Richard James Bradshaw was born in Rugby in 1944 and grew up in Rushden and Higham Ferrers. He attended Wellingborough Grammar School and read English at London University.
Whilst at university he studied organ with Harold Darke and conducting with Adrian Boult.

In the seventies he was the organist in Higham church and conducted the choir.

In 1972, he was selected to work with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, where he studied with Charles Groves.

Also in 1972, he founded and became the music director of Music at Higham, which quickly established itself as one of the leading concert societies outside London. Many of the best young professionals toured Britain under Richard Bradshaw. London concerts followed, leading to the birth of the New London Ensemble.

He was appointed as chorus director to Glyndebourne in 1975, where he met his future wife, Diana Hepburne-Scott.

In 1977 he was appointed as chorus master at San Francisco Opera, and subsequently resident conductor, During the 1980s and 1990s he also worked in Seattle, New York and at Santa Fe,

Richard Badshaw became the chief conductor of the Canadian Opera Company in 1993 and assumed the general directorship in 1997.

Bradshaw was named a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic in 2000. More recent honours included an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Toronto and the Order of Ontario.

Bradshaw is survived by his wife, Diana, and their son and daughter.

He died of a heart attack on August 15, 2007, aged 63