About Alexandra

Alexandra Smither is a firecracker performer, a creative force to be reckoned with, and, in the words of the New Yorker, “a fast-rising, British-Canadian soprano with a crystalline, agile voice.” Recently, she has sung premieres from Karim Al-Zand, Katherine Balch, Theo Chandler, Wayne Shorter, and esperanza spalding with organizations that include the Kennedy Center, the Boston Symphony, the California Symphony, the Charlotte Symphony, and Houston's own Kinetic Ensemble. 

Passionate about systems change and advocacy, Smither organizes and works as a communications consultant for grassroots organizing groups. In recent years, she has led a successful city ballot initiative that stands to restructure how federal dollars are distributed in the Houston region; leveraged civil rights complaints and coordinated with eminent domain lawyers to protect Houstonians who face displacement by a 9 billion dollar highway expansion; and tirelessly advocated for equitable protections against environmental health concerns through her role as a consultant with Air Alliance Houston.

Smither is Chief of Staff for newly-elected State Senator Molly Cook, and is a doctoral candidate in music performance at the City University New York. Her dissertation explores communal song as a reciprocal tool for deep organizing, with a particular focus on Zilphia Horton and the Highlander Folk School.