Baker, David

Born in Hyde, Cheshire in 1959 David began his path to a career in music learning the recorder at school, and later the flute. Whilst studying for his ‘A’ levels he began lessons on a ‘derelict’ school bassoon and quickly advanced to the dizzy height of ABRSM Grade VIII having been awarded a scholarship from Tameside MBC to study with Charles Cracknel.

In 1978 David moved to the music department of Huddersfield Polytechnic, studying with Richard King (Charles Cracknel’s successor as principal bassoon with the Hallé Orchestra) and specialising in performance and composition. He performed in the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and played concerti with various orchestras. In his final year he was awarded the J C Forbes performance prize as well as gaining his BA(Hons)Mus. After a further two years post graduate study at the RNCM (supported by a scholarship from the Countess of Munster Trust Fund) and under the tutelage of Edward Warren (principal bassoon with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra) David gained a PG Dip.(RNCM) in orchestral studies and joined the Mládí ensemble, with whom he performed a wide variety of music for wind and piano and gave a recital at Wigmore Hall.

In the following years David worked as a session musician with Granada Television and the BBC (radio and television), as well as freelancing with all the Northern based symphony and chamber orchestras; playing principal bassoon with the BBC Philharmonic and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras. He also undertook longer term contracts in the Manchester theatres.

David was appointed as principal bassoon with The Northern Chamber Orchestra in 1985 and two years later (and running concurrently) as principal bassoon of The Orchestra of the Golden Age (playing on ‘original’ instruments). In 1991 David became sub-principal bassoon with The Orchestra of Opera North based in Leeds; enjoying a wide variety of orchestral, chamber and opera performance in the roll of both first and second bassoon. He has taught bassoon at Leeds College of Music, Hull University, and Breton Hall College. He now teaches privately and at Huddersfield and Leeds Universities as well as Leeds Conservatoire.

In recent years David has returned to composition producing a portfolio of published, wind chamber works as well as numerous commissioned pieces.

 

David Baker

Compositions in catalogue

Catalogue no.

Price £

  
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Composer/arranger
 
 
 

Orchestral series
 
 
(score and full sets of parts) - please email info@editiondb for price of score only and/or extra sets of parts
 
 
 
 
 
Symphony for Strings
edb 0501001
90.00
   David Baker
Concerto for violin and orchestra
edb 0502001
120.00
   David Baker
Concerto for two bassoons and strings
edb 0502006
60.00
  
David Baker
             
Chamber Music series
 
 
Concerto for violin and orchestra (pno. red.)
edb 0702020
18.00
  
David Baker
Sonata for bassoon and piano
edb 0702021
18.00
David Baker
Concerto for two bassoons (pno red.)
edb 0703011
18.00
David Baker
Quatre Contrastes for bassoon and strings
edb 0706003
23.00
  
David Baker
(2vn, va, vc & db)      
 
Wind Sextet
edb 0706004
18.00
David Baker
Reflections in Harmonie - Concerto Grosso for cor anglais, winds and harpsichord
edb 0709001
23.00
David Baker
Sestina - Sextet for Winds
edb 0706005
18.00
David Baker