Dr. Andrea C. Baker serves as Assistant Professor of Bassoon at Western Illinois University, where she performs with the Camerata Woodwind Quintet and Camerata Nova Contemporary Woodwind Quintet. Known for her innovative approach to chamber music, Dr. Baker champions the creation and performance of new repertoire, commissioning works from contemporary composers. She is principal bassoonist with Opera in the Ozarks and second bassoonist with the Richmond Symphony in Indiana.

A dedicated educator, Dr. Baker is committed to fostering artistry and accessibility in her students. At Western Illinois University, she leads an engaging studio environment focused on developing technical excellence, musicality, and professional skills. Her efforts in recruitment and mentorship have bolstered student success and contributed to a thriving woodwind program.

Dr. Baker’s versatility extends to her chamber music collaborations, including Some Light Reeding, a clarinet and bassoon duo dedicated to improving equity among developing woodwind students, and Friends in Low Places, a quartet blending bassoons and bass clarinets, which recently premiered Brian Nabors' Synergy through an International Double Reed Society commissioning grant. Her work as a chamber musician has taken her to stages worldwide, including residencies at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival in South Africa and performances at the Australasian Double Reed Society Conference in Melbourne, Australia.

As a soloist, Dr. Baker won the 2021 University of Cincinnati Wind Concerto Competition and the 2017 Boston Woodwind Society Sherman Walt Merit Solo Competition. Her recent orchestral engagements include performances with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Symphony, and Chattanooga Symphony, among others.

Dr. Baker holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music from New England Conservatory, and a Bachelor of Music from Penn State University. Her principal mentors include William Winstead, Martin Garcia, Christopher Sales, Richard Svoboda, Daryl Durran, and Shirley Curtiss.