As the new coordinator of orchestras at Bloomingdale, Conrad Chu brings years of experience as a clinician for academic and youth orchestras, along with an active professional life in New York’s orchestra, opera and choral scenes.  He is a graduate in orchestral conducting of the prestigious Mannes School of Music, studying with Michael Charry, Samuel Wong and David Hayes.  In academia, Mr. Chu most recently served as Lecturer of Choral and Orchestral Music at Union College in Schenectady, New York, where he directed both the college chorale and the college community orchestra.  He has conducted youth orchestras in New York and Ohio, and has been a guest orchestra coach for the leading performing arts high school in Taiwan, Taoyuan Municipal Wuling High School.  In the world of opera Mr. Chu has enjoyed a rising career as music director or assistant conductor with companies of varying sizes, including Santa Fe Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera, American Opera Projects, Bronx Opera, Opera America’s New Works Forum, and Victory Hall Opera.  And he has had notable success for over twenty years in the tri-state area’s choral scene, where he currently directs North River Sing Community Chorus of Jersey City and two Chinese choruses in Long Island and New Jersey.