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Elke Baker
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"Some of the greatest Scottish music to be heard anywhere"
—TACSound
U.S.
National Scottish Fiddle Champion Elke
Baker has played all over North America
and in places as far-flung as Japan, West Africa, and Scotland, as well at The
Birchmere (with Ken Kolodner) and the Kennedy Center in her hometown of
Washington, D.C. Elke is a faculty member at the Washington Conservatory of
Music, where she teaches history and performance of Celtic music. She brings a
scholar's depth of knowledge and an extremely engaging manner to her
performances, as well as an intimate knowledge of just what makes people want to
dance. Elke’s new CD, Caledonian Muse (with her Scottish band
Terpsichore) features favorite dances married to beautifully crafted medleys to
create a feast for the ears as well as the feet. Elke has released two concert
recordings to an enthusiastic reception. The Washington Post
praised Glenelg for " the rhythmic energy and deep emotions that Baker
generates with her bow….Baker's fiddle nearly throws off sparks," while
Celtic Beat called Over the Border "a CD of rare delight,
precise technical skill, and fulness of soul," and it was featured
in the soundtrack of The Boyhood of John Muir, nationally broadcast on
PBS television. In addition, Elke's first recording Terpsichore: Scottish
Dance Music, with pianist Liz Donaldson, is a classic of the genre and is
popular with dancers and listeners around the world.
updated: 11/09/06