Born and raised in Russia, Lydia originally made her stand in the U.S. music scene as a lead vocalist and keyboard player for the Grammy-nominated band Bering Strait, which released 2 albums on Universal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 and on "Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross" by Sir Christopher Lee. While having developed an appreciation and love for both classical and country music, Lydia eventually found that when it came down to just her and her piano and her writing, she was tapping into quite a different musical place, its flavor being soulful, emotional and highly introspective. She was compelled to leave Bering Strait in 2006 to start searching for her own voice, not that of a singer or a player in a band but that of a solo artist. Between experimenting in the studio and playing live in a trio setting, she began finding it. Lydia's debut solo offering, album entitled "Hallway", was recorded in her home studio. She has written or co-written every song on the album. ********** "[Lydia's] warm voice has an immediate recognizable quality. Both tender and at the same time such deep inner strength. When she places her hands on the keyboard, the sounds that come from her take on a life of their own, pure heart and emotion simply pours out." - John Ford Coley (of Grammy-nominated duo England Dan and John Ford Coley) "The CD starts with the haunting "My House Isn’t Old", a smoky ballad that clearly highlights Lydia’s vocals. From there, it only gets better. Her musical abilities are evident on every song, and the production is top notch. Usually, I like to find those cuts on an album that stand out above the others. The thing is, there aren’t any – they are all stand out compositions, each deserving air play in their own right." - Dan Harr, Music News Nashville "Lydia Salnikova sings with a panache that only an elite few even strive to fantasize about." - Power Source Magazine "Lydia's voice is so smooth and compelling it draws you into the depth of every song." - Brent Maher (producer / songwriter and a 5-time Grammy winner)