in person with

Bradley Thachuk

tHE MaEstRO Bradley Thachuk has been on tour for years. No, he's not in a rock band (although he is a proficient guitar player, and it was his childhood ambition). Rather, he is the new music director and principal conductor of the Niagara Symphony, making him only the seventh person to take the position in the symphony's 63-year history. Born in Toronto, he received his master's degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and continues his studies privately with conductor Paavo Järvi, music director for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris. Thachuk has conducted orchestras and opera throughout Europe, the United States and here at home. In 2005 he was selected from an international field to make his debut with the National Arts Centre in Ottawa as part of a young-conductor showcase concert. As much as Thachuk is involved in classical compositions, he is also an advocate of contemporary music: he was co-founder and conductor of the contemporary music group, the Cygnus Ensemble and has championed Canadian composers in the United States; he has toured as the conductor for the rock group Air Supply; and he conducted the soundtrack for the film The Eternal Husband. But his new job at the Niagara Symphony is the one on his immediate radar. As our new maestro, Thachuk is particularly looking forward to revitalizing the symphony's relationship with the community as it eagerly awaits its new home in the Niagara Arts Centre. Fun Facts: Some may be surprised that Thachuk is a massive soccer fan (Toronto FC season ticket holder), he can't skate backwards and last year weighed 250 pounds. * The theme song he'd like playing when he walks into a room is the main theme from Superman. * If he could share dinner with two others he'd choose Nelson Mandela and his old buddy, Ken Woods, who lives in Wales. * His most embarrassing memory came last October with the Niagara Symphony when he walked on stage with an electric guitar to do a fun bit with the orchestra. Once out there, he hit a power chord, and silence! The amplifier didn't work. * His favourite book is How Soccer Explains The World, by Franklin Foer.

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