Uri Smilansky was born and brought up in Israel, where his experiences giving recorder recitals to the Israeli army were an effective and enduring cure for pre-concert nerves. 
He studied recorder with Gershon Prensky and Drora Bruck among others, violin with Gershon Prensky, viola with Lilach Lebanon, and viola da gamba with Myrna Herzog.
Having moved to Basel, Switzerland in 2001, he studied vielle with Randall Cook and recorders with Conrad Steinmann and Corina Marti in the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, from where he graduated with honours in 2005.