Both as a solo player and with the ensemble he founded, Fantasticus, the English viola da gamba player Robert Smith has won praise for expressive performances of Baroque works.
Smith's studies are notable for having focused directly on the gamba. He studied the instrument with Mieneke van der Velden in Amsterdam and Paolo Pandolfo in Basel. He has also studied Baroque cello with Wouter Möller, Jaap ter Linden, and Viola da Hoog, and has often performed on that instrument. His training was international, and he is one of several leading young players to have emerged from the E...