Howard Baer

Arranger, producer, MIDI design specialist, composer, keyboardist, musical director, conductor. Howard Baer's music is heard regularly on network television across Canada, used in schools throughout the USA, England, Germany, China, Malaysia & South Korea, and has been played in the UK, Australia, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, and Japan. From 1972-2010, he made music for TV & FILM with BAERTRACS MUSIC PRODUCTION. Baer had over 7000 of his arrangements recorded. He received seven JUNO nominations for album production (including a win as arranger in 1999) and composed/conducted numerous scores for TV & film including: Peter Ustinov in China, Winter Olympic Games (CBC TV Sports), Return Journey (with Stephanie Powers), Sesame Street, CBC SportsWeekend (CBC TV Sports), Computer Insider, Phantom of the Opera (with David Copperfield), CN Pavilion (Expo’86) …and several IMAX films. He was music producer for three such films which ran at the OSAKA WORLD’S FAIR (1990) and for the widely publicized TITANICA. During this time Howard produced recording sessions at numerous studios in Toronto and Ottawa, in Minneapolis and Dallas, in Beijing/China, Budapest/Hungary, Mainz/Germany and Lusaka/Zambia. Howard Baer’s writing for orchestra started in the late ’70s on an album project for French Canadian vocalist Monique Morel— a studio album followed by a live orchestra presentation at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre in 1980. Orchestra was used for many studio advertising projects, album production and TV specials throughout the ’80s & ’90s. Baer’s musical scores for radio & TV ad agencies have been airing for many years. Studio production for JINGLES & INDUSTRIALS include: Toyota; PetroCanada; TSN; Skydome; Eatons; HewlettPackard; CHUM Radio; MS Society; IGA; Food City; Scotiabank; Addiction Research Foundation; Federal Express; Ultramatic; Mohawk College. Howard Baer is a longtime producer and arranger of music for children. Production started in this area in 1975 and continued until 2010. Many extensive programs have been prepared over the years for leading educational providers including: Berandol Music (Canada); Fisher-Price (Canada/USA); GLC Publishers Limited (Canada); Hohner (Germany); Kindermusik (USA); MacMillan/McGraw-Hill (USA); Musik Garten (USA); Pied Piper Int (China); Sangjiwon Inc (South Korea); Schott Music (Germany); Sesame Street TV (Canada); Silver Burdett Company (USA). Baer worked with orchestras on several IMAX films in the ’80s & early ’90s fulfilling various roles including music producer, musician contractor, orchestrator, composer and conductor in major Toronto studios. Through the years there were orchestra commissions by Maestro James McKay as well as writing for, and guest artist appearances with, the Toronto Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic and Buffalo Philharmonic under the direction of Maestro Boris Brott. Music for the 2000 WORLD’S FAIR in Hanover, Germany (co-written with Bruce Stacey and orchestrated by Baer) was recorded by a 60-piece orchestra under his direction, at the world-famous ‘Magyar Radio Studios‘ in Budapest, Hungary. Baer’s music production can be heard on 18 SOLITUDES & AVALON releases available in Canada, the USA, and throughout the world. As a performer, Mr. Baer has appeared as guest synthesizer specialist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Symphony Hamilton, and as trumpet player with the Stratford Festival Orchestra. As well, he has toured as musical director & keyboardist for several theatre, cabaret, and revue productions across Canada. In addition to conducting a variety of orchestras and ensembles over the years in the recording studio, Howard Baer has enjoyed musical involvement at the community level and served for several years as conductor of both the HAMILTON CONCERT BAND and the NORTH HASTINGS COMMUNITY CHOIR, and as musical director for several musical theatre productions. During his time in North Hastings he chaired Performing Arts Bancroft for 3 seasons, sat as director on the Algonquin Arts Council, and was a member of the Playhouse Operations Committee.