Born in Minot, North Dakota, Bradley Opland began his musical studies at an early age and, by the time he was 10, knew that he wanted a career in a symphony orchestra. After graduating from high school a year early, he moved to Philadelphia to continue his music studies at the Curtis Institute of Music.
One year later, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski appointed Opland to the bass section of the Minnesota Orchestra at the age of 18, one of the youngest musicians ever hired. He remained with the Minnesota Orchestra through Sir Neville Marriner’s tenure, coming to Chicago in 1984 after Sir Georg Solti offered him a position in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
