Victoria Ellen Bond (born 6 May 1945) is an American conductor and composer in New York City.

Early life

Victoria Bond was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, the daughter of operatic bass and medical doctor Philip Bond (a vocalist with the

New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through its 2013 bankruptcy, and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, dubbed "the peopl ...

) and concert pianist Jane Courtland, who studied with Bela Bartok. Her grandfather was Samuel Epstein, a composer, conductor and double bass player. Bond married Stephan Peskin in 1974.

Education

Bond attended

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

and

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

, studying voice with William Vennard and composition with Ingolf Dahl. She received her doctorate at the

Juilliard School of Music The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became the Juilliard School, named afte ...

, where she studied composition with

Roger Sessions Roger Huntington Sessions (December 28, 1896March 16, 1985) was an American composer, teacher, and writer on music. He had started his career writing in a neoclassical style, but gradually moved towards complex harmonies and postromanticism, a ...

and conducting with Jean Morel and

Sixten Ehrling Evert Sixten Ehrling (3 April 1918 – 13 February 2005) was a Swedish conductor and pianist who, during a long career, served as the music director of the Royal Swedish Opera and the principal conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, am ...

. She took masterclasses with

Herbert von Karajan Herbert von Karajan (; born ''Heribert Adolf Ernst Karajan''; 5 April 1908 – 16 July 1989) was an Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 34 years. During the Nazi era, he debuted at the Salzburg Festival, ...

. She also studied with Herbert Blomstedt at

Aspen Music Festival and School The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is a European classical music, classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado. It is noted both for its concert programming and the musical training it offers to mostly young-adult music stu ...

. While a student at Juilliard, Bond served as assistant to

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 19255 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war contemporary classical music. Born in Montb ...

, Mstislav Rostropovitch and

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, critic, writer, teacher, pianist, and conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as the "Dean of American Compos ...

. She was the first woman to be awarded a doctoral degree in Orchestral Conducting from Juilliard in 1977.

Awards

She is the recipient of the Victor Herbert Award, the

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, Music of the United States, music, and Visual art of the United States, art. Its fixed number ...

’ Walter Hinrichsen Award, the Perry F. Kendig Award and the Miriam Gideon Prize. She has been awarded honorary doctorates from Hollins and

Roanoke College Roanoke College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Salem, Virginia. It has approximately 2,000 students who represent approximately 40 states and 30 countries. The college offers ...

s, and

Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University (Washington and Lee or W&L) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. Established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, it is among ...

Conductor

Bond was music director and conductor of Roanoke Symphony Orchestra from 1986 to 1995 and artistic director of Opera Roanoke from 1989 to 1995. In addition, she held the following conducting and artistic positions: * Pittsburgh Symphony: Exxon/Arts Endowment Conductor (1978-1980) * Pittsburgh Youth Symphony: music director and conductor (1978-1980) * New Amsterdam Symphony: artistic director (1978-1980) * Albany Symphony: guest conductor (1980-1985) * Empire State Youth Orchestra: music director (1980-1985) * Bel Canto Opera Company (New York): artistic director *

: assistant conductor (1985) * Southwest

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Opera: artistic director *

Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...

Opera: artistic director *

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

orchestral concerts (national and international tours): conductor (1986-2003) * Wuhan Symphony: music advisor (1994) * Southwest Virginia Opera: music director (1997) *

Opera: music director (1997-2002) * Chamber Opera Chicago: principal guest conductor (2005) She was the first American woman to conduct and record in China with the Shanghai Symphony (1994), the Central Opera (2004) and to be appointed Music Advisor to the Wuhan Symphony (1994).

Composer and performer

Bond began her professional performing career as a soprano, and was the featured soloist in the premiere performance and recording on Columbia Masterworks of

Harry Partch Harry Partch (June 24, 1901 – September 3, 1974) was an American composer, music theorist, and creator of unique musical instruments. He composed using scales of unequal intervals in just intonation, and was one of the first 20th-century com ...

's opera Delusion of the Fury. She has composed operas including ''Mrs. President'' about Victoria Woodhull, which premiered in 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska, and ''Clara'' about the life of Clara Schumann, which premiered in 2019 at the Berlin Philharmonic Easter Festival. Other operas include ''The Adventures of Gulliver'' commissioned by American Opera Project through Opera America’s grant to Female Composers (2016); ''The Miracle of Light'' commissioned by The Young Peoples Chorus of New York City and premiered by Chamber Opera Chicago (2017), ''Sirens'', commissioned by the Roger Shapiro Fund and premiered by Cygnus (2017); ''Travels'' premiered by Opera Roanoke (1995). She assisted film composer Paul Glass and Hugo Friedhofer in orchestrating and ghost-writing film scores for

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

and Metromedia Studios. Ms. Bond is Artistic Director of Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival in New York, which she founded in 1998, and is a frequent lecturer at the Metropolitan Opera Guild and has lectured for the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

Works

Selected works include: *''Blue and Green Music'' string quartet, 2019 *''Binary'' 4-hand version, 2019 *''Simeron Kremate'' piano, 2017 *''Sirens'' opera, chorus, chamber ensemble, actors, 2017 *''The Adventures of Gulliver'' opera, 2016 *''Clara'' opera, 2015 *''Soul of a Nation'' Concerto for Violin and String Ensemble, 2015 *''The Reluctant Moses'' Oratorio; bass-baritone, double bass, orchestra, chorus SATB, 2015 *''The Crowded Hours'' Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble, 2015 *''Bridges'' Five-Movement Orchestral version , 2014 *''How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place'' Chorus, organ, 2014 *''The Indispensable Man'' Concerto for Clarinet and Wind Ensemble, 2012 *''The Miracle of Light'' Hanukkah opera, 2011 *''Pater Patriae'' Concerto for Flute and Wind Ensemble, 2011 *''Leopold Bloom's Homecoming'' tenor, piano, 2011 *''Br’er Rabbit and the Wolves’ Party'' narrator, violin, cello, banjo, 2011 *''There Isn’t Time'' Harry Partch Instruments, 2010 *''Instruments of Revelation" flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano. 2011 *''Frescoes and Ash'' Chamber Ensemble, 2009 *''Coqui'' string quintet + woodwind quintet, 2009 *''Binary'' one piano version, 2008 *''Seduction and Sanctification'', Triple Concerto for flute, viola, harp and orchestra, 2007 *''Bridges'' chamber version, 2006 *''Sacred Sisters'' for violin and harp, 2005 *''Woven'' for violin and viola, or 2 flutes, or 2 violins, 2005 *''My Grandfather’s Balalaika'' string quartet, 2003 *''A More Perfect Union'', 2002 *''Ancient Keys'' concerto for piano and orchestra, 2002 *''Mrs. President'', chamber opera, 2001 *''Jasmine Flower'' (茉莉花; Moli Hua) for viola solo, 1999 *''A Modest Proposal'' for tenor and orchestra, 1999 *''Potirion Sotiriu'' for piano, 1999 *''Insects'' for solo electric viola, 1996 *''Travels'', 1994 *''Thinking like a Mountain'' for Narrator and orchestra, 1994 *''Dreams of Flying'' for string quartet, 1994 *''Urban Bird'', concerto for alto saxophone an orchestra, 1993 *''Hot Air'', woodwind quintet, 1991 *''Molly ManyBloom'' soprano and string quartet, 1990 *''Black Light'' for piano and orchestra, 1988 *''What’s the Point of Counterpoint?'' for narrator and orchestra, 1985 *''The Frog Prince'' for piano and orchestra, 1984 *''Great Galloping Gottschalk'' for American Ballet Theatre, 1981 *''Journal'' for chamber orchestra, 1981 *''Trio: Other Selves'' for Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, 1979 *''Equinox'' orchestra, 1977 *''Conversation Piece'' for viola and vibraphone, 1975 *Duet for flute and viola, 1969 *''Mirror, Mirror'' for soprano, flute and viola, 1969

External links

Victoria Bond's page at Theodore Presser CompanyOfficial website of Victoria Bond

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bond, Victoria 1945 births Living people 20th-century American classical composers 21st-century American classical composers Musicians from Los Angeles American opera composers Mannes School of Music alumni USC Thornton School of Music alumni Juilliard School alumni American women conductors (music) American women opera composers 20th-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American conductors (music) Classical musicians from California 20th-century American women composers 21st-century American women composers