Helen Baker

Helen Baker was born in Sydney and began her musical studies at Pymble Ladies’ College, where she was awarded the Dame Joan Hammond Music Award. In 2001 Helen graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree with Honours, studying cello with Georg Pedersen. While at the Conservatorium Helen was awarded the Sir Frank Packer Bursary, the Joan and James McIlwraith Armstrong scholarship and the Pedersen scholarship. Since June 2002 Helen has toured Europe to perform in International Master Courses with Troels Svane, Dimitri Ferschtmann and Alexander Baillie. In 2003 she settled in Holland to complete 1 year at the North Netherlands Conservatorium, studying cello and chamber music with Jan Ype Nota and Troels Svane. Along side her studies, Helen performed regularly with her piano trio, violin/cello duo and as a recitalist. With her trio she traveled to St. Petersburg and was awarded a Diploma (4th prize) in the “Maria Yudina International Piano and Chamber Music Competition”.

In Australia Helen has received the A.Mus.A with distinction and the L.Mus.A. She has won numerous competitions including the ‘Hauff Award’ from the Sydney Performing Arts Challenge. She has been scholarship holder with the Australian National Academy of Music’s ‘Master-Course’ program. She has performed as soloist with the Sydney Conservatorium Cello ensemble, the South Coast Orchestra and the St. Andrews Cathedral Chamber Orchestra. As principal cellist of the SBS Youth Orchestra Helen has toured China and Japan. She has given solo recitals for the Wahroonga Music Club, Sydney Conservatorium, and at various private soirees. She has played in master classes for international soloists such as Alexander Kniazev and Phillis Young.

Helen’s love of chamber music has taken her to China to perform in a string quartet at the Australian Embassy and the Imperial Palace. She has participated in the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville and played in Master Classes for Ralph Kirshbaum and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson trio. Some of the highlights of her chamber music experiences have been performing on ABC Radio and a performance with Nigel Kennedy.