Stepan Vasil’yevich Smolensky was a Russian researcher of early Russian chant, a composer of sacred music, a paleographer, choral conductor and teacher.
Upon the last will and testament of Archpriest Dimitry Razumovsky, Smolensky was invited by Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev to the Moscow Conservatory to take the position of professor.
In 1889-1901 he taught a course of historical singing. At the same time, he became the head of the Synod Choir and the Synod College for Church Singing in Moscow.
Among his students were Sergey Vasil’yevich Rachmaninoff and Boleslav Leopoldovich Yavorsky.
In 1901-1903 he was the administrator of the Court Singers’ Cappella in St. Petersburg.
He wrote a number of books on choral singing, among which are "A Course of Church Choral Singing", "A General Outline of Historical and Musical Significance of the Vocal Manuscripts of the Library in Solovki" and the "Alphabet for Singers by Aleksandr Mezents", "An Overview of Historical Concerts of the Synod College of Church Singing in 1895" etc.
