Chris Bradley

CHRIS BRADLEY is a member of the Orchestra of Opera North. He has worked with  most of the British orchestras and ensembles but also with the Finnish Radio, Finnish Chamber, RTE NSO, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, World Orchestra for Peace, Philharmonia Hungarica and at the Salzburg festival with the Vienna Philharmonic. He teaches percussion at Huddersfield University and is a visiting tutor at Birmingham Conservatoire. He was a tutor for the East Riding of Yorkshire for 12 years and the NCOGB, including directing their Northerlies Orchestra. In recent years he has tutored the percussion sections at NYOS, NYOGB and the Ulster YO. He will be directing Yorchestra on their 2017 Summer course, their 25th anniversary. He has adjudicated at many competitions and for BBCYM in 2011 and appeared on Ant & Dec's "Push the Button" coaching members of the public to play the xylophone part for "Carnival of the Animals".

Chris Bradley is a member of the Orchestra of Opera North and has performed in a large amount of the operatic repertoire including several world premieres. He has also performed with the Royal Opera House (Die Fledermaus, Gawain & the Green Knight, The Minotaur), Glyndebourne Opera (The Second Mrs Kong), Hackney Music Development Trust (Confucius Says), Opera Group/London Sinfonietta (Into the Little Hill) and for ENO (The Gospel according to the Other Mary).

Since 2000 Chris has been involved with the World Orchestra for Peace performing at the BBC Proms and festivals in Edinburgh, Beijing, Moscow, Berlin, Rotterdam, Budapest, Brussels, Krakov, Jerusalem and Salzburg.

Chris has been tutor in percussion at the University of Huddersfield for over 25 years and has tutored for the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland (2014, 2016), the Ulster Youth Orchestra (2015), the National Youth Orchestra of GB (2015, 2016) and Yorkshire Young Sinfonia (2015, 2016). He is a visiting tutor at Birmingham Conservatoire and an advisor for Yorkshire Young Musicians. He has also conducted Yorchestra (youth orchestra based in York) on several occasions and led their first Orchestral Experience Day in February 2016 and returns for their 25th anniversary in August 2017.

He appeared on ITV's 'Push the Button' alongside Ant & Dec coaching two members of the public to play the xylophone part in Saint-Saens 'Fossils' from Carnival of the Animals with the CBSO at Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

Chris also plays cimbalom and has performed with most of the British orchestras and ensembles. In recent years with the London Symphony Orchestra in the Stravinsky Festival/Gergiev (2012), the Turnage Festival/Harding (2013), and with the Philharmonia 'Gladiator Live' (2014) and the UK premiere of John Adams' 'Scheherazade.2' with the LSO in 2015 with further performances in Dijon and Paris in 2016; as well as international ensembles such as the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (2016-live stream from Helsinki), Finnish Chamber Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the Salzburg festival, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, RTE NSO and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. In 2012 he was involved with the Royal Academy of Dance recording the music for their examinations

His percussion trio, Bradley's Hitmen celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2008 and his KS1 & 2 educational show 'Rhythms my Mother Taught Me' has been performed since 1995.  'Chris Bradley's Orchestral Adventures' was created for Leeds Leisure Services and ran for several years.

He has adjudicated for the BBC Young Musician competition and was percussion advisor to the East Riding of Yorkshire music services for 12 years. He was involved with the National Children's Orchestras of Great Britain for 25 years as a percussion tutor as well as directing the NCO Northerlies regional orchestra from 2010 until 2014.

For Opera North Projects he has been involved in 'The Pied Piper' (a children's opera); 'Foaie Verde' (Transylvanian music); the world premiere of 'Nothing like the Sun' (Gavin Bryars) in collaboration with the RSC and 'Light Night 2015' with a further performance at the 2016 Latitude Festival.

For Aimhigher - The Sound of Science and for Sheffield music services; Powerplus (GCSE Composition project) and several CPD workshops for teachers including creating a First Access training scheme for percussion tutors.

In 2013 he conducted the National Children's Orchestra U12s at Birmingham Town Hall and also at the NCO 35th anniversary concert in Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

In June 2014 he created and organised the 'Tour de Northerlies' bicycle concert along the Monsal Trail - raising over £2000 - captured in pictures by Classic FM to celebrate the Grand Depart in Yorkshire.

In August 2014 he conducted Yorchestra2 returning in August 2016 for their 25th anniversary concert. He participated in the BBC Ten Pieces project (Night on Bare Mountain) with Bents Green Special School, Sheffield and in May 2015, as well as leading a percussion workshop for Northampton Music and Performing Arts Trust, and narrated 'Peter and the Wolf' with the Sheffield Rep Orchestra at the University of Sheffield in December.