Robert Baker

Bio

Robert Baker has been a member of the faculty of the Department of Music for 25 years. A singer who performs with the Metropolitan Opera, the Washington National Opera, the National Symphony and with choral organizations across the country, he focuses on new music and new ways of thinking about and presenting the traditional repertoire. He teaches voice lessons and in the classroom. He returned to The Washington National Opera in roles in both Ariadne auf Naxos and Le Nozze di Figaro. He is the current Program Head for Music at the George Washington University. Professor Baker and his wife live in Washington, DC.

Performances

A central figure in the Washington-area classical music scene, Prof. Baker has been the feature of more than 300 performances of 43 productions with the Washington National Opera. He has also sung ten roles with the Washington Concert Opera and appears frequently with the National Symphony Orchestra.

Some of his career highlights include:

• The role of Ishmael in the world premiere of Peter Westergaard's Moby Dick at Princeton University (recorded for Albany Records)
• Metropolitan Opera debut in Prokfiev's War and Peace, which he also recorded during The Spoleto Festival's production, released on the Chandos label
• Soloist on the Grammy Award-Winning recording Of Rage and Rembrance by John Corigliano (BMI: 1996)
• Sang Triquet in the NSO's presentation of Eugene Onegin
• Peter Grimes and Turandot with the Washington National Opera
• Carmina Burana with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
• Handel's Messiah with the Apollo Chorus in Chicago

He is a frequent performer of new music, has premiered over 15 major works in his career and is a frequent collaborator with DC composer Douglas Boyce. Professor Baker is proud to have sung with all the major choral organizations in Washington, DC, starting with the Paul Hill Chorale in 1979, and continuing with Norman Scribner, Reilly Lewis, Robert Shafer, Donald McCullough, Gisèle Becker, Tom Beveridge and Julian Wachner.

Education

Bachelor of Music Education, Lebanon Valley College
Master of Music, Manhattan School of Music
Doctor of Musical Arts, The Catholic University of America