Dr. Reid Smith has been invited to join the faculty of the 15th International Granada Spain Piano Festival.

Smith is a former organist at Brownson Memorial Presbyterian Church, performed in the Weymouth Concert series some years ago, and has many friends in the area.

The festival takes place July 17-28.

"I would like to extend an invitation to young pianists in our area to audition for this festival," Smith says.

Interested pianists ages 6-26 are welcome to apply. There are no specific repertoire requirements, but applicants must prepare a 10- to 15-minute memorized program for study and concert performances at the festival.

For the audition, a 10-minute CD must be submitted to Smith by May 17. In lieu of a recording, local auditions are available in Raleigh by appointment.

The North Carolina contact person for arranging an audition in Raleigh is jhreske@aol.com.

Students who are accepted from the auditions will be given some guidance and direction, if needed, about additional pieces to prepare. Students are encouraged to present one Spanish piece.

Details about the festival can be accessed at www.DrReidSmith.com.

In addition, Smith will be on the jury of the second International Maria Herrero Piano Competition, which occurs during the festival.

For the competition, students are accepted in four age groups: up to age 12, up to age 15, up to age 18, and up to age 30.

There are multiple prize winners in each category, and the value of the prizes varies from 1,000-1,820 euros, depending on the age group.

Students attending the festival, in addition to private lessons, master classes, attending concerts through Granada, and being in the midst of a world-class tourist destination, will also have a rare opportunity to observe an international piano competition with applicants from many countries.

In the past, the Granada Piano Festival has drawn about 65-70 students, mostly from Europe and Asia. This will be the first year that a professor from the United States has been invited and American students will be included in the festival and competition.

Smith is a graduate of the Juilliard School and the Vienna Hochschule fur Musik. He was on the faculty of the 2007 Yves Nat International Music Festival in France, the 2009 Gabala International Music Festival in Azerbaijan, the 2010 Varallo Festival in Italy, and the 2011 Norma, Italy, International Piano Festival.

He has served as a juror for many competitions, including most recently the eighth International Parnassos Piano Competition in Monterrey, Mexico, in February 2011.

Smith is the director of the Dellwood Hills Piano School in St. Paul, Minn., where he teaches 130 students. He has recorded several CDs, including the "Complete Etudes" by Chopin.

Smith is a specialist at developing the potential of young pianists ages 4-26, and this festival offers the possibility for students in this area to be included in this opportunity.

In addition, some students may be invited for summer studies in St. Paul, Minn., as a participant in the Dellwood Hills Piano Festival this June.

Several local pianists have attended summer festivals with Smith in the past, including Charlotte, Sarah, Caroline, and Catherine Cox, of Southern Pines; Josh Chen, John Tyson and Carrie Ann Mercer, of Rockingham; and Stephen McNeil, from Willow Springs.

For more information, email Smith at DrReidSmith@aol.com.