2013 New York Youth Symphony’s Directors Award in Composition

Sitting in at The 55 Bar, playing with a community concert band in rural Belgium, a reading with the American Composer’s Orchestra, opening for Dr. Dog, soldering a wall of speakers, behind the piano in an indie rock project; These are just a few of the places you may have spotted Theo Baer in recent years…in that order. Since a young age Baer has been performing everything from Schoenberg to Steel Pulse and hopes to keep it that way by making his way down a diverse and ever-changing artistic path.

A graduate of the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts (Bethlehem, PA), Theo studied briefly at Mannes the New School for Music (New York, NY) and the Conservatoire Royal de Mons (Belgium). He has also sought out additional training and mentorship over the years with individuals including Leo Edwards (composition), Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), and Martha Schrempel (piano).

Baer was the recipient of the 2013 New York Youth Symphony’s Directors Award in Composition. He resides in Brooklyn, NY where he builds circuit boards for a living, and collects tape recorders for pleasure.

“What an incredible opportunity it’s been to be a part of the New York Youth Symphony’s Composition program. As a young composer in the city who is not currently attending school, it’s been imperative that I actively seek out other sources of education, mentorship, and chances to hear my compositions performed. This program gave me all of those things, but most importantly it allowed me to meet and learn from other young composers. I find that it’s the interaction, the admiration, the drive, the competition, and the support of my peers that really fuels and shapes me as a composer. I’m so grateful for the musical community that is the New York Youth Symphony. It just goes to show what can happen when you share knowledge and ideas, encourage creativity, and remember that we’re all in this crazy, amazing thing called music, together”