Glad you asked.
Born and raised in Russia, Lydia Salnikova originally made her stand in the U.S. music scene as a lead vocalist and keyboard player for the GRAMMY-nominated band Bering Strait, which released 2 albums on Universal South Records and was featured in a “60 Minutes” episode, as well as a full-length documentary, “The Ballad Of Bering Strait”. The band toured throughout the U.S., sharing the stage with such artists as Trisha Yearwood, Diamond Rio, Steve Azar, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Collin Raye, Wynonna, Phil Vassar, B-52s, Ricky Skaggs, Kenny Rogers, Kathy Mattea and Bela Fleck.
Being both a skilled singer and a classically trained pianist, Lydia also generously lent her musical talents to other acts, in the studio and on the road; the most notable contributions were her appearances on “We Are The Same” by Kenny Rogers, on “Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross” by actor Christopher Lee and, most recently, on double CD “Eclectic” by John Ford Coley.
Since leaving Bering Strait, Lydia has released 2 full-length solo albums: “Hallway” (2010) and “Valentine Circle” (2013), both self-produced and recorded in her home studio. One of the songs from “Hallway” scored her a nomination for a 2011 Hollywood Music in Media Award, and her album “Valentine Circle” was covered in M Music & Musicians magazine. Lydia’s most recent offering, a concept EP titled “New Heart”, was released in November 2014.
In addition to making music as an artist, Lydia is also a session singer, musician, arranger and producer, collaborating with other producers, studios and songwriters worldwide.
Over 15+ years of Lydia’s professional career, her work as a singer, a musician and a songwriter has been heard on such networks as ABC, CBS, NBC, CMT, Animal Planet – and even in outer space!
Among more recent achievements, in 2022 Lydia has had the honor of performing at the historic Carnegie Hall in NYC as a special guest of a renowned Brazilian artist Guilherme Arantes.