Dirk Schmidt began his musical education when he was eight singing in the Cathedral choir of his hometown Magdeburg.
He studied singing with Hermann Christian Polster in Leipzig. He was first award winner of the German Schubert Society and scholarship holder of the Free State of Saxony.

Dirk Schmidt made his opera debut at the Opera House of Halle with Mozart´s Publius, followed by Beethoven´s Minister and Puccini´s Schaunard. Guest appearances at various European opera houses  (Leipzig, Basel, Cottbus, Paris, Luzern, Vaduz) include Mozart´s Figaro and Graf, Humperdinck`s Besenbinder-Vater, Bellini´s Lord Valton, Saint-Saens`s Abimelech, the bass solo in Purcell´s Fairy Queen, Pergolesi´s Uberto as well as operas of the 20th century by C. Orff, W. Braunfels and K. Weill.

His extensive repertoire ranges from Monteverdi´s Marienvesper to first performances and their recordings. He sang almost all important roles of Baroque music, the classical age, the Age of Romanticism and the 20th century.
He has performed in many European countries. Dirk Schmidt has worked with prestigious ensembles including the Thomanerchor Leipzig, the Gewandhausorchester, the radio orchestras of MDR and NDR, the Radio Orchestra of Berlin, the Europa Philharmonie etc., and famous conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Peter Schreier, Marcus Creed, Helmut Rilling, Lothar Zagrosek, Michael Schneider.

His intensive involvement in the music of the 17th and 18th centuries and that of J.S.Bach and the Baroque music of Central Germany in particular has consequently been followed by invitations to renowned festivals such as the Händelfestspiele in Halle and Göttingen, to Bach festivals all over Europe, to the Salzburger Festspiele and the Schleswig-Holstein-Festival, to festivals in Utrecht and Bergen (Norway).

His particular liking of chamber music from recital to unusual exquisite programmes for bass and chamber orchestra led to cooperation with the pianist Hendrik Bräunlich, the Gewandhaus organist Michael Schönheit and excellent chamber music ensembles.

Dirk Schmidt has a teaching assignment for solo singing at the College of Music in Leipzig.
Meanwhile he was also professor of singing at the Musical Academy of Hamburg.
He gives master classes in Germany and Europe.

Many radio productions and CD recordings , among them MDR, NDR, Deutschlandradio, RAI, DECCA, cpo show the singer´s versatility.