Dmitry Smirnov was born on December 7, 1952 in Leningrad. His fathår was à soloist îf the Symphonic Orchestra of Leningrad Philharmonic Society, his mother — an artist who graduated fòîm the Mukhina Industrial Design and Arts School. Dmitry began his music training at the age of five in à children musical group îf the Pioneers’ House. At seven he became à student of the Choral School at Leningrad (St.  Petersburg) Academic Choir. Here among his teachers was Ivan Poltavtsev, à well–known choirmaster. Upon graduating from the Choir School in 1970 he became à student îf the Conservatoire class îf ñhîãàl conducting under the direction îf professor À.V. Mikhailov. Two years later he enters the faculty of Opera and Symphonic Conducting, the group directed by professor Edward P.Grikurov. The learning was interrupted by the years of service in the Army (1976–77) after which D. Smirnov returned to the Conservatoire and continued his post-graduate training at Professor Grikurov’s class. At the same time he begins his teaching activities — first at the Rimsky–Korsakov Musical School and soon after — at the Conservatoire. Íåãå he works till the present.

After finishing his post-graduate education D. Smirnov takes an active part in musical life as à talented performer– interpreter. Íå conducts performances of the Opera Studio of the Conservatoire, of Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Theatre of Musical Comedy, often goes on tour with Choruses and Symphonic Orchestras of Ulianovsk, Cheliabinsk, Sverdlovsk. But in due course he is more and more inclined to the composer’s creative work, in which he is encouraged by his colleagues performers who have always been interested in his compositions. Rendering of his early (student’s time) musical composition on verses by S.  Yesenin became the beginning of Smirnov’s concert biography. This composition was included by the well-known conductor Simon Bytchkov (at that time — à student of I.À. Musin) in the repertoire of his chorus and performed with big success. All Smirnov’s compositions gained quick recognition and were shortly after performed by the growing number of choruses.

From the end of the 80–ies his has won so great demand that it has become an inherent part of the repertoire of many professional choruses. Popular, often invited to come on tour to other cities and countries musical collectives — Lege Artis (Boris Abalyan), Petersburg Chamber Chorus (Nikolai Kornev), Youth Chamber Chorus of St.  Petersburg (Julia Khutoretskaya), Children’s Chorus of St. Petersburg RTV (Stanislav Gribkov), Student’s Chorus of the St. Petersburg Conservatoire (Valery Uspensky), willingly introduce music from St. Petersburg compositions by Dmitry Smirnov — on compact discs, in concerts, on modern musical festivals. The oldest Russian Choral Society with rich traditions of choral singing — the Academic Choir (Vladislav Tchernushenko) takes much interest in his creative work. His music is often performed abroad in Spain, Germany, Switzerland, England, Hungary, Sweden, not only by touring Russian musicians, but also by the local choruses enjoying high professional status.

In 1997 D. Smirnov joins the Composers Union of St. Petersburg, where À. Knaifel, V. Gavrilin, S. Banevich recommended him.

D. Smirnov writes not only for chorus: among his composition there are instrumental music, (organ, clarinet), TV and cinema music, music for drama performances. In 1985–87 he composes his first opera “Jerma” on à plot of the drama by F.G. Lorka, while his following reversal to opera - “The Girl with matches” (together with the composer S. Banevich) has undoubtedly brought to the authors success abroad. On International Opera Competition in Poland it is awarded the First Prize and in 1993 it was put on the stage of the Opera Theatre in Lodz. In the same year during a competition for the best Bask (Spain) choral composition his “Two choruses” on verses by R. Herricoia was awarded the Grand Prix and became obligatory peace of music for the following Choral competitions in the town of Toloza.

In recent compositions by Dmitry Smirnov one can feel deep and sincere interest in the traditional spiritual values which become the main and most precious theme in his music (large scale solo and choral frescoes on canonical texts of the service of the liturgy, à Prayer to the Virgin, We Sing to Thee, Prayer).