Tony Bradan


Tony Bradan was a Canadian guitarist.

Early life and career

Bradan was born Antonio Alfredo Bradanovich in Ladner, British Columbia, to Yugoslavian-Canadian parents. He studied guitar with Roy Barry and composition with Pasquale Fiore in Vancouver and harmony with John Weinzweig in Toronto. From 1937 to 1942, he was a member of Mart Kenney's Western Gentlemen. During World War II, he was musical director of the Army Show and arranger for the Canadian orchestra of the Allied Expeditionary Forces. After the war, he played in orchestras for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Toronto. Bradan married singer Judy Richards.

Teaching method

A Learning Process For Playing The Guitar Book 1 and Guitar Fundamentals Books 2', 3', 4 and 5 are based on Bradan's handwritten manuscript. Print copies are in the collection of the Toronto Public Library.
Tony also created an instructional book and accompanying 45 rpm record entitled Basic Guitar Lessons.

Recordings

Bobby Gimby Plays Dixieland
with Mart Kenney and His Western Gentlemen
Les Foster and Five Fabulous Friends
Latin Lustre by Chicho Valle and His Orchestra
CBC Television's Summertime '58, The Tony Bradan Quintet
CBC Radio's The Sound of Guitars, Tony Bradan, various other
Guitariana by Giovanni Liberatore

Students

His students included George Arvola, Neville Barnes, Gary Benson, Ed Bickert, Larry Chown, Art DeVilliers, Bobby Edwards, Kenny Gill, Warren Greig, Peter Harris, Andy Krehm, Ihor Kukurudza, John Liberatore, Lorne Lofsky, Michael Maguire, Danny Marks, Rob Martin, Kim Mitchell, James Pett, Rob Piltch, Whitney Smith, Richard Stewardson, Rainer Wiens and Dean Zimmerman.