Through a long and varied career he played with many of the greatest figures in the worlds of classical music, jazz and pop.
By the age of 22 Baker was concertmaster of Leopold Stokowski’s All-American Youth Orchestra.
During World War II he served as a violinist with the Army Air Forces in Atlantic City, NJ, playing requests to entertain wounded comrades.
He formed a duo with pianist Yaltah Menuhin; they made their New York debut in 1951.
In 1961 he played alongside violinist Jascha Heifetz and cellist Gregor Piatigorsky in a series of chamber concerts, and in 1964 he recorded Arnold Schoenberg's "Fantasy for Violin & Piano" with Glenn Gould.