MICHAEL CONWAY BAKER

by David Stybr, Chairman

Reprinted from Maestro, the bimonthly newsletter of the Classical Music
Special Interest Group of American Mensa. July/August 1989

He is one of the foremost composers in Canada, and his name is Michael Conway Baker. Baker is a refreshing contrast to most modern composers because he writes in an idiom which is predominantly tonal. His abundant melodies, rich harmonies and expert orchestration make an immediate appeal, and his usage of traditional forms shows a wealth of invention in familiar frameworks. Whether for the concert hall, films or television, Baker composes with an integrity rare in modern music.

The son of vaudeville and radio comedian Phil Baker, Michael Conway Baker was born March 13, 1937 in West Palm Beach, Florida. He had a nomadic childhood and attended 13 schools in 12 years in the United States and Canada. With the help of a record collection and later a piano, he taught himself the basics of musical theory.

After high school graduation and a series of odd jobs, he decided in 1958 to move to Vancouver, British Columbia, which was his mother's native city. There he began formal piano studies. Within a year, he passed the external examinations of the London College of Music. Baker went on to study composition at the University of British Columbia with Jean Coulthard and Elliot Weisgarber, and in 1966 he received a Bachelor of Music degree.

Baker worked hard to find his own personal voice as a composer, but found himself completely outside the academic and accepted avant-garde mainstream. While other composers in the 1960's used chance or mathematical formulas to write music, Baker used radical notions such as melody, harmony and form. He brought a contemporary approach to classical ideas, and the result is music that is both accessible and original.

Perhaps the essence of Baker's music can be expressed best in his comments about his own Symphony No. 1 of 1977: "As to the 'style' of the Symphony, I can only say it is my own. I follow no 'ism' and write what convinces me. No doubt there will be those who find this Symphony -- along with my other compositions -- hopelessly traditional. There are clearly delineated themes and, although I don't use key signatures any more, the music is tonal, even when the tonal centres shift, as they often do. I rarely use 'effects' but when I do it is because I feel a specific musical need."

Except for a year when he studied advanced composition with Sir Lennox Berkeley in England, Baker has continued to reside in the Vancouver area. He became a citizen of Canada in 1970, and he earned a Master of Arts degree from Western Washington State College in 1972. Even though the main centres of musical activity in Canada are in Montreal and Toronto, Baker finds the natural environment around Vancouver more important to his inspiration.

Although Baker has written for several different media, central to his output are his works for the concert hall. These include Concerto for Flute and Strings of 1974; Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra of 1976; Symphony No. 1 of 1977 and his full-length ballet Washington Square of 1978 which was written for the National Ballet of Canada and based on the novel by Henry James. He has also written chamber music, piano pieces and vocal works. Much of Baker's most highly-acclaimed music has been for films, such as The Grey Fox, One Magic Christmas, and John and the Missus. Baker and his music were also an integral part of Expo '86 in Vancouver. His Fanfare to Expo 86 opened the proceedings, and he produced scores for the films Discovery for the British Columbia Pavilion; Island in Space for the United Nations Pavilion (which was also used for Expo 88 in Australia); and The Emerging North for the Northwest Territories Pavilion.

Baker's music has been widely performed in North America, Europe, Japan and Asia, and he has won numerous prestigious awards. Among them are three (3) Genie Awards for his scores for Canadian films, and an ACTRA award for the television series A Planet for the Taking plus numerous other nominations and awards for film and television scores.

One of his recent concert works, Through the Lions' Gate was premiered April 2, 1989 by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and performed in July 1989 by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. This orchestral work is Baker's Opus 83. Baker collaborates in songwriting with his wife and manager, Penny-Anne who writes lyrics.

In an age when modern composers and audiences seem to be growing farther apart, Baker provides a welcome change. His language is essentially conservative, but this respect for tradition does not preclude a very original voice. His bridging of the old and the new rewards repeated hearings. It is little wonder that he is now one of the most distinctive composers that Canada has produced.

...July, 1989 Update: June 1992

In March, 1992 Michael won the JUNO award for Best Classical Composition for his Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra which was performed by Robert Silverman on Michael's highly acclaimed CD released by CBC-Records on their SM-5000 Label in August 1991. This CD, The Music of Michael Conway Baker was the first Michael has made and was into its second pressing by the end of 1991. It is the current hope of CBC- Records to release a second CD - Washington Square sometime in 1993. If this is not possible, another record label will be permitted to release this CD.

During UBC's 75th Anniversary celebration last year, the Alumni Association honoured 75 outstanding graduates of the past 75 years. From their 125,000 graduates, they chose to honour Michael by inclusion in this list as "An Outstanding Alumnus who has brought distinction to the University through his professional dedication and exceptional contribution to the community".

At this date, Michael is about to begin his Opus #100 (his Symphony No.2) after he completes a commissioned work for Patricia Shih for Violin and Orchestra (Opus #99). He and his wife, Penny-Anne, have just completed their 12th vocal work together, Take Each Day Anew commissioned by and for soprano Melanie Matthews. This work plus their very successful choir piece The Web of Life is being taken on tour this summer.

In the Fall, Michael continues to teach two courses in film music at UBC, one for composers and one for film students. Also, he is Composer in Residence for the Vancouver School Board, giving workshops to school children, as well as serving as Special Advisor to the Vancouver Symphony's Education Committee.

Also in the Fall of 1992, Michael will be scoring the new 13 part CBC-TV series "The Odyssey" a children's fantasy series for which he scored the pilot episode "The Jellybean Odyssey".