Clarinetist Anna Maria Baeza is an active solo and chamber musician who has been heard in recital throughout the United States, Canada, France, the Czech Republic and Hungary. She has collaborated with world renowned oboist Maurice Bourgue and French hornist Andre Cazallet in chamber music performances in Prague and Budapest under the auspices of the European Mozart Foundation. She has performed on live television broadcasts on French and Czech television and on public radio in the United States. She has been a featured artist on Robert Sherman’s Young Artists Showcase on WQXR, the radio station of the New York Times. In September 1995 she recorded and performed “Hradcany”, a work for clarinet and orchestra by Eric Funk. This project was in collaboration with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Valek.

Her most recent projects include developing a performing ensemble with clarinet, violin, cello and piano at its core. Exploration of sound color and authentic expression of feeling drive the programing and work of this group. Works performed to date range from Beethoven, Brahms and Debussy to Messiaen, Hindemith, Carter, Tann and Tuomela. Upcoming performances of this group are to be heard in March 2008 in New York City. This summer Ms. Baeza will be part of a Quartet composed by Gregory Biss for Summerkeys faculty members including Suzanne Gilchrest, Trond Severud and Bruce Potterton.

Ms. Baeza has a strong interest in the Music of living composers, and has premiered works written for her by Anthony Vazzana, David Bartel, Carlos Carrillo and Isabel Several. In June of 2000 she was invited to perform at June in Buffalo, a festival and conference dedicated to composers and world class interpreters of new music, established by Morton Feldman in 1975. Here she performed and premiered works by Steve Reich, Bernard Rands and Greg Pfeiffer. As a member of the Stony Brook Contemporary Chamber Players she has premiered works by James Mobberly and Matthew Rosenblum. As a series of projects supported by a two-year Career Development Grant from Concert Artists Guild of New York City, Ms. Baeza commissioned two chamber works by Carlos Carrillo, who’s work was recently featured at the Cassals Festival. “Anamorphosis”, a work for clarinet and tape by the noted young Portuguese composer, Isabel Soveral received its American premiere in Stony Brook in the winter of 1985.

In addition to her solo and chamber performances, Anna maria has been a member of the Orchestra Pro Unesco in Paris, France, The Orchestra of Santa Fe in New Mexico, the Aspen Festival Orchestra and the Aspen Chamber Orchestra. She has participated in music festivals Aspen, Banff, Taos/Angelfire, and in Prague with fellowships and grants offered in conjunction with the festivals.

Ms. Baeza hold a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in clarinet from the State university of New York at Stony Brook, where she studied with Charles Neidich, and Jack Kreiselman. She hold a Master and Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Southern California where she worked with David Shifrin, and Mitchell Lurie. Other major teachers have included Guy Deplus. In addition, she has studied with distinguished chamber musicians Julius Levine, Gilbert Kalish and Yehuda Gilad.

Her music faculty positions include, Third Street Music School Settlement, The Brearley School and the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City. She coaches chamber music with the New Youth Symphony. Anna Maria has taught at Summerkeys since 2000 and LOVES wild blueberries.