Chris Walden

Four-time Grammy nominated German composer/arranger/conductor CHRIS WALDEN has scored more than 40 feature and TV films, and has written more than a thousand orchestral and big band arrangements for artists including Christina Aguilera, Faith Hill, Michael Bolton, Aretha Franklin, David Foster, Paul Anka, Sheryl Crow, Christopher Cross, and orchestras like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Pops, and many more. He has orchestrated for Barbra Streisand, Diana Krall, and Natalie Cole.

He most recently arranged the National Anthem for Jennifer Hudson's performance at the SUPER BOWL XLIII and his recent film credits include the feature film “Monster Mutt”, TV movies “Alien Siege”, “Crimson Force”, Gene Wilder's “The Lady in Question”, and the CBS mini series “Blonde”. Since 2007 Walden has also been a principal arranger for “AMERICAN IDOL” and now also serves as principal arranger for “THE TONIGHT SHOW with Jay Leno”.. He has been musical director on many TV shows and series, and has worked on more than 100 CDs. As an arranger and bandleader he has worked with jazz artists including Michael Brecker, Peter Erskine, Ernie Watts, Tierney Sutton, Bobby Shew, Pete Christlieb, amongst others.

 Chris Walden began writing compositions and arrangements at the age of 16 for local high school bands. After graduating at 19 he joined the German National Youth Jazz Orchestra as a trumpet player. At the age of 21 he started writing arrangements for German radio big bands and radio symphony orchestras, while he was studying composition and arranging at the University of Cologn. As assistant to his mentor Peter Herbolzheimer Walden arranged music for the OSCAR® nominated film “Schtonk”.

After receiving two master's degrees in music Chris Walden conducted the RIAS Big Band in Berlin and the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, served as musical director for the televised German Movie Award Show for four years and composed music for German films and TV before he emigrated to Los Angeles at the age of 29.

As a guest conductor he led the Dallas Symphony, Columbus Symphony, National Symphony, West Australian Philharmonic, Munich Symphony, Slovak Radio Orchestra, South Korean Pops, and many more.

Although Chris Walden learned arranging, composing and orchestrating the traditional way with pencil and paper, from early on he explored the possibilities of computers for sequencing and notation. That's why he always likes to orchestrate, program, and conduct his music himself.

Since 1999 Chris is leading his own big band recruited from top studio musicians based in Los Angeles. Chris currently serves as governor on the Los Angeles Chapter Board of the Recording Academy and he is a board member of ASMAC (American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers.) Show less