Richard Baker

Richard Baker is a Professor of Composition at the Guildhall School since 2004 and an Honorary Fellow since 2009. A composer, conductor, teacher, and mentor, he studied composition in the Netherlands with Louis Andriessen and in London with John Woolrich. His work includes concert curation and programme advising. His compositional output spans songs, choral pieces, chamber music, and orchestral works, such as the basset clarinet concerto Learning to Fly (1999), Gaming (2010), and Kerdantata (2015). His orchestral work The Tyranny of Fun (2012) earned a Royal Philharmonic Society Award nomination. His NMC portrait disc The Tyranny of Fun (2024) showcases works across diverse forces.

Research interests include practice-based composition, modernist musical developments post-postmodernism, opera/music-theatre innovation, queer music practices, narrative-driven music, adaptation studies, and contemporary performance.

Key works like Motet IV (Accidental Activists) (2023) and The Price of Curiosity (2019) explore juxtaposing human speech transcriptions with related musical material. His compositional style is praised for its 'dizzyingly imaginative' and 'invigorating' approach, as noted in BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone Magazine reviews.

Awards include the 2014 Royal Philharmonic Society Award nomination. He has collaborated with groups like Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) and UPROAR, contributing to contemporary music's evolving landscape.