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Spotlighting a Rising Star: Oliver Talukder
On July 1, Musical America declared oboist Oliver Talukder “New Artist of the Month,” a prestigious recognition that followed from his recent victory in Cedille Records’ Emerging Artist Competition. These accolades mark an exciting new chapter in Oliver’s career, elevating his profile on a national scale.
The prize for winning the Emerging Artist Competition is to make a well-promoted debut recording on the Cedille label, at no cost to the artist. For young artists like Oliver, a professional recording is a transformative milestone. It opens doors to new opportunities and ensures that their artistry reaches audiences far beyond the concert hall.
Thanks to donor support, Cedille Records is able to fully fund these recordings, allowing musicians to focus on their craft without financial barriers. Oliver Talukder’s growing success is just one of many examples of how your generosity fuels artistic careers and amplifies Chicago’s rich musical talent.
Oliver’s upcoming debut album on Cedille Records will explore deeply personal themes of love, identity, and home — drawing from his multicultural background and musical journey that began in the suburbs of Chicago. A graduate of the People’s Music School, the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, and the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative, Oliver’s story is one of dedication, talent, and community support. His album promises to reflect both his artistic voice and the meaningful connections that have shaped him.
Oliver’s album will be recorded in Fall 2025 and released in 2026. We look forward watching his career grow.
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.