“ ‘I grew up as the orchestra kid,’ said Thorgy Thor, who many know from her appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 8,” writes Stephen Raskauskas on Tuesday (8/23) at Chicago classical radio station WFMT. “Born Shane Thor Galligan, this queen of classical music is a triple threat who plays violin, viola, and cello. She has performed at some of today’s most prestigious venues including Le Poisson Rouge, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall…. Thorgy isn’t your typical drag queen…. She pursued a degree in music, first at the Hartt School of Music, Dance, and Theater at the University of Hartford … [then] at Purchase College [where] she finished with a dual degree in violin and viola in performance…. She also plans to combine her two loves in a big way: the Thorchestra. ‘Everyone hears that and thinks it’s funny. But I want to form a drag orchestra that I conduct.’… When Thorgy encounters fans, she said, ‘One out of every five people say to me, “I’m a French horn player, I wanna play for your Thorchestra.“ I’ve gotten hundreds of emails through my website….’ Plans for the Thorchestra are still in the works.” Says Thorgy, “It’s very important for me to present this and have it be something very special rather than be thrown together.”
Posted August 24, 2016
