Jerad Walker
Jerad Walker is a producer, journalist, and the Music Director at Oregon Public Broadcasting. His stories and commentaries have also appeared on NPR, NPR Music, and a wide range of outlets from KUOW in Seattle to WXPN in Philadelphia. He moved to Portland, OR from Washington, DC, where he worked on both production and programming at WAMU. There, he also regularly contributed to the news broadcast as a features reporter. Walker received an MBA from American University and an undergraduate degree in International Affairs from the University of Georgia.
Latest Stories
After a decade of lowering barriers to art, Piano. Push. Play. rolls on
The interactive art project, which installs public pianos throughout Portland, celebrates its tenth anniversary and unveils a new batch of “community-making machines.”
What to listen for as Oregon music festivals return this summer
OPB Music Director Jerad Walker has recommendations for bands and artists featured at summer music festivals, some of which are returning for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Portland’s inaugural Freadom Festival celebrates Black literacy and liberation
The new book festival marks a surge of interest in the city’s Black literary community. Spelled f-r-e-a-d-o-m, it aims to highlight the connection between literacy and the Juneteenth holiday, which marks the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
Finding her mother tongue: Songwriter Isabeau Waiaʻu Walker’s ‘worthwhile risk’ pays off
Waiaʻu Walker’s debut record explores themes of personal and professional change and the deep connection to her Hawaiian heritage.
Oregon Book Award winners announced
This year’s event was headlined by West Linn-based author Omar El Akkad, whose novel “What Strange Paradise” won the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction. Playwright and screenwriter Cynthia Whitcomb was also recognized with a Literary Legacy Award in recognition of her long-term support of Oregon’s literary community.
A mixtape for the end of the world: Oregon Book Award finalist offers young readers an analog adventure
“The Great Big One” follows a group of teens on the Oregon Coast as they prep for a natural disaster and fall in love with music along the way. A companion mixtape brings the story to a cassette tape deck near you.
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‘Hamilton’ cast flu outbreak leads to Portland cancellations
The theater production of "Hamilton" ground to a halt in Portland this past weekend.
Oregon Bach Festival names new artistic director finalist
The announcement comes after a month of turmoil at the world-renowned classical music concert series.
An uneven recovery: Portland’s music economy continues to struggle
The city is home to over 800 music businesses — most of them small and independent. Two years into the pandemic, many still face challenges.
Finalist for the Oregon Bach Festival artistic director accused of sexual assault
Grammy-nominated conductor and composer Julian Wachner's scheduled performance with the Oregon Bach Festival this summer is now in doubt after the conductor was accused of sexual assault by a former employee of the performing arts conservatory Juilliard School, according to a report from The New York Times. Wachner also is a finalist to become artistic director of the festival.