Thachuk joins the Niagara Symphony as Music Director & Principal Conductor in the 2011-12 Season. During the 2010-11 Niagara Symphony Season, he served as Music Director Designate & Principal Conductor while he concluded a successful nine-year term as Associate Conductor with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. As the seventh Music Director & Principal Conductor in the Symphony's sixty-three year history, his role will be key in revitalizing the Symphony's relationship within the community as it awaits, with eager anticipation, its new home in the Niagara Arts Centre. He previously held the position of interim music director for the Prince George Symphony Orchestra in Canada. Thachuk served as conducting assistant for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestras in 2000–01 and continued association with these orchestras as a part-time cover conductor.

Thachuk has conducted orchestras and opera in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, the United States and Canada. He made his European debut conducting Mahler's Symphony No. 4 with the Hradec Kralove Philharmonic in the Czech Republic. His professional debut in Canada took place at the Orchestra Canada convention when he was selected for the Young Conductor's Showcase, leading the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. From 2000–02 he was the Opera Conductor for Miami University (Ohio), and from 1995–98 he held the position of music director for the Brampton Symphony Orchestra in Ontario. Upcoming guest engagements this season include debuts with Cincinnati Pops, the Toronto Philharmonia Orchestra and 13 Strings in Canada, and return engagements with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra (Canada), the Reading (PA) Symphony Orchestra and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.

In 2005, Thachuk was selected from an international field by legendary violinist/conductor Pinchas Zukerman and world-renowned conducting teacher Jorma Panula, to make his debut with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Canada as part of a young conductor showcase concert. Other awards include being named the 2000 recipient of the David Effron Conducting Fellowship at the Chautauqua Festival in New York.

A conductor with varied interests, Thachuk has been involved in numerous projects. An advocate of contemporary music he has led many world premieres and U.S. premieres of works by composers including John Estacio, Ronald Royer, Doug Opel, Arcangel Castillo Olivari and Robert Baker, in addition to being co-founder and conductor of the contemporary music group, the Cygnus Ensemble in Canada. As an active opera conductor, he made his U.S. operatic debut in 1997 conducting Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. The same year he made his European operatic debut, conducting Don Giovanni at the Teatro del Giglio in Lucca, Italy, where he held the position of staff conductor for two years with the Opera Theatre of Lucca. He has also toured as the conductor for the Australian rock group Air Supply, conducted the soundtrack for the film The Eternal Husband and has become a much sought-after symphonic arranger.

Thachuk received his masters degree and began doctoral studies in conducting at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with Mark Gibson and Christopher Zimmerman, and continued his studies privately with conductor Paavo Järvi, Music Director Laureate of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris. Born in Toronto, he began his musical studies at the age of 5 on the classical guitar. Following further studies in guitar, french horn and piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Thachuk received a bachelor of music performance in guitar from the University of Toronto.