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Cedille Records Hosts 2021 Emerging Artist Competition
The Emerging Artist Competition, planned in accordance with Cedille’s 30th anniversary, celebrates Cedille’s mission and honors our unique service to Chicago musicians since our founding in 1989. Delayed for 18 months by the global pandemic, this event has become an affirmation of our commitment to the Chicago arts community. The winner receives the opportunity to release their debut recording on the Cedille label.
Recordings have always been vital to artists’ careers as an important promotional tool and a way to document their artistic legacies. Now they are even more important: they are opportunities to connect with audiences when concert halls are closed and they provide, increasingly, a chance to impact artistic communities by promoting the artistic visions of diverse performers and composers. And when working with Cedille, the costs associated with recording, production, manufacture, and distribution for each recording are covered by the label, thanks to the generosity of our supporters — you!
Nine semifinalists were initially selected from among 36 different applications comprising 26 individual artists and 10 ensembles. On November 20 and 21, 2021, the live, in person, semifinals and finals were held. These emerging artists will help shape Chicago’s classical community. Cedille applauds all of the musicians who competed. We give heartfelt thanks to the competition’s generous sponsor, the Zell Family Foundation, for allowing us amplify their voices, their artistry, and Chicago’s classical music legacy.
SEMIFINALISTS AND FINALISTS (finalists indicated with an *)
Maya Anjali Buchanan, violinist
Karisa Chiu, violinist *
Johannes Gray, cellist
Clare Longendyke, pianist *
Andrew Rosenblum, harpsichordist
Julian Velasco, saxophonist *
Recommended
Commissioned by Cedille Records specially for our 2025 Emerging Artist Competition winner, oboist Oliver Talukder, as a companion for his Briefly Gorgeous album, Powder is a two-track single of Two Songs for voice, oboe/English horn, and piano by Delfin Demiray, who was Talukder’s classmate at the Curtis Institute of Music. The first song features Chicago mezzo, Sophia Maekawa, while Talukder performs the second song’s special effect and extended technique-infused vocal line himself (as an “overdub”), demonstrating yet another facet of his artistry.
Winner of Cedille Records’ 2025 Emerging Artist Competition, Chicago-born oboist Oliver Talukder makes his solo recording debut with Briefly Gorgeous. Joined by pianist Moriah Trenk, Talukder presents an album inspired by themes of identity, love, family, and belonging. Drawing on his Mexican and Bengali heritage and his Chicago upbringing, the program explores where classical music intersects with Latino and South Asian traditions, creating a musical portrait shaped by Talukder’s unique story.
With the new month comes a new featured playlist on Spotify — or, in this case, a refresh of our Artist Debuts on Cedille playlist, originally created in 2022 to celebrate the inaugural album by the first Emerging Artist Competition winner, saxophonist Julian Velasco.
The update is to celebrate oboist Oliver Talukder, winner of Cedille’s second competition, as well as other artists who have made their Cedille debus since 2022. (Oliver’s track will be added on Friday when his album, Briefly Gorgeous, is released.)
Enjoy Cedille’s Weekly Featured Release.