Keyvar Smith-Herold serves as principal clarinetist of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra in Huron, Ohio. He is currently in his fourth year at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studies under Richard Hawkins. His other primary teachers include Lin Ma and Robert DiLutis. Smith-Herold was recently named a winner of the 2025 Oberlin Concerto Competition, and has performed in masterclasses with Anthony McGill, Laura Ardan, Daniel McKelway, Diana Haskell, and members of the U.S. Army Field Band.

In March, Smith-Herold premiered a three-part clarinet solo and duet composed by Michael Frazier with the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble. He continues to expand his contemporary repertoire by collaborating with composers such as John Adams, Augusta Read Thomas, and Daniel Pesca to premiere new works. In 2023, Smith-Herold was featured as a soloist with the Oberlin Orchestra, performing Jay Ashby’s Teenie Time. Additionally, his passion for chamber music has led him to perform the Brahms Clarinet Trio, Prokofiev Quintet, Schubert Octet, Reicha Wind Quintet, Spohr’s Sechs Deutsche Lieder, and more. Smith-Herold has also performed at Carnegie Hall and with the Oberlin Sinfonietta at the Detroit Resonate Symposium celebrating Black composers.