Diana Baker
Born in Sydney, Australia, Diana started piano lessons with Romola Costantino. She continued at the N.S.W Conservatorium High school and diploma class with Igor Hmelnitzky and Elisabeth Powell.
Awarded the W.A Dullo memorial scholarship, Diana continued studies in Europe and United States with Harry Datyner, Bella Davidovich, Vlado Perlemutter and Gyorgy Sebok.
She was winner of the “Prix de Virtuosité” at Geneva Conservatory, Finalist of the Rome International Competition; she also won 1st prize and gold medal in San Bartolomeo Chamber Music competition. Wanting to further her studies, she was invited to work as repetiteur for the Grand Theatre de Geneve, where she learned opera repertoire and lieder and working with the chorus.
After two years she decided to work as soloist and travelled around Europe and United States playing recitals and collaborating also with violinist Miha Pogacnik, playing his complete tour schedule.
Diana has also worked in the film industry, recording soundtracks for Swiss film director Claude Goretta. She has recorded for the labels Stradivarius, Cascavelle and Ricordi, her last release, the complete piano works of Russian composer, Sofia Gubaidulina receiving great reviews in all the famous record guides, Gramophone, American Record guide, Fanfare etc.
Diana has been giving conferences in many different forms. She has played at the World Economic Forum and many business associations as well as lecturing in piano conferences. Her particular interest is her role as musical advisor for the International Women’s Artist association and has participated in the W.I.N (women’s international networking) conferences in Rome and Oslo and Sitges,Prague and Paris.
Since moving to Spain, Diana has performed as soloist in the Festival de Danza y Musica, Granada, Palau de la Musica Catalana, Barcelona, Auditori, Barcelona and Sala Granados, Lleida. She has collaborated in opera productions for the Gran Teatro Liceu, Carlos Santos , Semanas Internaciales de Musica Tarragona, coaching students of Anna Luisa Chova and was invited as pianist for the “Semana Cantant” in Tarragona.
Diana has also started up a network for pianists, www.pianissimo.eu, to enable pianists local and international to exchange performances and ideas in informal meetings in her home town, Torredembarra (Tarragona). Diana owns a Fazioli piano.