Biography
Gary Kulesha is a native Torontonian. Although principally a composer, he is active as both a pianist and a conductor, and has appeared and recorded in both roles in premieres of new works by several composers, as well as in standard repertoire.
For four years, he was Principal Conductor of The Composers’ Orchestra. In 1987, he was appointed Artistic Director, a position he held until 2004. He has guest conducted with several ensembles, including several new music ensembles, as well as the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony, the Winnipeg Symphony, the Windsor Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, and the Toronto Symphony. He has conducted several times in broadcasts for CBC Radio, and has appeared as a conductor on CD releases for Artifact records, Centrediscs, and the CBC’s SM5000 label.
Gary Kulesha lives in Toronto, Canada. In 1988, he was appointed Composer In Residence with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, a position he held until 1992. In 1993, he was appointed Composer In Residence with the Canadian Opera Company, a position he held until the end of 1995. On Sept. 1 of 1995, he was appointed Composer-Advisor to The Toronto Symphony Orchestra.