Tim Smith joined the staff of the Baltimore Sun as classical music critic in April 2000 and was named ‘Best Local Critic’ by the City Paper’s ‘Best of Baltimore’ edition, September 2006. Previously, he was music critic of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has also written for The New York Times, Washington Post, Opera News and BBC Music Magazine, among others, and is the author of The NPR Curious Listener’s Guide to Classical Music (Perigee, 2002). His writing has won several regional and national awards, including a first place in arts criticism from the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors. Born in Washington, D.C., he received an M. A. in music history from Occidental College, Los Angeles. In 2005, he was elected president of the Music Critics Association of North America.