Martin Baker
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Since 2000, Martin Baker has been Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral. This follows eight years at Westminster Abbey, firstly as Sub-Organist, and subsequently as Acting Organist and Master of the Choristers.
Born in Manchester in 1967 and educated at Chetham’s School of Music and Downing College, Cambridge, Martin Baker held positions at London’s Westminster and St Paul’s Cathedrals, before being appointed to Westminster Abbey at the age of 24. His performances on broadcasts and recordings with the Abbey Choir received wide critical acclaim. He toured with the Abbey Choir in France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Norway, Poland and the USA.
Martin Baker is recognised as a dynamic choral conductor. Since his appointment to Westminster Cathedral as Master of Music, the choir has maintained its high profile both in the Roman Catholic Church and in the musical world in general. Since 2000, Martin Baker has commissioned and directed the choir in the premières of a number of new choral masses – by James MacMillan, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Judith Bingham, John Tavener, and Stephen Hough – all of which have received widespread critical acclaim. The choir has continued its series of acclaimed recordings on the Hyperion label, the two most recent being recordings of the service of Vespers of the Nativity, and the Palestrina Lamentations. Under his direction the choir has toured in the USA, Hungary, Germany, Belgium, Norway and Italy.
As an organist, he is much in demand all over the world. Performing regularly in the UK, he has recently given concerts in France, Holland, Germany, Spain, Croatia, Hungary, Austria, the USA, Moscow and Siberia. The winner of the St Alban's Improvisation competition in 1997, improvisation features regularly in his recital programmes. He has raised the profile of the organ at Westminster Cathedral, both through his weekly liturgical improvisations and by the re-instigation of the annual Grand Organ Festival, one of the most prestigious organ concert series in the UK. His playing is renowned for its verve and spontaneity, The Independent commenting that ‘he is fiery, dynamic and above all, a “live” player.’
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