RPO trumpet player Herb Smith performs at Concert to End Hate

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A concert on Wednesday night that featured renowned Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra trumpet player Herb Smith aimed to put an end to hate.

The concert at ARTISANworks was organized by the Levine Center to End Hate at the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester, which seeks to overcome hate through education and dialogue. Strings for Success and the Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra were among the performers. Their pieces were interspersed with poems highlighting the power of love.

Herb Smith headlined the evening, playing with his jazz trio as well as a 10-string classical ensemble. He performed an original composition called “Healing”, written during his bout with COVID in 2020. The song’s dual meaning focuses on his physical illness while exploring his own reaction to the country’s racial reckoning during the summer of 2020. News10NBC spoke with Smith about the meaning on the concert.

“What we’re doing here is we’re just going to love everything. Love is inclusive.” Smith said.

Smith is known for using music for community outreach including by founding Herb’s City Trumpets. He also organized a performance with the RPO and Strings for Success for the Harriett Tubman Bicentennial Celebration in 2022.