Acclaimed violinist Benjamin Baker will give a free concert at Ithaca College on Tuesday, Oct. 29. His 8:15 p.m. performance in Hockett Family Recital Hall in the Whalen Center for Music will feature works by Brahms, Cage, Copland and Mozart. He will be accompanied by pianist Daniel Lebhardt.
Since winning first prize at the 2016 Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York and third prize at the Michael Hill Competition in New Zealand in 2017, Baker has established a strong international presence. Recent highlights include a critically acclaimed debut at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City, along with recitals at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany and London’s Wigmore Hall.
Born in New Zealand, Baker studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music, where he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Rose Bowl. His first recording, “The Last Rose of Summer,” was released in 2015 and immediately went to No. 12 on the classical music charts. In 2017 he premiered a new concerto for the European Commission’s celebration of Europe Day and collaborated as a soloist with the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company.
A first-prize winner himself at the 2014 Young Concert Artists International Auditions in Paris and New York, pianist Daniel Lebhardt is a frequent collaborator with Baker. In 2016 he was recognized with the Most Promising Pianist prize at the Sydney International Competition.
Support for the School of Music guest artist recital has been provided by the Ithaca College Office of the President.