Julius Baker, born on September 23, 1915 in Cleveland, Ohio, was an American flutist. He began flute lessons at age nine with his father and later studied under August Caputo, Robert Morris, Leonardo De Lorenzo, William Kincaid, and Marcel Tabuteau. In 1937, Baker joined the Cleveland Orchestra as second flute. His career included principal flute positions with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (1941-1943), CBS Symphony Orchestra (1943-1951), Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1951-1953), and New York Philharmonic (1965-1983). Baker was also a founding member of the Bach Aria Group and performed on notable film scores such as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. He made several recordings, including Poem For Flute And Orchestra (1952) and Serenade In D Major, Op. 25 (1953). Baker taught at the Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, and Carnegie Mellon University. He died on August 6, 2003.
