Biography

Anthony Bradbury was born in Worcestershire, England, and attended King Edward VI College, Stourbridge, where he played clarinet, piano and percussion with numerous orchestras, ensembles and wind bands. He continued his education at Brasenose College, Oxford University, where he graduated with an MA in Music. Whilst at Oxford, Anthony was awarded a scholarship to conduct the Brasenose chapel choir.

In his formative years as a conductor, Anthony formed his own orchestra, the Clent Festival Chamber Orchestra, and worked with the Midland Youth Orchestra (he is a former MYO player) as Associate Conductor (1991-8), then Conductor (1998-2004), and finally its Music Director (2000-4) where, with Chairman Stephen Williams, he oversaw its metamorphosis into the exciting new CBSO Youth Orchestra. As well as being on the CBSO Youth Orchestra's Advisory Board, Anthony shared the conducting of its inaugural concert with former City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) Music Director, Sakari Oramo, in October 2004, and returned to conduct the orchestra in October 2006, again with Sakari Oramo, in an all-Stravinsky concert as part of the CBSO's 'IgorFest' Stravinsky project.

For 15 years, Anthony also worked with Birmingham Festival Choral Society (BFCS) which, having been founded in 1843, is the longest established chorus still active in Birmingham. For 14 of those years, he enjoyed a highly fruitful musical partnership with Music Director Jeremy Patterson, first as his Assistant and then Associate Conductor, before being appointed the choir's Music Director for the 2004/5 season following Jeremy's departure.

Anthony is now a freelance conductor who works with a number of Birmingham-based organisations. He is Conductor and Music Director of the Central England Ensemble (CEE), an orchestra whose remit is to support the work of contemporary composers from the Midlands such as Andrew Downes, John Joubert, Guy Woolfenden, James Langley and Stephen Williams.

Anthony has also appeared as a guest conductor with many other music organisations, including the Sinfonia of Birmingham and the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra. With these various groups, he has directed a number of premieres and second performances, including music by Ruth Byrchmore and Andrew Downes (with MYO and CEE), Mikhail Tyetieryev and John Joubert (with BFCS). Other activities have included a BBC Radio 3 broadcast of three Christmas carols with BFCS.

Anthony has performed abroad in many countries, including France, Belgium, Holland, Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic (Prague and Southern Bohemia) and Canada. He is a member of the Executive Board of the National Association of Youth Orchestras (NAYO), and a member of the Association of British Choral Directors (ABCD). He is married to Jenni (whom he met through BFCS) and, in addition to music, they both share a love for walking, travel and film.

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