Calliope Smith, violin (14), is a ninth-grade student at Stanford Online High School and studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College Academy, where she works with Simon James and Chen Zhao in violin and Hiro David in applied musicianship.
Calliope has received top prizes in numerous national and international competitions, including the Arthur Grumiaux International Violin Competition, Vancouver International Music Competition, Odin Competition, Chicago International Music Competition, Nouvelles Étoiles Competition, American Virtuoso International Music Competition, California MTNA Competition, New York International Artists’ Association Praelusio Competition, Pacific Musical Society Competition, and the Enkor Competition.
As a soloist, she has performed with the Uniart Orchestra in Paris, the New York Concerti Sinfonietta at Merkin Hall, and the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra. A dedicated chamber musician, Calliope recently appeared at Barbro Osher Recital Hall with her piano quartet Cadentia, which won Grand Prize at the Enkor Competition. She also serves as first violinist in the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Calliope has participated in masterclasses with distinguished artists including Midori, Gilbert Kalish, Kim Kashkashian, Erin Keefe, Ariana Kim, Kenneth Renshaw, and Kirill Troussov. In the summer of 2025, she performed in the Music@Menlo Young Performers Program, the Sarasate Academy in Spain, and Center Stage Strings in Michigan.
Outside of music, Calliope enjoys writing stories, baking, learning languages, and participating in Model United Nations.