and conducting master classes. Lutosławski Philharmonic Orchestra in Wrocław (Breslau), Poland, 2002 - 2005
International conducting courses and master classes.