Photo: Pierre-Étienne Bergeron

Born and raised in Montreal of Ukrainian heritage, Taras' performing career spans close to 20 year. Currently, he is the Executive Director of Montreal's oldest and finest professional chamber group, the McGill Chamber Orchestra.

Taras has performed with opera companies and orchestras throughout Canada, United States, Central America and Europe. Speaking five languages, Taras received training as a member of the young artist programs of l'Opéra de Montréal and Vancouver Opera and pursued musical studies at both McGill University and the University of Toronto. Before stepping into a music career, Taras studied Commerce Vanier College and Economics at Concordia University. Given the combination of his artistic and business backgrounds he is now fully implementing these two components to make an effective and experienced administrator.

In 2005, Taras cofounded the Green Mountain Opera Festival (GMOF) in Vermont, USA, and was its Director for 7 years, til July 2012. GMOF is a  regional professional opera company based in Central Vermont. Taras was the brainchild of the organization and developed it into a highly regarded regional festival by presenting world class opera productions and concerts in Central Vermont every June.

Taras made his European performing debut in 2002 to critical acclaim in the title role of Don Giovanni performing in the major castles of France and Belgium. Famous film director GÉRARD CORBIAU (FARINELLI, LE MAÎTRE DE MUSIQUE, LE ROI DANSE) directed this production which was filmed live for TV5 and broadcast worldwide in 2003. In 2004, Taras returned to Europe to sing the role of Prince Gremin in Tchaikovsky's Yevgheny Onegin in the the Czech Republic under the baton of maestro David Agler.

Most recent symphonic engagements include being the Bass Soloist for Shostakovich's 13th Symphony "Babi Yar" with the McGill Symphony Orchestra and Alexis Hauser conducting, and bass soloist in Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Hamilton Philharmonic and James Sommerville conducting. Recent opera roles include Sparafucile in Rigoletto with Opera Hamilton, Pistola in Falstaff with the Opéra de Québec, the role of Ferrando in Il Trovatore with Opera Hamilton. 

In August 2011, Taras appeared at the Tanglewood Festival and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, upon special invitation to celebrate the legendary soprano Phyllis Curtin. In the fall of 2011, Taras returned to Calgary Opera as Simone in Gianni Schicchi, and returned to the Victoria Symphony as Bass soloist in the Verdi Requiem. In the 2010/2011 season, Taras performed twice with the Opéra de Montréal as Gualtiero in Roberto Devereux and Erster Soldat in Salome under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

In the summer of 2010, Taras sang Leporello in a semi-staged version of Don Giovanni under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. In the fall of that same year, Taras made a very auspicious Toronto debut with Opera in Concert in the title role of Ruslan & Ludmilla.

In the fall of 2009 he sang Simone in Gianni Schicchi with the Opéra de Montréal and the role of the King in a world premier of an opera by Gilles Tremblay entitled l'Eau qui danse, la pomme qui chante et l'oiseau qui dit la vérité with Chants Libres in Montreal.

In the 2008/2009 season Taras performed The Ghost in Hamlet with Opera Lyra Ottawa, Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos with Calgary Opera, Erster Soldat in Salome with Vancouver Opera, and Pistola in Falstaff with the Edmonton Opera. Other highlights that season include Taras as Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos with Vancouver Opera, a performance with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at the Lanaudière Festival under the baton of maestro Kent Nagano in a concert version of Yevgheny Onegin for which he received wonderful reviews.

The 2006-2007 season saw Taras perform in a lauded production of La Cenerentola with Calgary Opera in which he sang to critical acclaim the role of Don Magnifico. He made his debut in January 2007 with Opera Ontario as Abimelech in Samson et Dalilah and that spring he returned to Calgary Opera as Zuniga in Carmen. In the fall of 2007 he sang his signature role of Leporello in Don Giovanni with Opera Lyra Ottawa.

2006 being Mozart's anniversary year, Taras sang two successful Mozart galas, one in Guatemala City with American conductor Francis Graffeo, and the second one at the Orford Arts Centre with the Orchestre Métropolitain under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

In 2005, with Opera Lyra Ottawa, Taras performed the roles of Luther, Crespel and Shlemil in The Tales of Hoffman, and returned to the Manitoba Opera where he sang Colline in La Bohème. Also in Winnipeg he sang to a sold out audience at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre to rave reviews. In January 2006, Taras returned to perform with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra as bass soloist in Nielsen's 3rd Symphony.

The 2003/2004 season saw Taras make a very successful debut with the Manitoba Opera where critics praised him for "stealing the show" as Leporello in Don Giovanni, a role he has sung with Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera and at the Aspen Music Festival. In February of 2004, Taras returned to Opera Saskatchewan as Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola. In 2005, he sang at Opera Lyra Ottawa and Manitoba Opera as Monterone and Sparafucile in Rigoletto to much critical acclaim and in October 2004, he performed at an opera gala with the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois Rivières.

Other successful roles in Taras' repertoire include: Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro with both Opera Saskatchewan and Vancouver Opera where, according to one critic, he was "spellbinding"; Colline in La Bohème at Vancouver Opera, Calgary Opera, Edmonton Opera, Opera Lyra Ottawa and Manitoba Opera; Ferrando in Il Trovatore with both Opera Lyra Ottawa and Calgary Opera; The King in Aïda, a role which he has sung for l'Opéra de Montréal, Vancouver Opera, Calgary Opera, and Edmonton Opera; and many others.

Performances at Canadian summer festivals include Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail (2001) with the Metropolitan Orchestra of Montreal; at the Lanaudière Festival Taras sang Fernand in Le Trouvère and Ibn-Hakia in Tchaikovsky's Iolanta both under the baton of maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Taras also has a strong affinity for the lieder repertoire, as a result, in the summer of 2001 he gave a lieder recital with world renown pianist Vladimir Feltsman. In 2002 and 2008 he gave a recitals at the Music at Grazhda Festival (New York) to much critical acclaim.

Oratorio highlights include: The Messiah with the Vancouver Bach Choir, the Vancouver Symphony, the Edmonton Symphony and the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois Rivières; Duruflé and Mozart Requiems in Montreal; Beethoven's 9th with the Victoria Symphony; Bruckner's Mass in F Minor as invited soloist with the University of Ottawa Choral Society. Taras has performed many times with the Minnesota Orchestra where the last time he sang with them the St. Paul Press hailed him as "the strongest singer".

 Taras was a district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, a finalist at the prestigious Belvedere International Opera Competition in Vienna and has been a recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation for Young Canadian Opera Singers, and the Martha Lou Henley Foundation. In 2007, Taras was a recipient of a Conseil des Arts du Québec professional development grant.

Taras has sung at American summer festivals such as Ravinia's Steans Institute, the Aspen Music Festival, and at the Tanglewood Music Center where he sang in the 50th anniversary production of Peter Grimes under the baton of maestro Seiji Ozawa. At the Aspen Festival, on a full fellowship, he sang under the baton of Metropolitan Opera conductor Julius Rudel, also under maestro Robert Spano. For both roles (Leporello and Nick Bottom) he received critical acclaim in Opera News and The Denver Post.