George C. Baker (born June 9, 1951 in

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

) is an American

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...

, composer,

pedagogue Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken a ...

, and

dermatologist Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medica ...

Biography

Baker received his first musical instruction at age four. In 1961, he began to take organ lessons with Phil Baker, organist at Highland Park Methodist Church in Dallas. He completed his organ studies with Robert T. Anderson at

Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , ...

in Dallas in 1973 with a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in Music. In 1969, he won the Regional Competition, and, in 1970, the National Organ Competition of the

American Guild of Organists The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is an international organization of academic, church, and concert organists in the US, headquartered in New York City with its administrative offices in the Interchurch Center. Founded as a professional educat ...

Buffalo, NY Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

. Additional organ studies in France followed with

Marie-Claire Alain Marie-Claire Geneviève Alain-Gommier (10 August 1926 – 26 February 2013) was a French organist, scholar and teacher best known for her prolific recording career, with 260 recordings, making her the most-recorded classical organist in the world ...

André Marchal André Louis Marchal (6 February 1894 – 27 August 1980) was a French organist and organ teacher. He was one of the great initiators of the twentieth-century organ revival in France and one of the cofounders of the ''Association des amis de l'orgu ...

Pierre Cochereau Pierre Eugène Charles Cochereau (9 July 1924 – 6 March 1984) was a French organist, improviser, composer, and pedagogue. Cochereau was titular organist of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris from 1955 to his death in 1984 and was responsibl ...

, and

Jean Langlais Jean François-Hyacinthe Langlais III (15 February 1907 – 8 May 1991) was a French composer of modern classical music, organist, and improviser. He described himself as "" ("Breton, of Catholic faith"). Biography Langlais was born in L ...

. In 1974, Baker won the ''Grand Prix de Chartres'' in organ performance. A year later, he obtained a ''Diplôme de Virtuosité'' from the Schola Cantorum in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, and, in 1977, a Master of Music from the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

. He graduated with a DMA from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1979 and joined the faculty of the Catholic University in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

The same year, he won a first prize at the International Organ Improvisation Competition in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...

. His recordings include the complete organ works of

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

and

Louis Vierne Louis Victor Jules Vierne (8 October 1870 – 2 June 1937) was a French organist and composer. As the organist of Notre-Dame de Paris from 1900 until his death, he focused on organ music, including six organ symphonies and a '' Messe solennelle ...

(along with Pierre Cochereau), as well as the world premiere recording of the organ compositions of

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions ...

, which was awarded two

Grand Prix du Disque Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and co ...

. In addition to his musical career, Baker obtained an MD from

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

Southwestern Medical School in Dallas in 1987 and began to practice medicine in 1991, after an internship in Internal medicine and

Dermatology Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medica ...

until his retirement in 2021. In 1996, he entered the Executive MBA program at

Cox School of Business The Edwin L. Cox School of Business is an American business school, part of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. The SMU Cox School of Business is headquartered in four buildings on SMU's 210-acre main campus five miles north ...

, Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, where he graduated with an

MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

in 1998. Baker was lecturer in Organ Improvisation at

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a private research university in Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranked among the top universities ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

until his retirement in 2021. In November 2021, he was appointed as adjunct associate professor of Organ at SMU Meadows School of the Arts.https://www.smu.edu/Meadows/NewsAndEvents/News/2021/DrGeorgeBakerOrganAndDermatologist Announcement by Caitlin Drott on the SMU Meadows School of the Arts website, November 22, 2021. Accessed September 23, 2022.

Compositions

Organ Solo

* Far-West Toccata (composed in 1969/revised in 2008. Manuscript) * Berceuse-Paraphrase (composed in 1992. Chicago, IL: H. T. Fitzsimmons Company, 1993) * Divertissement (Chicago, IL: H. T. Fitzsimmons Company, 1996) * At the River (Tarzana, CA: Fred Bock, 2000) * Tuba Tune Ragtime (composed in 2003. Tarzana, CA: Gentry Publications, 2004) * Ricercare on

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

(composed in 2004. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2020) * Toccata-Gigue on the Sussex Carol (composed in 2008/revised in 2019. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc.) * Variations on "Rouen" (composed in 2010. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc.) * Tiento Grégorien (composed in 2010. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2011) * Lamento (composed in 2013. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2013) * Prelude on "The Lone, Wild Bird" (composed in 2015. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2017) * Procession Royale (composed in 2016. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2017) * Danse Diabolique (composed in 2016. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2017) * Deux Evocations (composed in 2017. Dallas, TX: 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" ("Wer nur den lieben Gott laesst walten") (Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2018) * L'Envoi (Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2018) * Prière Grégorienne (composed in 2018. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2018) * Berceuse sur le nom de SWANN (composed in 2019. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2019) * Prelude on Salve Regina (composed in 2020. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2020) * Deux Miniatures (composed in 2020. Dallas: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2020): ** I. ''Ave Maris Stella'' ** II. ''Salve Regina'' * Diptyque: Mors et Resurrectio (composed in 2022. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2022) * Le Tombeau de Jean Langlais (composed in 2022. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2022)

Organ and other instruments

* Rumba for organ and four percussionists (composed in 2015. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2017) * Joie for organ, timpani and brass quintet (composed in 2020. Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2021)

Choral

* Noels for SATB voices, accompanied (Tarzana: CA: Gentry Publications, 2000) * Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland for choir and organ (composed in 2004. Manuscript) * Our Father for SATB choir (composed in 2005. Manuscript)

Discography

* ''Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Organ Works.'' Recorded between 1976 and 1979 in Thionville, at Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Mateaux and St. Louis in Paris, France. Sigean, France: Solstice Music. * ''Johann Sebastian Bach: 5 Organ Concertos.'' Concertos BWV 592-596. Recorded on the Kern organ at Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Mateaux in Paris, France. Sigean, France: Solstice Music FYCD 080. 1 CD. * ''Pierre du Mage: Livre d'Orgue & Louis-Nicolas Clérambault: 2 Suites.'' Recorded in 1976 at Houdan, France. Sigean, France: 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 (Nos. 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 at St. Sernin, Toulouse, France. Sigean, France: Solstice Music, 1975. 1 LP. * ''Darius Milhaud: Complete Organ Works.'' Recorded in 1974 at Chartres Cathedral, France. Sigean, France: Solstice Music FYCD 916. 1 CD. * ''Louis Vierne: 24 Pièces de Fantaisie.'' Recorded in 1993 at St. Ouen, Rouen, France. Sigean, France: Solstice Music FYCD 817/8. 2 CDs. * ''Louis Vierne: 24 Pièces en style libre op. 31, Messe basse op. 30, Messe basse pour les défunts op. 62, Prélude funèbre op. 4.'' Recorded in 1990 and 1993 at St. Ouen, Rouen, France. Sigean, France: Solstice Music FYCD 815/6. 2 CDs. * ''Louis Vierne: Organ Works.'' Messe solennelle op. 16, Verset fugué sur „In exitu Israel“ (1894), Allegretto op. 1, Communion op. 8, Triptyque op. 58, Prélude (1914), 3 Improvisations, Marche triomphale op. 46. Recorded in 1993 at St. Ouen, Rouen, France. Sigean, France: Solstice Music FYCD 815/6. 2 CDs. * ''Organ Works of American Composers.'' Recorded in 1976 at St. Sernin, Toulouse, France. Sigean, France: Solstice Music, 1976. 1 LP. * ''Charles-Marie Widor: Symphonie Gothique & Louis Vierne: 24 Pièces en style libre op. 31.'' Recorded in 1990 at St. Ouen, Rouen, France. Sigean, France: Solstice Music. * ''Riches to Rags: Works of Bach and Joplin.'' Baroque Notes Inc., 1997. 1 CD. * ''Jean Langlais: un centenaire/a centenary.'' Recorded 2007 at Saint-Sernin, Toulouse, France. Sigean: Solstice Music, 2007. 1 CD. * ''Olivier Messiaen: La Nativité du Seigneur.'' Baroque Notes Inc., 2008. 1 CD. * ''Hommage à Cochereau.'' (Along with David Briggs, Thierry Escaich und Loïc Mallié.) Recorded in 2008 at Saint-Sulpice, Paris, France (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'' 14(11), November 1980. * Baker, George. ''Organ Improvisation: A Workbook of Ideas and Exercises Leading to New Musical Creations'' (ePublication). Dallas, TX: Baroque Notes, Inc., 2022. * Blanc, Frédéric (ed.) "An interview with Maurice Duruflé by George Baker." In ''Maurice Duruflé: Souvenirs et autres écrits.'' Paris, France: Séguier, 2005, 203-228. * Pâris, Alain (ed.). "George Baker". In ''Dictionnaire des interprètes et de l'interprétation musicale au XXe siècle''. Paris, France: Laffont, 1985, 178. * Pâris, Alain (ed.). "George Baker". In ''Lexikon der Interpreten klassischer Musik im 20. Jahrhundert''. Kassel, Germany: Bärenreiter, 1992, 38-39. * Warnier, Vincent. "George C. Baker (né en 1951)." In Renaud Machart and Vincent Warnier (eds.): ''Les grands organistes du XXe siècle''. Paris, France: Buchet-Chastel, 2018, 303-309.

References

External links

Website of George Baker

Biography on the Karen McFarlane Artists Website, Cleveland, OH

Baroque Notes Music

Winners of the Grand Prix de Chartres 1974
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, George C. 1951 births American classical organists American male organists American male composers 21st-century American composers American dermatologists Organ improvisers Musicians from Dallas Living people Southern Methodist University alumni University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center alumni Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art faculty 21st-century organists 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American keyboardists Male classical organists