George C. Baker

George C. Baker (* 1951 in Dallas , Texas ) is an American organist , composer , music educator and dermatologist .

Life

Baker received piano lessons as a four year old. At the age of 10 he began his organ studies with Phil Baker, organist at the Highland Park Methodist Church in Dallas . This was followed by organ studies with Robert T. Anderson at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, which he completed in 1973 with a Bachelor in Music . In 1969 he won the Regional Competition , a year later the National Organ Competition of the American Guild of Organists in Fort Wayne , the youngest award winner in the history of this organ competition.

This was followed by organ studies in France with Marie-Claire Alain , André Marchal , Pierre Cochereau and Jean Langlais . In 1974 he won the Grand Prix de Chartres in organ interpretation and in 1975 he received the Diplôme de Virtuosité at the Schola Cantorum in Paris . He completed his studies at the University of Miami in 1977 with a Masters in Music and received his doctorate from the University of Michigan as a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in 1979 . In addition, he taught at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC In 1979 he was the first prize winner at the International Organ Improvisation Competition in Lyon , France. His recordings include the entire organ work of Johann Sebastian Bach (the first by an American organist), Louis Vierne (together with Pierre Cochereau) as well as the world premiere recording of the entire organ work by Darius Milhaud , which was awarded two Grand Prix du Disque .

In addition to his musical career, Baker studied medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas until 1987 and has been working as a dermatologist in Dallas since 1991 . After studying for two years at the SMU Cox School of Business in Dallas, he received a Master of Business Administration in 1998 . During this time he worked as an adjunct professor for artistic organ playing and improvisation at the Southern Methodist University and also as a dermatologist at the SMU Health Center.

Baker is an internationally sought-after concert organist and competition juror. He is currently a lecturer in organ improvisation at Rice University in Houston , Texas.

Compositions

Organ solo

• Far-West Toccata (composed 1969 / revised 2008. Unpublished)
• Berceuse Paraphrase (Composed 1992. Chicago, IL: HT Fitzsimmons Company, 1993)
• Divertissement (Chicago, IL: HT Fitzsimmons Company, 1996)
• At the River (Tarzana, CA: Fred Bock, 2000)
• Tuba Tune Ragtime (Composed in 2003. Tarzana, CA: Gentry Publications, 2004)
• Ricercare on Come on now, the Heiden Heiland (composed in 2004. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2020)
• Toccata-Gigue on the Sussex Carol (composed in 2008 / revised in 2019. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc.)
• Variations on "Rouen" (composed 2010. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc.)
• Tiento Grégorien (composed in 2010. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2011)
• Lamento (composed in 2013. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2013)
• Prelude on "The Lone, Wild Bird" (Composed in 2015. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2017)
• Procession Royale (composed in 2016. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2017)
• Danse Diabolique (composed in 2016. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2017)
• Deux Evocations (composed in 2017. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2017):
  • Evocation 1: June 2, 1937 (Ad Memoriam Louis Vierne)
  • Evocation 2: April 22, 1984 (Ad Memoriam Pierre Cochereau)
• Prelude on "If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee" (Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2018)
• L'Envoi (Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2018)
• Prière Grégorienne (composed in 2018. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2018)
• Berceuse sur le nom de SWANN (composed in 2019. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2019)
• Prelude on Salve Regina (composed in 2020. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2020)
• Deux Miniatures (composed in 2020. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2020):
  • I. Ave Maris Stella
  • II. Salve Regina

Organ with other instruments

• Rumba for organ and four percussionists (composed in 2015. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2017)

Choir

• Noels for SATB with accompaniment (Tarzana: CA: Gentry Publications, 2000)
• Now come, the Heiden Heiland for choir and organ (composed 2004, unpublished)
• Our Father for SATB choir (composed 2005, unreleased)

Discography

• Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Organ Works. Recorded between 1976 and 1979 in Thionville, Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Mateaux and St. Louis in Paris. Sigean: Solstice Music.
• Johann Sebastian Bach: 5 organ concerts. Concerts BWV 592-596. Recorded on the Kern organ in Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Mateaux in Paris. Sigean: Solstice Music FYCD 080. 1 CD.
• Pierre du Mage: Livre d'Orgue & Louis-Nicolas Clérambault: 2 suites. Recorded in 1976 in Houdan. Sigean: Solstice Music, 1976. 1 LP.
• Marcel Dupré: Organ Works Vol. 13. Vision op. 44, Zephyrs, Deuxième Symphonie op. 26, Six Antiennes pour le Temps de Noël op. 48, Chorales op. 28 (No. 21–23, 36–41 & 66). Recorded in 2001 at Perkins Chapel, SMU, Dallas, Texas. Naxos 8.554542. 1 CD.
• Paul Hindemith: 3 Sonatas & Max Reger: Organ Works. Recorded in 1975 in St. Sernin, Toulouse. Sigean: Solstice Music, 1975. 1 LP.
• Darius Milhaud: Complete organ works. Recorded in 1974 at Chartres Cathedral. Sigean: Solstice Music FYCD 916. 1 CD.
• Louis Vierne: 24 Pièces de Fantaisie. Recorded in 1993 in St. Ouen, Rouen. Sigean: Solstice Music FYCD 817/8. 2 CDs.
• Louis Vierne: 24 Pieces en style libre op.31, Messe basse op.30, Messe basse pour les défunts op.62, Prelude funèbre op.4. Recorded in 1990 and 1993 in St. Ouen, Rouen. Sigean: Solstice Music FYCD 815/6. 2 CDs.
• Louis Vierne: Organ Works. Mass solennelle op. 16, Verset fugué sur “In exitu Israel” (1894), Allegretto op. 1, Communion op. 8, Triptyque op. 58, Prelude in F sharp minor (1914), 3 Improvisations, Marche triomphale op. 46. Recorded in 1993 in St. Ouen, Rouen. Sigean: Solstice Music FYCD 815/6. 2 CDs.
• Organ Works of American Composers. Recorded in 1976 in St. Sernin, Toulouse. Sigean: Solstice Music, 1976. 1 LP.
• Charles-Marie Widor: Symphonie Gothique & Louis Vierne: 24 Pieces en style libre op.31. Recorded in 1990 in St. Ouen, Rouen. Sigean: Solstice Music.
• Riches to Rags: Works of Bach and Joplin. Baroque Notes Inc., 1997. 1 CD.
• Jean Langlais: un centenaire / a centenary. Recorded in 2007 in Saint-Sernin, Toulouse. Sigean: Solstice Music, 2007. 1 CD.
• Olivier Messiaen: La Nativité du Seigneur. Baroque Notes Inc., 2008. 1 CD.
• Homage to Cochereau. (Together with David Briggs , Thierry Escaich and Loïc Mallié.) Recorded in 2008 in Saint-Sulpice, Paris (George Baker: Ricercar on "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland", Berceuse Paraphrase, Toccata-Gigue on the Sussex Carol). Sigean: Solstice Music, 2009. 1 CD.

bibliography

• Baker, George. "An interview with Maurice Duruflé." The American Organist Vol. 14, No. 11 (November 1980).
• Blanc, Frédéric (ed.) "An interview with Maurice Duruflé by George Baker." In Maurice Duruflé: Souvenirs et autres écrits . Paris: Séguier, 2005, pp. 203-228.
• Pâris, Alain (ed.). "George Baker". In the Lexicon of Classical Music Performers in the 20th Century . Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1992, pp. 38-39.

Web links

• George Baker homepage
• George Baker agency profile
• Baroque Notes Music
• Winner of the Grand Prix de Chartres 1974
• George Baker on the Rice University website