Harpists

Paul Baker brings years of experience in providing high quality music for weddings, parties and other events. Classically trained, yet with a vast experience in popular music, Mr. Baker is the perfect choice for any event that wants fine music. Ensembles of flute & harp, flute, harp & ‘cello and other combinations are also available.

Harpist, pianist and arranger, Paul Baker received a Bachelor of Music from Seattle Pacific University and a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Accompanying from the University of Southern California. He has studied harp with Lynne Palmer, Carrol McLaughlin and JoAnn Turovsky. A popular L.A. musician, he continues a busy schedule of solo performance, recording, conducting and arranging. Twice a prize winner in the International Pop and Jazz Harp competitions, Mr. Baker performs and presents workshops at music conferences throughout the U.S.A. In 1995 he was chosen Los Angeles' "Music Director of the Year" for his work with the Los Angeles premiere of Stephen Sondheim's "Assassins". Paul has published twelve arrangements for solo harp and his arrangements of Falla's "Seven Popular Spanish Songs" and "A Gershwin Sampler" were premiered at Carnegie Hall by the group "Pastiche". "A Gershwin Sampler" has just been published by Lyon and Healy Publications.

Mr. Baker was principal harpist with the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, the Peninsula Symphony, the Marina del Rey-Westchester Orchestra, the Burbank Chamber Orchestra and has played with the Pacific Symphony, Opera Pacific Orchestra, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and the American Ballet Theater Orchestra. He has worked with Roberta Flack, Melissa Manchester, James Ingrahm, Peabo Bryson, Sheena Easton, Katherine Grayson, Sandy Duncan, Jerry Lewis, Mel Gibson, Dudley Moore and many others.

For four years Paul has served as president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Harp Society and served two terms as Pacific Regional Director for the American Harp Society. He was chosen to perform at the closing banquet of the 29th National Conference for the American Harp Society in San Diego, California. You can hear his harp work on Stevie Wonder's newest release "Conversation Peace" and the John Tesh "A Romantic Christmas" album, as well as the soundtracks for the new movies "Learning Curves", "Sharpen the Saw", "Au Pair" and "Heart's Fire". Mr. Baker has recently performed and recorded with Roberta Flack, Peabo Bryson, Melissa Manchester, Aaron Neville and Bernadette Peters. He recently performed at the Hollywood Bowl with Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Larmore, Rodney Gilfrey, Davis Gaines, Cathy Rigby, Tito Puente, Charlotte Church and John Mauceri. He has just finished performing with "Phantom of the Opera" at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood and at the Hollywood Bowl with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

Paul's most recent publications include arrangements of "Bewitched" and "The Way You Look Tonight" for concert harp and a CD of Celtic harp improvisations, "The Tranquil Harp: Music for Meditation, Relaxation and Integration." He has just composed and performed music for the independent release "Bark".

Among other cities, Paul E. Baker - Harpist may serve the following areas: Los Angeles, Pasadena, Long Beach, Inglewood, Van Nuys, Glendale, Burbank, North Hollywood, Santa Monica, Whittier, Torrance, Alhambra, Northridge, Pomona, Compton, Beverly Hills, Lakewood, Ontario, Woodland Hills, Arcadia, Buena Park, Canoga Park, Carson, Culver City, Downey, El Monte, Encino, La Puente, Norwalk, Pico Rivera