Vitae

Nicholas Bardach, was born in Canada in 1954. He studied timpani and percussion in Toronto/Canada, Brussels/Belgium and Cologne/Germany. Associate principal timpanist and percussionist of the Bochum Symphony Orchestra since 1978. (Almost) self-taught to play the musical saw (learning by doing) initially through contacts with contemporary music.

He is in high demand in symphonic orchestras as a specialist for musical saw. He has performed in such orchestras as NDR Radio Orchestra Hamburg, Philharmonisches Orchester Essen, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, WDR-Radio-Symphony Orchestra Cologne, Musikfabrik-NRW, Duisburger Sinfoniker, Mainz Symphony Orchestra, State Philharmonic Nürnberg, State Philharmonic Ludwigshafen and under such conductors as Leonard Slatkin, Hans Zender, Leif Segerstam, Johannes Kalitzke, Steven Sloane, Roland Kluttig, Peter Hirsch, Günter Neuhold, Marcus Bosch.

Meanwhile he has a complete show of comic arrangements which ridicule "classical music" and "classical musicians". His repertoire also includes original works for musical saw of a more serious nature, not only contemporary music but original compositions from pre-war France. Composers have written specially for him and his "instrument". He has performed extensively in western Germany and has appeared on Pro-7 German television.