Caitlyn Smith-Franklin is a San Francisco Bay Area orchestral hornist and teacher. Smith-Franklin has been performing as a utility horn with Santa Rosa Symphony since 2013. Additionally, she is principal horn of Stockton Symphony and Santa Cruz Symphony, second horn with Monterey Symphony, third horn with California Symphony, third horn with Symphony San Jose, and fourth horn with Opera San Jose.

Smith-Franklin also appears in the pit regularly as a frequent substitute with San Francisco Opera Orchestra and San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and has performed extensively and toured nationally and internationally as a supernumerary with San Francisco Symphony. She has also performed with Colorado Symphony and New World Symphony. Smith-Franklin is also a frequent recording artist at the Bay Area’s most notable sound scoring stages including Fantasy Studios and George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch, appearing on the video game and film soundtracks, including the 2014 Oscar-nominated short film The Dam Keeper.

Additionally, Smith-Franklin has performed at several notable summer festivals, including National Repertory Orchestra, Music Academy of the West, and Aspen Music Festival and School. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance, in addition to a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Miami. While at UM, her primary teachers were Jerry Peel and J.D. Shaw. Smith-Franklin continued her studies at San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she studied with Robert Ward, earning a Master of Music in Horn Performance in 2011 and a Professional Studies Diploma in 2012.