“Tim Smith, for 18 years the Baltimore Sun’s classical music critic—and recently restaurant reviewer as well—has decided to retire,” writes Susan Elliott in Wednesday’s (11/14) Musical America (subscription required). “His last day at the Sun was November 7. Two days later the paper’s owner, Tribune Publishing, announced that it was offering buyouts for newsroom employees. Smith’s exit was not included in those and his decision to retire was entirely his own. He arrived at the Sun in 2000, after having spent 19 years as staff critic of the Florida Sun-Sentinel. Prior to that he freelanced for a number of outlets in his hometown of Washington, D.C., including the Washington Post. Smith, who holds a master’s degree in music history, has also written for Opera News and The New York Times, among others. Asked about future plans, Smith said he was weighing options, but promised ‘not to be silent.’… Like many of his classical music colleagues, Smith was enlisted to cover other disciplines: at one point, visual arts was part of his beat. He was also the Sun’s theater critic and, most recently, restaurants were added to his … responsibilities. At the moment it appears that Baltimore’s musical and theater arts will go without coverage.”
Posted November 15, 2018
