Russel Walder

Classically trained, Russel Walder began playing the oboe at the age of ten. At 17, he performed at Carnegie Hall with the United States Youth Symphony, then joined them for a world tour. A few short years later, he began studying with Oregon and began dabbling in jazz, pop, and world music. In the ’80s, he landed one of his compositions on Windham Hill’s famed A Winter’s Solstice album, which went on to sell two-million copies. Walder then joined Ira Stein on two recordings for Windham Hill. In 1998, he founded Silent State. Focusing on Middle Eastern harmonics, tribal chant music, and ambient textures, Silent State gained exposure while performing at Peter Gabriel’s 1999 Womad Festival. Walder then launched Power Spot, showcasing his oboe proficiency while coupling his improvisations with lush synthesized music. In 2002, he debuted as a soloist, releasing Pure Joy on Real Music. ~ Don Kline