Lifestyles 55 has been proud to carry stories about Aviva Health for a number years featuring Nathan’s well researched and reliable information. He truly is a remarkable guy! –Dorothy Dobbie
Noteworthy Winnipeggers by Myron Love
Nathan Zassman has been by turn musician, teacher, photographer, astrologer, computer sales pioneer, classical radio show producer, health and lifestyle expert and columnist with this newspaper. In recent years, he has also added “actor” to his resume.
I first met Nathan about 30 years ago when he was operating Opus Computer Solutions, one of Winnipeg’s early computer stores. We reconnected four years ago when I did a second interview with Nathan at Aviva Natural Health Solutions, the company that he founded about 23 years ago, and we became good friends.
Growing up in Beverly, Massachusetts, 20 miles northeast of Boston, Nathan began developing his talents at an early age. He was studying voice at the age of 8, and started studying the trombone at age 10, performing in bands and orchestras in the Boston area when he was only 13. He studied trombone and voice at both the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, where he received a B. Mus (Bachelor of Music, Trombone Performance) in New York City, and, later, at the American Conservatory of Music where he received a M. Mus (Master of Music, Trombone Performance, Voice Minor) in Chicago. He was performing regular concerts at Carnegie Hall with the National Orchestral Association when he was only 19 years of age.
In Chicago he was a member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony, and was principal trombone with the North Side Symphony of Chicago where he was a featured soloist, performing the Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra, by Lars-Erik Larsson. Nathan’s first experience as an entrepreneur also happened in Chicago, when he founded The Zassman Brassmen, a brass quintet that performed educational concerts in schools, as well as formal concert performances.
After six of years of study in Chicago with the famous brass teacher Arnold Jacobs, Nathan won the audition for second trombone in the Winnipeg Symphony. In addition to his role as a trombonist with the WSO, he joined the faculty of the University of Manitoba, teaching the brass instruments, conducting brass ensembles, and teaching "Brass Techniques" at the Faculty of Education, outlining the basics of all the brass instruments to music education students.
But Nathan has never been defined just by one category. Concurrent with his career in music, he trained as a professional photographer at the Winona School of Professional Photography in Indiana, earning 20 Diplomas and Certificates of Merit in a wide range of photographic disciplines.
“I became interested in photography while in Chicago,” he recalls, “and spent my summers studying at the best schools with many famous photographers, to refine and improve my craft. I approached photography the same way I did music, seeking out the finest photographers who shared their unique techniques, either privately, or through classes."
While in Chicago, Zassman developed an interest in Eastern philosophy, studying yoga and astrology at the College of Occult Studies in Chicago. In Winnipeg, he later founded Celestial Interface, producing astrological birth charts for those interested in learning how astrology can improve their lives. He was appointed CBC Official Astrologer, appearing on about a dozen radio and TV spots with CBC Radio and Television, preparing and discussing astrological birth charts on political candidates running for local and national elections.
Nathan Zassman was practicing singing.
Nathan further founded a photography business specializing in architectural, portrait and commercial photography, creating magazine covers and illustrations for local and national magazines. He also became the Winnipeg Symphony’s official photographer, making portraits of the musicians for the symphony programs, and doing the annual photo of the orchestra. For many years he taught photography at a school he founded in Winnipeg while the symphony was in session from September to May. During the summer months, he taught professional photographic techniques at the Winona School of Professional Photography, The University of Saskatchewan Department of Art, and the Saskatchewan School of the Arts.
Nathan also founded The Heliograph Gallery of Photography, Winnipeg’s first gallery that specialized in fine photographic art.
Now, one would think that teaching photography, performing with the Winnipeg symphony, managing an art gallery and teaching at the University of Manitoba School of Music would be more than enough to keep someone busy, but Nathan Zassman is a cut above average. He further added businessman to his resume when he got into computer sales.
Nathan keeps active in the theatre in Mexico. He's singing in Pretty Women. Photo credit to Sweeney Todd.
Because he has poor handwriting, he learned how to type in high school, and by the time he graduated, he was typing over 100 words per minute. He believes his natural affinity for computers was enhanced by his rapid typing skills. He also made extra money when studying music in New York and Chicago as a secretary, working for agencies that were looking for fast, accurate typists on a temporary basis. Nathan attributes some of his success in business from working as a secretary for various businesses and law firms.
“I had always been interested in cooking and nutrition,” he recalls. “I was hired by a local Winnipeg book publisher to write a cookbook with an original idea. I was planning to write the book on my IBM typewriter, but a friend recommended I use a word processor, as he told me that no one used a typewriter anymore for writing."
One of Nathan's photography students worked for a company that was selling a computer that could be used as a word processor. On his recommendation, Nathan purchased his first computer, and couldn't believe the freedom it provided, allowing him to edit his work, and even check his spelling.
He was so enthused with his computer that he encouraged his friends to buy one as well. He was sending so many customers to the company where he purchased his computer that he asked the owner if he would allow him to trade in his computer for a new model with improved features. The owner acknowledged that all his sales were thanks to Nathan and offered him the job of sales manager for his computer division. After a short time, Nathan decided he should start his own business and left the company.
Nathan enjoys his expat life in Mexico
Thus, the musician became a businessman with the founding of Aries Microsystems. “Our business grew rapidly,” he recalls. “Aries ranked as the fastest-growing business in Manitoba.”
But he found that the added responsibilities of running a computer business were interfering with his musical career, so he decided to sell Aries to one of his employees. However, Zassman retained his passion for computers and after his three-year non-competition clause from the sale of Aries came to an end, he started a second computer company – Opus Computer Solutions.
Nathan at that juncture retired from the WSO, after 21 years of service, to devote himself full time to his new company. “I bought the former Winestock Wholesale building at 52 Adelaide in the Exchange District and moved my computer business into the downtown, marketplace area,” he recalls. “I decided to set up a gym on the third level for my computer technicians, because I wanted to encourage my technicians to include exercise in their lifestyle. I did my research and bought the best fitness equipment available.”
After a short time, he decided to also sell the fitness lines he purchased for the Opus gym, and Aviva Natural Health Solutions was born.
Nathan then went to the United States, studying Nutritional Therapy in Medical Practice with Jonathan Wright, M.D., and Alan Gaby, M.D., and obtaining certificates in 2003 and 2007. By 2005, Aviva was bringing in enough revenue to stand on its own, so the man of many hats sold Opus Computer Solutions in 2007 to focus entirely on his new venture.
“I seem to change careers every 20 years or so,” he says.
He moved Aviva to its current location, at 1224 St. James Street, in 2010. And while still very active in the operations of Aviva, true to form Nathan continues to grow and explore other fields. A bass/baritone singer, he returned to singing and was studying with Mel Braun at the University of Manitoba and singing in two Winnipeg choirs – until Covid forced a pause.
A few years ago, he also began taking acting classes at the Prairie Theatre Exchange. He became a member of Shoestring Players, Winnipeg’s oldest community theatre group, and has had major roles in three plays so far.
Nathan Zassman is continually reinventing himself.
Nathan continues to indulge his passion for healthy cooking and baking bread. While running Opus, he became well known for offering his customers and staff free loaves of bread, made from freshly ground organic grain, and is still doing so at Aviva. These days though, he concentrates on sourdough bread. He offers his starter to anyone interested in baking sourdough bread, for free.
In 2017, the University of Manitoba radio station asked if he would like to produce a classical music radio program each week, as the station didn’t have any classical music programming. He agreed, and has now been producing classical music programs, which he researches and records for broadcast every Monday at 10:00 pm, called Zassman Plays the Classics. You can listen every Monday at 10:00 am, at UMFM.COM. For the past year, he’s been featuring composers from Mexico.
And he is not finished reinventing himself. There is still that cookbook to write, and possibly a book that embraces his all-encompassing lifestyle approach to achieving optimum health and wellness.
He is truly a remarkable individual.
