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Rick Baitz

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Rick Baitz
Background information
OriginLos Angeles, California
GenresClassical
Occupation(s)Composer, educator
Instrument(s)Pianist
Years active1980s–present
LabelsInnova Recordings,Neuma Records
Websitehttp://www.rickbaitz.com

Richard Keith Baitzis an American composer, born in 1954.[1]His work incorporates elements of classical,jazz,electronicandworld music,and has been extensively utilized for film, television, theatre, dance and the concert stage.[2]He has also served on the faculties ofThe Juilliard School,Vermont College of Fine Arts,andColumbia College Chicago,and was founding director ofBMI’s "Composing for the Screen" workshop in New York City.[3][4]

Biography

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Early life and education

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Born in Los Angeles, Baitz spent his childhood in California, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, andDurban,South Africa.[5]He graduated fromFairfax High Schoolin Los Angeles, and briefly attended theUniversity of Natalin Durban, later returning to the United States to study atGeorgetown University.[6][4]

Baitz eventually transferred toManhattan School of Music,receiving aBachelorsandMasters of Music,studying composition withElias Tanenbaum,Charles WuorinenandUrsula Mamlok.As a Composition Fellow at theTanglewood Music Centerin 1980, he studied withGeorge Perle,and attended his first film scoring seminar, led byJohn Williams.[7]He completed aDoctor of Musical ArtsatColumbia Universityin 1991, studying withMario DavidovskyandJack Beeson.The same year, he also attended theBMIFilm Scoring Workshop in Los Angeles, led byEarle Hagan.[5]

Musical career

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Baitz's early work as a composer focused on electro-acoustic pieces for varied instrumentations, includingAfrican Dreams(1977) for electronic tape,Triophany(1977) foralto saxophone,piano and double bass, andSeven Haiku by Basho(1978) forsopranoand mixed ensemble.

In 1987, Baitz's compositionKaleidocycles,commissioned by iEAR Studios atRensselaer Polytechnic Institute,was featured at theTanglewood Contemporary Music Festival.[8]1988 marked the first of several theatrical collaborations with his brother, playwrightJon Robin Baitz,including incidental music toThe Film Societyat New York'sSecond Stage Theater,Three Hotels forPBS’American Playhouse,andTen Unknownsat Boston's Huntington Theater.[9]

Baitz's concert work in the 1980s and ‘90s includedInto Lightforclarinet,violaand piano;The Riverfisherforchamber orchestra,voices and electronics, with text by poetTory Dent;and his Juilliard-commissioned electro-acoustic quintetRiver of January,which won first prize in theDelius Composition Contest.River of Januarywas also selected byThe International Society of Contemporary Musicto represent the US in the 1993 World New Music Days, held inMexico City.[5][10][11]In 2023,River of Januarywas selected to return to the World New Music Days for its Centennial Festival, held in South Africa; in December, Rickplayed the piece in Cape Town(on keyboard) with an ensemble of stellar South African musicians.River of Januarywas also recorded in New York in 2023, and is the title piece of Rick'snew album,released in May 2024 on Neuma Records.

From 1992 through 1998, he shared a music production studio in midtownManhattanwith mentor and employer Buryl Red, where he scored multipleNational Geographicdocumentaries, includingThe New Chimpanzees,Stolen Treasures,and the mini-seriesHeart of Africa.In 1998, he built his own studio, Rick Baitz Music, where he composed many soundtracks forPBSandHBO,includingLife Afterlife,Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy,The Education of Shelby Knox,andThe Vagina Monologues.[12]

In 2018, Baitz released an album of his concert music,Into Light,onInnova Recordings.The CD features three pieces for acoustic and electro-acoustic ensembles.Chthonic Dances,written for violinistMary Rowelland herstring quartetETHEL, drew inspiration from Baitz's early experiences of the musical and dance cultures ofBraziland South Africa. The piece premiered at the Tribeca New Music Festival in May 2011.[13][4][14]Hall of Mirrors,commissioned byThe Juilliard School,integrates varied ancient and modern percussion instruments with electronic effects.[15]Into Light,composed in 1984, featuresclarinet,violaand piano.[16]Rick's most recent album,River of January,released on Neuma Records in May 2024, features four pieces: the title composition,River of January,for flute, violin, cello, percussion and Yamaha DX7 Synthesizer; his 2021 electro-acoustic quintetMusic For A Sacred Space,premiered at The Juilliard School in 2022, commissioned by violinistCornelius Dufallo,accompanied by cello, multiple world percussion, piano and fixed media;Dark Fire,a 1992 duo for violin (Jennifer Choi) and cello (Yves Dhar); andTwo Poems for Flute & Alto Flute Solo(1980, rev. 1984), played byErin Lesser.

In 2016, Baitz scored the short filmRemembering Pearl Harbor,a permanent installation at theFranklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and MuseuminHyde Park,NY.This led to the composing of several scores for the grand opening of theMississippi Civil Rights Museumin November 2017, integrating elements ofMississippi Deltablues,electronicsandspirituals,with voice-overs byOprah Winfrey.[17]

Baitz's additional recent work includes the soundtrack toRob Garver’s acclaimed 2018 feature documentaryWhat She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael;[18][19][20]and incidental music to theJon Robin BaitzplayI'll Be Seein' Ya,commissioned for the digital stage byThe Center Theatre Groupin 2022.

As an educator

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Baitz served as Director of Composition Studies atColumbia College Chicagofor the 2007–08 academic year, doubling as lead composition instructor in theirMaster of Fine Arts(MFA) program infilm scoring.[12]In 2008, he foundedBMI's New York city-based film scoring mentorship program "Composing for the Screen", which he ran for 13 years.

He was Chair of the low-residency MFA in Composition program atVermont College of Fine Artsfrom 2012 until 2016, and continues as a core faculty member. The program integrates contemporary concert music, film scoring,electronic music,songwriting andjazz.[2][5]

Baitz also serves on the faculty ofThe Juilliard Schoolwhere he teaches film scoring[21]in the Composition Certificate program of the Extension Division.

Awards

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Baitz was awarded one ofBMI's highest honors, theClassic Contribution Award,at the 2018 BMI Film, TV & Visual Media awards in Los Angeles. The award honored and acknowledged his role as Founding Director of BMI's "Composing for the Screen" workshop.[3][7][22]

Other honors include:Grammy Nominationas an arranger forWondrous Love – Feel The Spirit(Resimiranda Records, 2000); the Grand Prize and Chamber Music Award, 1993Delius Composition Contest(forRiver of January); multiple awards fromMeet the Composerand theAmerican Music Center;and fellowships toThe MacDowell Colony,Yaddo,The Edward Albee Foundation,The Millay Colony,andThe Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.[23][24][25]

Personal life

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In addition to his work in music, in his earlier life he worked as a deckhand on adredgerinDurban,South Africa and as a cab driver in New York City. More recently, he has served as an expert witness in legal cases involving music. He lives in New York City.[9][14]

Discography

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Title[26] Award Year Label
River of January 2024 Neuma Records
What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael (Soundtrack) 2020 Rick Baitz Music
Into Light 2018 Innova
Songs for a Healthier America 2013 Hip Hop Public Health
Who Cares About Kelsey (Soundtrack) 2013 CD Baby
Meditations for Sound Healing 2006 The Relaxation Company
The Better and Better Series 2006 Elizabeth Hepburn
Beautiful Star – A Celebration of Christmas 2006 Resimiranda
Wondrous Love – Feel The Spirit Grammy Nomination 2000 Resimiranda
Making Music 1995–2005 Silver-Burdette
CDCM Vol II: Kaleidocycles 1987 Centaur

Works

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Film and television scores

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[27]

Concert music

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  • African Dreams(1977)
  • Triophany(1977)
  • Silky(1978)
  • Seven Haiku by Basho(1978)
  • Music for Orchestra(1979)
  • Septuor Cinematique(1980)
  • Music for Horn and Orchestra(1980)
  • Diapson(1983)
  • Two Poems for Flute and Alto Flute Solo(1980, rev. 1984)
  • Into Light(1984)
  • Shaking the Air(1985)
  • Kaleidocycles(1985)
  • Ojala(1987)
  • The Riverfisher(1989)
  • Three Murders(1991)
  • River of January(1991)
  • Dark Fire(1992)
  • Who’ll Be A Witness(1999)
  • Glory, Glory(2002)
  • Chthonic Dances(2010, rev. 2016)
  • Hall of Mirrors(2015)
  • Music for a Sacred Space(2021)

Music for the Theater

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  • The Film Society(1988; Second Stage Theater, NYC. Jon Robin Baitz, playwright.)
  • Dutch Landscape(1989; Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles Music Center. Jon Robin Baitz, playwright.)
  • Three Hotels(1992; Circle Repertory Theatre, NYC. Jon Robin Baitz, playwright.)
  • A Fair Country (1994; Naked Angels, NYC. Jon Robin Baitz, playwright.)
  • The Road To Mecca(1997; Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven. Athol Fugard, playwright.)
  • Ten Unknowns(2003; Huntington Theatre, Boston. Jon Robin Baitz, playwright.)
  • Fear: The Issues Project(2004; Naked Angels, NYC. Various playwrights.)
  • The Insolvencies(2021; Ojai Playwrights Festival Digital Stage. Jon Robin Baitz, playwright.)
  • Zaglada(2021; The Kosziuscko Foundation. Richard Vetere, playwright.)
  • I'll Be Seein' Ya(2022; Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles Music Center. Jon Robin Baitz, playwright.)

References

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  1. ^Kosman, Joshua."Album review: Composer Rick Baitz spins out long, engaging musical yarns".San Francisco Chronicle.RetrievedMay 17,2017.
  2. ^abWassenberg, Anya."Rick Baitz: Into Light".Art & Culture Maven.RetrievedMay 17,2017.
  3. ^ab"BMI to Honor Legendary Composer John Williams With Special Award at Film, TV & Visual Media Awards".BMI. April 9, 2018.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  4. ^abc"Rick Baitz into Light".Tribeca New Music. September 13, 2018.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  5. ^abcd"Rick Baitz".Columbia. April 22, 2016.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  6. ^"1972 Fairfax High School".Classmates.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  7. ^ab"John Williams Honored With Namesake Award at BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards"(PDF).Tribeca New Music.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  8. ^Rockwell, John(August 6, 1987)."At Tanglewood, Modern Chamber Works".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  9. ^ab"Tearing Down the Wall".New Music Box. January 16, 2018.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  10. ^Henken, John (November 20, 1992)."MUSIC REVIEW: California EAR Unit Offers Program of Local Premiere".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  11. ^Dunning, Jennifer (March 12, 1992)."Bringing the Music into the Act".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  12. ^ab"Becoming Real".New Music Box. January 22, 2018.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  13. ^Kozinn, Allan(May 24, 2011)."Celebrating Electronics and Energy".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  14. ^ab"Rick Baitz: Into Light".Textura.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  15. ^"Juilliard Center for Innovation in the Arts presents free Beyond the Machine concert series".Textura.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  16. ^Harris, George W."Rick Baitz: Into Light".Jazzweekly.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  17. ^"Anatomy of a Scoring Gig".New Music Box. January 8, 2018.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  18. ^Gleiberman, Owen (February 10, 2019)."Berlin Film Review: 'What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael'".Variety.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  19. ^McCarthy, Todd (August 31, 2018)."'What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael': Film Review Telluride 2018 ".Variety.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  20. ^"Beyond the Machine 22.0 | Music for a Sacred Space at The Juilliard School".www.juilliard.edu.RetrievedMay 31,2022.
  21. ^"EVDIV 517 – Scoring to Picture".Juilliard.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  22. ^"34th Annual BMI Film, TV, & Visual Media Awards".Pop Disciple. May 14, 2018.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  23. ^"Other Credits, Honors".Pop Disciple. May 14, 2018.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  24. ^"Wondrous Love: Feel the Spirit".AllMusic.RetrievedMay 21,2019.
  25. ^"Tim Stafford: Artist".Recording Academy.RetrievedMay 21,2019.
  26. ^"Rick Baitz".AllMusic.RetrievedMay 19,2019.
  27. ^"Rick Baitz".IMDb.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
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