Maltese musician William Smith recently graduated Bachelor of Music in jazz drums from the HKU Conservatory in Utrecht, The Netherlands. During his time there, he also played as a sideman with the HKU big band and Benjamin Herman in various venues including Tivoli Vredenburg and the Bimhuis, Amsterdam. His tutors in the Netherlands recommended him for the conservatory’s annual talent award.

Smith is currently composing for and leading his own quartet, featuring Prashant Samlal on guitar, Murat Cengiz on piano and Jonathan Ho Chin Kiat on double bass. They play original compositions that explore the sounds of jazz in the 21st century, exposing their innermost musical identity, using the compositions and improvisation as a medium. The group performed on the main stage of the 2019 Malta Jazz Festival, as well in the Hertz Zaal in Tivoli Vredenburg.

Smith is also a percussionist with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2018, he went on tour with the orchestra which performed in many prestigious concert halls in Russia and the US, including Carnegie Hall.

Smith’s successful studies at HKU Conservatory were carried out following the award of a Malta Arts Scholarships Scheme. The Bank of Valletta Joseph Calleja Foundation also supported the young musician.