Julius Baker

"He produces what is surely the most glorious tone that ever came out of a flute."

     TIME Magazine The renowned French flutist and pedagogue, Marcel Moyse, once said of him,

"Nobody in France plays like Julius Baker, no one!"

     His level of virtuosity is second to none. This sentiment has been shared by the great conductors of our time-Leonard Bernstein, Fritz Reiner, Bruno Walter and Leopold Stokowski all selected Julius Baker to grace the solo chair of their respective orchestras. Julius Baker was born in Cleveland, Ohio.  After graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, he returned to Cleveland to play in the cleveland Orchestra under Artur Rodzinski.  Mr. Baker then went as a solo flutist to the Pittsburgh Symphony under Fritz Reiner.  He left Pittsburgh to become solo flutist of the Columbia Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra in New York City.  During this time, he joined the famed Bach Aria Group with which he was associated for eighteen years.  When the CBS Orchestra was disbanded, Mr. Baker went as solo flutist to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  Later he returned to New York to assume the Solo flute position with the New York Philharmonic, where he remained until 1983.

     Mr. Baker now concentrates on solo performances and chamber music in addition to teaching.  He is on the faculties of the Julliard School and The Curtis Institute of Music - his alma mater.  Mr. Baker was a member of an international woodwind quintet formed by the Yamaha Corporation to give concerts in the major cities in Japan to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Company.  He has also given solo recitals in both Japan and Korea and taught at the Toho University in Tokyo.  In April, 1994 he performed in Munich, Germany in celebration of the 200th birthday of Theobald Boehm, the developer of the modern flute.

     Mr. Baker gives Master classes throughout the U.S. and in Canada, and also serves as a consultant for flutes to the Yamaha Corporation of America.

     Mr. Baker has recorded for such labels as RCA Victor, Decca, Vanguard, Westminster and Vox Cum Laude.  His latest CD's are on the VAI and Oxford labels.

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