Dr Richard Baker

Biography

Born in 1972, Richard Baker received his first musical education as a chorister in Lichfield Cathedral Choir. After reading music at Exeter College, Oxford, he was awarded a Netherlands Government Scholarship for study with Louis Andriessen at the Royal Conservatory, The Hague. On returning, he completed a PhD with John Woolrich at Royal Holloway, University of London. Richard held the post of Kettle’s Yard New Music Fellow at Trinity Hall, Cambridge from 2001-3 before becoming the College’s first Director of Music. At the same time, he taught composition at the Royal College of Music and the University of Reading, before joining the staff of the Guildhall School in 2004. In 2009 he was honoured by the Board of Governors when he was elected to a Fellowship of the School.

Richard Baker’s compositions have been performed by the London Sinfonietta, BCMG, Britten Sinfonia, the Composers Ensemble, the Brunel Ensemble and the BBC Singers amongst many others. Recent commissions include Written on a train, commissioned by the Borletti-Buitoni Trust for mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn and an outstanding group of young instrumentalists led by violinist Christian Tetzlaff; Munby Songs, a cycle of songs for baritone Christopher Purves and pianist Andrew West; and Gaming, a work for cello, piano and percussion commissioned from New York-based trio Real Quiet. As part of Richard’s ongoing relationship with BCMG, the ensemble have now commissioned a substantial work for their 2012/13 season. 

As conductor Richard Baker has worked with many of the UK’s leading new music ensembles, including BCMG, London Sinfonietta, Britten Sinfonia, Apartment House, Composers Ensemble and [rout]. In 2004 he conducted the acclaimed German ensemble musikFabrik at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and in 2006 he was Musical Director for Labor für Musik:Theater’s production of Franco Evangelisti’s Die Schachtel at Berlin’s Ultraschall Festival. Having assisted Thomas Adès for the Aldeburgh/Almeida Opera production of The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit in 2002, he has become particularly associated with Gerald Barry’s music, and will conduct Barry’s first opera, The Intelligence Park, in its Dublin premiere in May 2011. Richard has also worked with many outstanding composers of his own generation including Joanna Bailie, Tansy Davies, Michael Zev Gordon, Phil Cashian, Richard Causton, Rebecca Saunders, Johannes Maria Staud, Ian Vine and Morgan Hayes.