Chris Walden (born 10 October 1966) is a seven-time Grammy nominated German composer, arranger, and conductor living in the U.S.
He leads the Chris Walden Big Band,[1] and is the founder and artistic director of the Pacific Jazz Orchestra.
[2] He has written big band and orchestral arrangements for Michael Bublé, Diana Krall, Jennifer Hudson, Paul Anka, and Christopher Cross.
Chris Walden started to work professionally as a musician in his teens playing the trumpet in dance bands on weekends while still attending high school in Hamburg.
He wrote scores for television movies and arrangements for Christopher Cross, Michael Bolton, Renee Olstead,[3] Nancy Wilson, and Paul Anka.
He has written arrangements for television appearances by Faith Hill, Christina Aguilera, Katie Holmes, Aretha Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Melissa Etheridge.
In 2022 Walden founded the Pacific Jazz Orchestra,[14] a non-profit 40-piece ensemble in Los Angeles, for which he serves as artistic director.