Richard Langham Smith

Richard Langham Smith (born 10 September 1947, Barnes, London) is an English musicologist who has written on Debussy and contemporary French music in general.

Educated in music at University of York, Richard Langham Smith then pursued further study with Wilfrid Mellers and Debussy scholar Edward Lockspeiser as well as studying harpsichord and Baroque performance practice at the Amsterdam Conservatory. A university teaching career began at University of Lancaster, then City University, the University of Exeter, and finally the Open University where he was the Arnold Kettle Distinguished Scholar in Music. From September 2008 until July 2010 Richard was Head of the Graduate School at the Royal College of Music, London. In 2011 the RCM appointed him Research Professor in Music and in March 2016 Smith was awarded an FRCM.

For his contribution to French music Smith was admitted to rank of Chevalier de l'ordre des arts et des lettres.