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The American organist, composer, pedagogue, and dermatologist, George C. Baker, received his first musical instruction at age 4. 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 in Dallas in 1973 with a Bachelor's degree. In 1969, he won the Regional Competition, a year later the National Organ Competition of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) in Fort Wayne, Indiana, being the youngest winner in the competition's history.
Additional organ studies in France followed with Marie-Claire Alain, André Marchal, Pierre Cochereau, and Jean Langlais. In 1974, George C. Baker won the Grand Prix de Chartres in organ performance. He obtained a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan and joined the faculty of The Catholic University in Washington, D.C. In 1979, he was the recipient of the first prize at the International Organ Improvisation Competition in Lyon, France.
In addition to his musical career, George C. Baker obtained an M.D. degree from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas in 1987 and began to practice medicine in 1991, after an internship in Internal Medicine and Dermatology. In 1996, he entered the Executive M.B.A. program at Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, where he graduated with an M.B.A. degree in 1998. During this time, he was Adjunct Professor of organ performance and improvisation at Southern Methodist University, and also served as SMU Health Center dermatologist.
George C. Baker is in great international demand as concert organist and jury member of competitions. Currently, he is Associate University Organist und Director of University Worship Music at Perkins Chapel, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, as well as Adjunct Professor of organ improvisation at the University of North Texas in Austin.
George C. Baker's recordings contain the complete organ works of J.S. Bach and Louis Vierne (together with Pierre Cochereau), as well as the world premiere recording of the organ compositions of Darius Milhaud, which was awarded two Grand Prix du Disque. He has also recorded organ works of Pierre du Mage, Marcel Dupré, Paul Hindemith, Max Reger, Charles-Marie Widor and American composers.
His organ compositions include: Far-West Toccata, Op. 2; Berceuse Paraphrase (Chicago, IL: H. T. Fitzsimmons Company, 1992); Divertissement (Chicago, IL: H. T. Fitzsimmons Company, 1996); At the River (Tarzana, CA: Fred Bock, 2000); Tuba Tune Ragtime (Tarzana, CA: Gentry Publications, 2003). |
