ABOUT BARRY BAKER
Barry Baker serves as Artist and Clinician for Kawai America and Kawai Canada Corporations, headquartered in the Los Angeles area. In this position, Barry performs public concerts and workshops throughout North America on Kawai's award-winning line of digital pianos.
On the music education scene, he presents clinics to teachers on the application of Kawai's digital pianos in private and group lessons. He also conducts clinics and training sessions for church musicians and music directors. Some of Barry's music can be heard on two demonstration CDs that illustrate the use of the Kawai digital piano for a variety of church services and educators.
Barry is a graduate of The University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music in Piano Performance, where he studied with Richard Morris. Previously, Barry had earned a degree in Audio/Video Production from Southern Ohio College.
Barry launched his concert career upon winning first prize in the 1989 international Young Organist Competition of the American Theatre Organ Society (ATOS). Since then, he has performed solo theater pipe organ concerts at major venues from New York to Los Angeles. His appearances have included concert tours of England and Australia, along with venues in Scotland, Wales and New Zealand.
In 1999, Barry was the recipient of the American Theatre Organ Society "Organist of the Year" award.
Barry has released two commercial compact disc recordings of his solo artistry: "For The Very First Time" (1995) and "A Barry Baker Concert" (1999). He has also appeared on other commercial recording releases.
Barry's musical training began with formal piano instruction at the age of eight, while teaching himself theater pipe organ performance. His musical career was under way with his appointment to a church position at age 10 as pipe organist and pianist. One year later, he performed his theater pipe organ debut in downtown Cincinnati at the Emery Theater.
By the age of 12, Barry was invited to perform a series of programs on the noted four manual theater pipe organ at Cincinnati's Springdale Music Palace Restaurant where, years later, he became a resident organist. After that association, he entertained for four years on the four manual pipe organ at the Shady Nook Restaurant (also in the Cincinnati area), then at the Organ Piper Music Palace Restaurant in Milwaukee for four years, also on a large theater pipe organ.
Since 1989, Barry has performed for 14 internationally attended theater pipe organ conventions. He was also a featured artist for the 2005 American Guild of Organists Regional Convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
May of 2007 marked Barry's fifth year with Kawai America Corporation. |
