US orchestras mourn long-serving conductor, 69
RIPThe St Louis Philharmonic Orchestra has made known the death of its conductor laureate Dr. Robert Hart Baker, ‘our maestro for 38 years’.
Similar notices have been received from the York Symphony Orchestra (30 years) and Belleville Philharmonic Society.
Dr Baker was widely loved over a very wide area.
Rest in peace, maestro. I recall with pleasure playing Mozart K.466 with him and the Harvard Bach Society Orchestra in 1974.
Robert was a great force for music in the Midwest. I had the pleasure of performing concerti with him several times. So sad he has left us.
He was my Youth Symphony conductor and gave me my first job in the local orchestra. I was unbelievably lucky to have him and play CM for him for 3 or 4 years. We all were very lucky. The rep he chose for the local orchestra was challenging. Especially for a high school student. I remember Shosti 5, Hindemith Symphonic Meta., Sibelius Symphonies, and Don Juan. The first reading in the local orchestra for me of Don Juan, violin 1. The first few bars went by and then I figured out where we were. I had never encountered anything like that before at that time. An enormous education and he was good. It trained and prepared me for so much. He played such an important role in putting me on the path to where I am now professionally. He was loved and will be greatly missed.
He was in Asheville, NC, for some years and lived right around the corner. When my children were little we would see him at the grocery store and the kids were amazed to see that symphony conductors also had to buy food.
Oh my goodness. We were close friends many years ago. About 20 years ago he fell ill with pancreatitis but recovered. Condolences to all of Bob’s friends and family.
What a wonderful man and conductor.
42 years later and he is still the ideal.
I’m sorry to read this news. Dr. Baker was my youth orchestra in south central PA and he was warm and intelligent musician. He was always encouraging of my studies and I played under his leadership while he was still MD of York Symphony. All my best to his family, friends, and the many musicians who knew him.