Baker L. Purdon

Baker Purdon is a Ph.D. Student in Music Education and Choral Conducting at Temple University, where he was awarded a University Fellowship. While at Temple, Baker was awarded the 2022 Presser Foundation Graduate Music Award, which enabled him to record his debut album, Walking Through the Valley: Choral Music from Black Composers, 1919-2022. He was also named the inaugural Presser Foundation Graduate Music Fellow for 2022-2023. Baker’s research on the imposter syndrome in music education has received international attention and has been shared at numerous conferences. Baker is also actively developing research and recording projects centered around the choral contributions of Black Americans, especially the choral works of Harry T. Burleigh. Outside of his academic pursuits, Baker is an active pianist and vocalist in the Philadelphia area and is the Director of Music at The Unitarian Society of Germantown.