Oliver Talukder, from Glenview, IL, is a student at the Curtis Institute of Music and studies oboe with Richard Woodhams, Katherine Needleman, Toyin Spellman-Diaz, Elizabeth Koch Tiscione, Philippe Tondre, and Robert Walters. All students at Curtis receive merit-based, full-tuition scholarships, and Mr. Talukder is the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Fellow.

 

Mr. Talukder was a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra from 2016 to 2020 and played with Carnegie Hall's National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America in 2019. He has also previously attended the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles National Festival and the Brevard Music Center. He was the winner of the 2019 Luminarts Performance Award and in 2021, won third place in the Eric Varner Young Artist Competition. In the fall of 2022, Mr. Talukder will be joining the Civic Orchestra of Chicago as a Regular Member of the oboe section. Mr. Talukder began studying saxophone at age ten, oboe at age eleven, and flute at age twelve. He previously studied with Xiomara Mass, second oboe of the St. Louis Symphony Orchetsra and with William Welter, principal oboe of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In his spare time, he enjoys teaching and mentoring younger students, as well as weightlifting and practicing yoga and mindfulness.