Julius Baker
Encyclopedia
Julius Baker was one of the foremost American orchestral flute
players.
He was well known as a teacher and served as a faculty member at the Juilliard School
, Curtis Institute of Music
, and Carnegie Mellon University
. He made many recordings with conductors such as Bruno Walter
and Leonard Bernstein
, and played second flute with the Cleveland Orchestra
from 1937-1941. He went to principal flute with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
from 1941–1943, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
from 1951–1953, and the New York Philharmonic
for 18 years, beginning in 1965. During that time he also played in the Columbia Symphony Orchestra
. Baker loved chamber music and was one of the founding members of the Bach Aria Group
, with whom he played from 1946 to 1964. Baker also performed on several notable film scores, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Love Sick. He appeared opposite violinist Oscar Shumsky
in filming Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, with pianist Glenn Gould
on harpsipiano.
, currently principal flute of the Philadelphia Orchestra
, John Curran of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Brown University, and also for a period principal flute of the Cleveland Orchestra
, on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music
; Gary Schocker
, a flute soloist and composer; Jeanne Baxtresser
, who succeeded him as principal flutist of the New York Philharmonic
and recently retired to devote herself to teaching at Carnegie Mellon School of Music; Anne Diener Zentner (formerly Giles), principal flute of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
; Jasmine Choi
, flutist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
; and Anne Briggs, a noted baroque flutist and busy free-lance musician in New York. Other notables include David Shostac; Elizabeth Mann; Eugenia Zukerman
; Joshua Smith; Hubert Laws
; Janette Erickson; Lisa Byrnes; Damienne Fenlon Dunham; Seth Rosenthal; Laurel Ann Maurer; Brad Garner, on the faculty of the Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati;
Alan Cox, editor of Baker's Daily Exercises, formerly principal flute of the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble and the San Francisco Opera, on the faculty of the University of Virginia; Jeani Foster, principal flute, Milwaukee Symphony; Young Ji Song, co-principal flute of the Seoul Philharmonic; John Thorne, assistant principal flute of the Houston Symphony; Bart Feller, principal flute of the New Jersey Symphony and the New York City Opera; Renee Siebert, second flute of the New York Philharmonic; Trudy Kane, formerly principal flute of the Metropolitan Opera; Erich Graf, principal flute of the Utah Symphony, and Mimi Stillman, flute soloist.
Baker was also an electronics buff and amateur ham radio operator. He built audio equipment upon which he taped his early solo recordings. The Flute Talk article explained, "His interest in electronics developed into The Oxford Recording Company, a mail-order business he ran out of his home and which produced five of his flute recordings between 1946 and 1951. Baker gave the first American performance with orchestra of the Ibert Flute Concerto in 1948 with the CBS Symphony, and that concert was later issued on Oxford Records." Baker also collaborated with John Serry, Sr.
during his tenure at CBS
and produced a demonstration recording in 1950 of Mr. Serry's compositions for flute and accordion entitled La Culebra and Desert Rumba.
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
players.
He was well known as a teacher and served as a faculty member at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
, Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
, and Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
. He made many recordings with conductors such as Bruno Walter
Bruno Walter
Bruno Walter was a German-born conductor. He is considered one of the best known conductors of the 20th century. Walter was born in Berlin, but is known to have lived in several countries between 1933 and 1939, before finally settling in the United States in 1939...
and Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
, and played second flute with the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
from 1937-1941. He went to principal flute with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.-History:...
from 1941–1943, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
from 1951–1953, and the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
for 18 years, beginning in 1965. During that time he also played in the Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Columbia Symphony Orchestra
The Columbia Symphony Orchestra was an orchestra formed by Columbia Records. It provided a vehicle for some of Columbia's better known recording artists to record using only company resources.-Bruno Walter:...
. Baker loved chamber music and was one of the founding members of the Bach Aria Group
Bach Aria Group
The Bach Aria Group is an ensemble of vocal and instrumental musicians that was created in 1946 by William H. Scheide in New York city to perform the works of J. S. Bach.- Founding period, 1946-1980 :...
, with whom he played from 1946 to 1964. Baker also performed on several notable film scores, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Love Sick. He appeared opposite violinist Oscar Shumsky
Oscar Shumsky
Oscar Shumsky was an American violinist and conductor born to Russian-Jewish parents.-Biography:...
in filming Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, with pianist Glenn Gould
Glenn Gould
Glenn Herbert Gould was a Canadian pianist who became one of the best-known and most celebrated classical pianists of the 20th century. He was particularly renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard music of Johann Sebastian Bach...
on harpsipiano.
Background
According to an article in Flute Talk, "Baker was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and at age nine started flute lessons with his Russian immigrant father. Later he studied with August Caputo and Robert Morris. At the Curtis Institute, he studied with William Kincaid and had classes with Marcel Tabuteau. Upon graduation in 1937, Baker returned to Cleveland to play second flute in the Cleveland Orchestra, conducted by Arthur Rodzinski, and in the section led by Maurice Sharp."Pupils
Among his pupils are Paula Robison, a well-known soloist and chamber musician who is now on the faculty of the New England Conservatory; Jeffrey KhanerJeffrey Khaner
Jeffrey Khaner is the principal flutist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He has also served as principal flutist with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony. Mr. Khaner teaches at the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School....
, currently principal flute of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
, John Curran of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Brown University, and also for a period principal flute of the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
, on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
; Gary Schocker
Gary Schocker
Gary Schocker is a flutist, composer, and pianist who has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, the West German Sinfonia, and I Solisti Italiani among others. He won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in...
, a flute soloist and composer; Jeanne Baxtresser
Jeanne Baxtresser
Jeanne Baxtresser is an American flutist. She was the principal flutist of the New York Philharmonic for 15 years. She is presently the Vira I. Heinz Professor of Flute at Carnegie Mellon University.-Biography:...
, who succeeded him as principal flutist of the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
and recently retired to devote herself to teaching at Carnegie Mellon School of Music; Anne Diener Zentner (formerly Giles), principal flute of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September...
; Jasmine Choi
Jasmine Choi
Jasmine Choi is a flutist.She graduated from Curtis Institute of Music, and was trained under Julius Baker and Jeffrey Khaner. As a student in 2002, she was the senior division winner of the Albert M. Greenfield Student Competition, sponsored by the Philadelphia Orchestra...
, flutist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
As the fifth oldest orchestra in the United States, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has a legacy of fine music making as reflected in its performances in historic Music Hall, recordings, and international tours...
; and Anne Briggs, a noted baroque flutist and busy free-lance musician in New York. Other notables include David Shostac; Elizabeth Mann; Eugenia Zukerman
Eugenia Zukerman
Eugenia Rich Zukerman is an American flutist, writer, and journalist. An internationally renowned flute virtuoso, Mrs Zukerman has been performing with major orchestras and at major music festivals internationally for more than three decades...
; Joshua Smith; Hubert Laws
Hubert Laws
Hubert Laws is an American flutist and saxophonist with a 40+ year career in jazz, classical, and other music genres. Alongside Herbie Mann, Laws is probably the most recognized and respected jazz flutist...
; Janette Erickson; Lisa Byrnes; Damienne Fenlon Dunham; Seth Rosenthal; Laurel Ann Maurer; Brad Garner, on the faculty of the Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati;
Alan Cox, editor of Baker's Daily Exercises, formerly principal flute of the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble and the San Francisco Opera, on the faculty of the University of Virginia; Jeani Foster, principal flute, Milwaukee Symphony; Young Ji Song, co-principal flute of the Seoul Philharmonic; John Thorne, assistant principal flute of the Houston Symphony; Bart Feller, principal flute of the New Jersey Symphony and the New York City Opera; Renee Siebert, second flute of the New York Philharmonic; Trudy Kane, formerly principal flute of the Metropolitan Opera; Erich Graf, principal flute of the Utah Symphony, and Mimi Stillman, flute soloist.
Baker was also an electronics buff and amateur ham radio operator. He built audio equipment upon which he taped his early solo recordings. The Flute Talk article explained, "His interest in electronics developed into The Oxford Recording Company, a mail-order business he ran out of his home and which produced five of his flute recordings between 1946 and 1951. Baker gave the first American performance with orchestra of the Ibert Flute Concerto in 1948 with the CBS Symphony, and that concert was later issued on Oxford Records." Baker also collaborated with John Serry, Sr.
John Serry, Sr.
John Serry, Sr. was an accomplished concert accordionist virtuoso, arranger, composer, organist and educator who performed on the CBS Radio and CBS Television networks...
during his tenure at CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and produced a demonstration recording in 1950 of Mr. Serry's compositions for flute and accordion entitled La Culebra and Desert Rumba.