Youth Orchestra
Hayden Baker
Hayden Baker, 16, is currently an 11th grader at Ladue Horton Watkins High School. He has been playing violin for eleven years, and this will be his 5th season in the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. Hayden fell in love with music when he began playing the violin at age five with Mariana Wood during a school sponsored strings program at St. Louis Language Immersion Schools. Hayden currently studies with Joo Kim and is incredibly thankful for the hours of instruction and encouragement that his teacher has provided.
Last year, Hayden made his solo debut as a winner of the Belleville Philharmonic’s concerto competition. As a winner in the 2024 Odyssey Pre-Collegiate Concerto Competition, Hayden performed as a soloist in last season’s Odyssey Chamber Music Series. Additionally, Hayden was runner up in the Rising Talents Youth Concerto Competition and will be soloing with the Town & Country Symphony Orchestra in their upcoming season. Hayden was also selected as a 2023-2024 Rader Young Artist through the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis. In previous summers, Hayden has attended the Arianna Chamber Music Festival, Madeline Island Chamber Music for Strings program, and the Aria International Summer Academy.
Hayden would like to express gratitude to those who have supported him throughout the years, including previous teachers Julia Sakharova and Mariana Wood, mentors such as Vera Parkin and the Arianna String Quartet, and his incredibly supportive family. When not playing his instrument, Hayden likes listening to all kinds of genres of music, spending time with his two cats, and hiking.
