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Oliver Talukder continues work on his debut album with a new commission
Cedille 2025 Emerging Artist Competition winner, oboist Oliver Talukder, just returned to the studio to continue recording his debut album — his prize for winning the Competition.
His recording, slated for release in fall 2026, centers around themes of identity, love, and family — drawing on his multicultural heritage and upbringing in Chicago. The program features emotionally resonant works by living and historically underrepresented composers.
Oliver recorded most of his debut album in sessions following his performance at Cedille’s annual Soirée Cedille benefit. The final work to be recorded is a new piece that Cedille Records commissioned for Oliver, which adds voice to the mix. Composed by Delfin Demiray, Oliver’s Curtis Institute of Music classmate, it’s scored for oboe/English horn, mezzo-soprano (Sophia Maekawa), and piano (Moriah Trenk). It will be recorded over two sessions: first at Curtis in Philadelphia, and later this spring in Chicago. Chicagoans will recognize mezzo Sophia Maekawa from her time in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center program and, most recently, in Chicago Opera Theater’s production of Kurt Weill’s Der Silbersee.
Oliver’s album draws its intriguing title, “Briefly Gorgeous,” from Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, a coming-of-age story told in the form of a letter from a young Vietnamese man to his mother. The novel, which informed the song texts, portrays the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son alongside a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity.
Oliver’s debut album promises to be a deeply personal artistic statement, highlighting both his distinctive voice as a performer and Cedille’s commitment to championing emerging artists and new music. We look forward to sharing Briefly Gorgeous with audiences when the album is released in fall 2026.
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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.
To celebrate the Oct. 9 release of American Portraits, the Pacifica Quartet‘s 18th album for Cedille, a playlist with a track from each of its Cedille albums, in chronological order, starting with its very first CD in 1999.
On Sunday, September 27 many of Chicago’s most enthusiastic classical music supporters gathered at Venue SIX10 to celebrate Cedille Records with wonderful performances, meaningful presentations of our annual awards, and delicious food and drink.