Sometimes, innovation begins with a look to the past.
In 2004, before he joined the faculty at Berklee's campus in Valencia, Spain, bassist Matthew Baker encountered a series of duos written by 18th-century Austrian composer Franz Josef Haydn for a now-obscure stringed instrument known as the baryton. While he was rearranging the pieces for his double-bass-and-cello duo, something in the music struck him. I fell in love with the pieces, he said, which lit the spark that made me want to find out more.
Study Music in Spain
Berklee Valencia offers learning opportunities from summer workshops to first year abroad and graduate degree programs.
But to start: what is this instrument? The baryton is a very curious instrument, Baker says. In essence its a viola da gamba [a more common stringed instrument favored by Renaissance and Baroque composers] but with 10 strings in the back that you can play with your left thumb (while playing the front strings) or just let resonate. Or, in other words: Imagine a small cello with a hidden harp attached to the back and you will have a good idea.
Over the decade that followed his initial work on those duets, Baker kept returning to Haydn's baryton compositions and researching the instrument, and that spark of curiosity kept growing until finally, in 2017, he sought lessons in the instrument from the only baryton player in Spain, Jos Manuel Hern ndez. I think I imagined that might satisfy my curiosity, he says, but it just made me want to start working seriously on the instrument right then and there. He eventually bought his teachers own baryton, and has been deepening his study of the instrument ever since.
I've seen the baryton as a wonderful instrument to music as diverse as jazz, world, electronic, and flamenco, not to mention many other styles.
-Matthew Baker, instructor, Bass Department
Three years into Baker's baryton explorations, his curiosity has led him down still more fruitful and surprising avenues. In 2018, Baker joined with colleagues from the opera orchestra of Valencias Palau de les Arts (in which he plays double bass) to form the Valencia Baryton Project. The group is dedicated to performing the works written for the baryton, which mostly consist of the nearly 160 works by Haydn as well as a scattering of lesser-known composers such as Tomasini and Lidl, Baker says. We are a trio at the heart of it, but can and have expanded to cover quintets, octets, and even invited another barytonist to perform the baryton duos. Since its founding, the Valencia Baryton Project has brought the instrument's forgotten sound to audiences across Spain. This summer the group will take that sound on tour internationally in Europe and the Americas, and 2020 will also see the release of their first album, a selection of six neglected baryton trios by Haydn, on Naxos Records.
The Valencia Baryton Project performs one of Haydns underappreciated baryton trios:
Video of Haydn Baryton Trio 81 - Valencia Baryton Project
Beyond the potential to revive important compositions from the instrument's heyday, Baker has begun to explore what the baryton might bring to more modern contexts. Being the jazz and contemporary musician I am, I couldn't help but imagine its sound in settings pretty far removed from the original scope of music for the instrument, he says. Overall, I've seen the baryton as a wonderful instrument to music as diverse as jazz, world, electronic, and flamenco, not to mention many other styles.
Most recently, Baker has begun working with pianist Baptiste Bailly and producer IMGL (Gianluca Tavaroli) on a modern jazz trio featuring baryton, keys, and electronic production. The newly formed trios first song, L'arbre aux secrets, released this month, showcases the instrument's distinct timbre and the versatility of its plucked and bowed styles, but also hints toward a whole world of unexplored sonic terrain. Baptiste was playing around with using the Moog [synthesizer] on this song, and I mentioned going full electronic for a third component of the group, he says of the tracks' origins. Asking Gianluca Tavaroli, my great friend and a colleague I have huge respect for, was the obvious step.
Listen to Bakers new jazz trios debut single, featuring the baryton, Larbre aux secrets:
As is the case with most good teachers, Baker, now an instructor in the Bass Department at Berklee Valencia, also finds ways to bring the insights of his personal study into the classroom. Working on another instrument other than your principal instrument always opens the mind to other possibilities both musically and technically, he says. It's given me new ideas on approaches to melodic lines, bowed work, and techniques that we in the bass world don't always incorporate. But the biggest way it has affected his teaching? I've had to go back to square one and teach myself a whole new instrument from scratch. I've been able to use this experience to really empathize with my students and what they are going through.
Related categories:
News
Related Reading
Introducing #HerBerklee We asked nine female Berklee students to show us around their world. These are their words, images, and stories.
American Oud Player Aliya Cycon Explores the Music of Andaluc a in New Project Aliya Cycon B.M. '16, M.M. '19 talks about her journey from being a piano player from Massachusetts to an oud musician based in Valencia
What Is Contemporary Music? Its practically Berklees middle name-but what are we talking about when we say contemporary music?
More from Berklee Now
Most Popular
Listen to the Berklee Artists Who Made 2019s Best Music Whether it was pop, hip-hop, indie, bluegrass, or jazz, Berklee artists performed and produced some of this year's most critically acclaimed tra
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Sometimes, innovation begins with a look to the past.
