Harry Baker is an award-winning improvising pianist and composer active in jazz, classical and new-music settings. His music has been featured on Jazz FM and BBC Radio 3 with cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and his compositions recorded by the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain on NMC Recordings.
A key player on the UK jazz and classical scenes, Harry has performed at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, the 606 Club, Wigmore Hall and the Royal Festival Hall. His music looks to unite his diverse influences, centring around improvisation and collaboration. Recent work includes performing his composition ‘Lament’, a semi-improvised piano concerto, with the Ripieno Players in a programme alongside a new composition by saxophonist Xhosa Cole (BBC Jazz Young Musician 2018).
In early 2020, Harry released his debut album, ‘The Floating Boy’, a suite for big band and voices performed by the Oxford University Jazz Orchestra and vocal group The Oxford Gargoyles. The album launch was accompanied by a feature interview in London Jazz News and was played on Jazz FM, leading presenter Helen Mayhew to comment that “the future of British jazz is in very capable hands.”
Upcoming projects include a collaboration with Sheku Kanneh-Mason, featuring improvisations around folk songs and jazz standards, in addition to compositions by J.S. Bach and Nadia Boulanger. The duo debuted to a packed crowd at Bold Tendencies festival in Peckham in June 2021, where they will be performing again in September 2022, in addition to the Konzerhaus Dortmund, Germany in November 2022.
Harry is in-demand as a session musician, and has appeared on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2, in addition to BBC1&2 with choirmaster Gareth Malone. He is also a passionate advocate for music education, and works as Accompanist with London Youth Choirs and at the Royal College of Music, alongside extensive private music tuition.