Daniel Smith has been awarded prizes in four of the most prestigious international conducting competitions, including: UNESCO International Conducting Competition, where he also received the 'Gold Baton' and 'Orchestra's Choice Prize', along with the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition. Smith was invited by Maestro Valery Gergiev as the first Australian to conduct the Mariinsky Orchestra. Featured in Time Magazine (Russia), he has been invited regularly as a guest conductor at the Mariinsky Theatre and was Principal Guest Conductor of the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa from 2017 to 2019.

Born in Australia and living in Italy, he is an Australian Cultural Ambassador. He studied at major institutions: the Mozarteum University of Salzburg, the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Trinity College London, the University of Music in Bratislava, the Sydney Conservatory of Music and the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen.

After making his successful debut on the podium of the Mariinsky Orchestra, Smith conducted as a guest conductor with the Czech Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, the Warsaw National Philharmonic, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony the New Japan Philharmonic, the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, the Belgrade Philharmonic, as well as at the Mozarteum Festspiele, the Estate Musicale Chigiana in Siena, the Aspen Music Festival and the Stars of the White Nights in St. Petersburg.

An acclaimed interpreter of contemporary repertoire, Daniel Smith has premiered Giorgio Battistelli's Ötzi, Nicola Campogrande's Symphony No. 1, Fazıl Say's Flute Concerto, John Adams' Violin Concerto, John Williams' Battle of Heroes (Star Wars: Episode III) and the new critical edition of Bedřich Smetana's Má vlast.

He also has an intense activity as an opera conductor, specialising in bel canto and the Italian opera repertoire after winning the Mancinelli International Opera Conducting Competition. After a valuable collaboration with director Franco Zeffirelli and more recently with director Damiano Michieletto, he made his debut at the Rossini Opera Festival, Mariinsky Theatre and Opera Australia with Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims. He subsequently worked in new productions with Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro San Carlo, Norwegian National Opera, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Greek National Opera.

He was appointed Honorary Life Fellow of Paganini and honorary artist of PWM (Polish Music Publishing House) and DSCH (Shostakovich). An advocate of Australian and indigenous music, he performs in duo with Australia's leading didgeridoo virtuoso, William Barton, combining didgeridoo and orchestra.

He is also involved in educational projects to promote, encourage and share his passion with younger people. He created the charity 'The Daniel Smith Gift of Music Foundation'. Reflecting his philosophy that music is everyone's right, Smith donates concert tickets to those with financial or physical difficulties.