Robert Baird is a conductor, composer, organist, pianist, and financial professional whose work spans sacred music, classical performance, and cultural leadership. He currently serves as Director of Music and Organist at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., just blocks from the White House. This historic congregation was once home to President Abraham Lincoln and Rev. Peter Marshall, the Senate Chaplain whose life inspired the classic film A Man Called Peter.

Robert previously served as Director of Music and Organist at Saint James' Episcopal Church in Warrenton, Virginia—a parish with deep colonial and Civil War roots—where he led a vibrant music program and conducted major works including Dubois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ, Handel’s Messiah, Fauré’s Requiem, and Mozart’s Requiem. He also held the role of Organist and Assistant Director of Traditional Worship at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, the home church of internationally acclaimed organist Ray Chenault, where he contributed to the congregation’s longstanding tradition of liturgical excellence.

As a composer, Robert's published works include music for organ, piano, voice, and ensembles ranging from chamber groups to symphonic orchestra. He has also served for over a decade as a private instructor and accompanist, collaborating with faculty, professionals, and students across the US and abroad.

Beyond his musical contributions, Robert brings professional experience in financial management, having held roles in government contracting, real estate development, and non-profit administration. He currently serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, where he helps cultivate partnerships that enrich the region’s artistic life.

Robert earned an M.M. in Organ Performance from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, where he studied under Dr. John Walker and received both the Richard Ross Memorial Organ Scholarship (twice) and the Howard Reid Hayden Memorial Organ Scholarship (2024–2025). He holds undergraduate degrees in Economics and Piano Performance from Virginia Tech. From 2022 to 2024, he served on the board of the Richmond Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and has been an active AGO member since 2017.

Through his work in performance, education, and leadership, Robert seeks to build communities rooted in beauty, meaning, and shared purpose.