Alan Smith was born in Brisbane. His early teachers included John Curro and Elizabeth Morgan. He completed a Bachelor of Music (1st Class Honours) at the Elder Conservatorium, Adelaide, studying with Beryl Kimber. Alan was awarded a DAAD scholarship for postgraduate studies at the Robert Schumann Institute in Dusseldorf with Gottfried Schneider, and chamber music studies with the Amadeus Quartet in Köln. He has had extensive experience as a Concertmaster, both within Australia and overseas, and has been a soloist with the Adelaide, Melbourne and Queensland Symphony Orchestras as well as appearing in various chamber music ensembles in Australia and Europe.

Alan teaches part-time at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and is also a regular tutor for the Conservatorium orchestras as well as the Queensland Youth Symphony. He was director of music at the McGregor Summer School, USQ Toowoomba for 18 years. In 2020, he was head of the chamber music program at the Cuskelly Summer School in Brisbane.

He plays a violin made by Jose Contreras in 1770.