10:53 a.m., July 21, 2008--Combining an academic and performing career, John David Smith, UD assistant professor of music and horn player, joined the Philadelphia Orchestra for a performance of The Alpine Symphony by Richard Strauss at the Bravo! Music Festival in Vail, Colo., on July 7. He also will play with the orchestra during its annual residency at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

In late July, Smith will return to Colorado with 11 students from the UD French horn studio to compete and perform at the International Horn Society Symposium, hosted by the University of Denver. This is the first time UD has been invited to perform at the event. Smith will also serve on a research panel and present a paper at the symposium.

In June, Smith joined the acclaimed Orpheus Chamber Orchestra of New York in South Korea for a series of sold-out concerts with guest violinist, Sara Chang.

Smith, a Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner specialist, also has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, often as assistant principal horn, for the past 10 years and also has played with New York City Opera at Lincoln Center.

This upcoming music season, Smith will perform regularly as principal horn with both the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia at the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music. Smith won national auditions for both these positions.