Biography

Englishman Brett Baker is viewed as one of Europe’s leading brass performers and educators. He is passionate about encouraging new composers to write pioneering new repertoire for the trombone having been involved in over 100 solo commissions for tenor trombone. Brett is Sales Director for Denis Wick & Alliance Products, an Artist for Michael Rath Brass Instruments and was a long serving former Principal Trombone of the world-famous Black Dyke Band and now Solo Trombone with the Cory Band.
He was previously the Course Director of the Singapore and Thailand Low Brass Festivals, and Musical Director of the Bolsover International Brass Summer School. He is a past Chair and past President of the British Trombone Society (2010-2012), and a past Programme Leader and Music Lecturer at the University of Salford (2013-2019).
Brett is one of the most recorded brass soloists in his genre, and as well as making numerous broadcasts, videos and TV appearances. He is also a former Trombone Solo Champion of Great Britain and an Associate of the Royal College of Music, London.

In May 2000, Brett was invited to join Black Dyke Band under the direction of Dr. Nicholas Childs. At ‘Dyke’, he has played on over 100 CDs, and highlights include trips to the USA, Bermuda, Japan and Australia. Brett Baker, has had some impressive contest successes, gaining first at Brass in Concert, with Fairey’s whilst being the featured soloist, winning the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA), the Grand Shield and the All-England Masters. The Australian ‘Nationals’ and the European Championships. He has won the English Nationals, British Open Championships, the National Championships of Great Britain and Yorkshire Area on a number of occasions.
Brett was Chair and Vice-President of the British Trombone Society (BTS), in 2010 he became the societies President. Brett was Chair of the Awards Committee of the International Trombone Association (ITA) for 12 years, previously serving as the Executive’s Secretary from 2005-2010. He is currently Chair of the Research Advisory Council for the ITA.
As a brass clinician he has toured from Brazil to the USA and from the Antipodes to Western Europe. He has given workshops and recitals at numerous educational establishments, and he has been a guest soloist with bands in Australia, New Zealand, Western Europe, South America, North America and Japan.
As an adjudicator, Brett, is a member of AoBBA serving on its executive as the Vice Chair and has judged many competitions and festivals including the International Trombone Association in the USA and the National Solo Championships in Switzerland. He has adjudicated at the British, North American, Swiss, Dutch, Australian and New Zealand National Finals and many association and regional championships.
For over 20 years, Brett Baker has been keen to promote new music for the trombone, commissioning over one hundred works from composers and arrangers such as Edward Gregson, Nigel Clarke, Rob Wiffin, Gavin Higgins, Oliver Waespi, Darrol Barry, and Jan Van Der Roost to name a few.
In 2020, Brett was awarded the ITA ‘Presidents Award’ for his solo performances, recordings and service to the ITA and has premiered substantial trombone concertos by Philip Wilby, Nigel Clarke, Oliver Waespi and Dorothy Gates over the past three years.