< Bridgepoint Ensemble/ Katherine Baker
Katherine Baker, Flute
Katherine Baker has been Principal Flute of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden since 2018.
An alumnus of the Royal Academy of Music, where she had studied with William Bennett, Katherine has previously held the position of the first flute with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Hallé. During her time in Manchester, from 2004-to 2018, she made various solo appearances with the orchestra including performances of Mozart’s flute and harp concerto, Bach’s B minor suite and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no. 5 with Angela Hewitt.
Katherine has always enjoyed a varied career and often takes on guest principal work with many of the country’s leading orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra and Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
Recent solo appearances include playing the Mozart flute and harp concerto with Lucy Wakeford and the Northern Chamber Orchestra and in 2019 she recorded Joe Duddell’s Mnemonic with harpist Suzy Willison-Kawalec for the Resonus label and the Presteigne Festival Orchestra. During a time, when the arts were in turmoil Katherine, was fortunate to be invited to perform in Wingspan, a project created by world-renowned choreographer Lynn Page which combined solo musicians performing on stage with dancers from the Royal Ballet, a feat in the time of social distancing and mask-wearing.
As a chamber musician, Katherine regularly performs with chamber ensembles around the country, most recently with the newly created Bridgepoint Ensemble in Rye. In 2010 Katherine was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and is currently a professor of flute there. She lives in Kent with her husband and four children.