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Born in Fredericton New Brunswick, Bruce studied arranging and composition at Berklee College with Herb Pomeroy and trumpet in Los Angeles with John Clyman. He was a founding member of Rob McConnell’s Boss Brass, appearing on their first seven albums. He toured and recorded with Lighthouse and Dr. Music before joining Blood Sweat and Tears as their musical director. After leaving BS&T, he moved to South Africa where he ran a recording studio and produced music for feature films, TV and commercials, and albums for recording artists.

While in South Africa he taught commercial composition at WITS University and composed a concerto for the EVI and an opera based on African Xhosa folklore. He returned to Toronto in 2003 and, for 5 years, was musical director for, and co-produced records with, former BS&T singer and songwriter David Clayton-Thomas.

He is one of the world’s leading performers on the Electronic Valve Instrument (EVI) and uses other new electronic music production techniques. He presently leads Bruce Cassidy’s Hotfoot Orchestra, a 6-horn band with mixed styles and innovative improvisational techniques. His other major project is a 15-piece jazz chamber group, Bruce Cassidy’s Anti-Gravity Machine. 

Bruce has a BSc in experimental psychology from Dalhousie University and an MA in music composition from York University. He is presently a Ph.D. candidate in music composition at York and is writing his dissertation “Soundscapes of the Spirit”.