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, California, the daughter of operatic bass and medical doctor Philip Bond (a vocalist with the New York City Opera) and concert pianist Jane Courtland, who studied with

Bela Bartok Bela may refer to: Places Asia *Bela Pratapgarh, a town in Pratapgarh District, Uttar Pradesh, India *Bela, a small village near Bhandara, Maharashtra, India *Bela, another name for the biblical city Zoara * Bela, Dang, in Nepal *Bela, Janakpur, ...

. 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 Angles and University of Southern California, studying voice with

William Vennard William Vennard (January 31, 1909 Normal, Illinois – January 10, 1971, Los Angeles, California) was a famous American vocal pedagogist who devoted his life to researching the human voice and its use in singing. He was one of the driving fo ...

and composition with

Ingolf Dahl Ingolf Dahl (June 9, 1912 – August 6, 1970) was a German-born American composer, pianist, conductor, and educator. Biography Dahl was born Walter Ingolf Marcus in Hamburg, Germany, to a German Jewish father, attorney Paul Marcus, and his Swed ...

. She received her doctorate at the

Juilliard School of Music The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

, where she studied composition with Roger Sessions and conducting with Jean Morel and

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

. She took masterclasses with Herbert von Karajan. She also studied with Herbert Blomstedt at Aspen Music Festival and School. While a student at Juilliard, Bond served as assistant to

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 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 Western classical music. Born in Mont ...

Mstislav Rostropovitch Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian cellist and conductor. He is considered by many to be the greatest cellist of the 20th century. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was wel ...

and Aaron Copland. 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’ Walter Hinrichsen Award, the Perry F. Kendig Award and the Miriam Gideon Prize. She has been awarded honorary doctorates from Hollins and Roanoke Colleges, and Washington and Lee University.

Conductor

Bond was music director and conductor of

Roanoke Symphony Orchestra The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, also known as the "RSO", was established in 1953 by Gibson Morrissey and a number of other music lovers. Gibson Morrissey served as the conductor until his death in 1975. The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra has professi ...

from 1986 to 1995 and artistic director of

Opera Roanoke Opera Roanoke is professional opera company in Southwest Virginia presenting fully staged productions and a variety of smaller-scale presentations each year. The company is resident in Shaftman Performance Hall at Jefferson Center, Opera Roanoke ser ...

from 1989 to 1995. In addition, she held the following conducting and artistic positions: *

Pittsburgh Symphony The ''Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra'' (''PSO'') is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District, Pittsburgh, Cultural District. History The Pittsburgh Sy ...

: Exxon/Arts Endowment Conductor (1978-1980) * Pittsburgh Youth Symphony: music director and conductor (1978-1980) * New Amsterdam Symphony: artistic director (1978-1980) *

Albany Symphony Albany, derived from the Gaelic for Scotland, most commonly refers to: *Albany, New York, the capital of the State of New York and largest city of this name *Albany, Western Australia, port city in the Great Southern Albany may also refer to: ...

: guest conductor (1980-1985) *

Empire State Youth Orchestra Empire State Youth Orchestras (ESYO) is an ensemble of classical music performing groups aimed at providing talented young musicians with an opportunity to participate in group ensembles with other similar musicians. Based in the Capital Region of ...

: music director (1980-1985) * Bel Canto Opera Company (New York): artistic director * New York City Opera: assistant conductor (1985) * Southwest Virginia Opera: artistic director * Harrisburg Opera: artistic director * Ray Charles orchestral concerts (national and international tours): conductor (1986-2003) * Wuhan Symphony: music advisor (1994) * Southwest Virginia Opera: music director (1997) * Harrisburg 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’s opera

Delusion of the Fury ''Delusion of the Fury'' is a stage play by the American composer Harry Partch that is based on a Japanese Noh drama. History The first draft for singers, mimes, dancers, and musicians was called ''Cry from Another Darkness''; Partch completed i ...

. 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 Paul Eugène Glass (born November 19, 1934) is a Swiss-American composer. Life Born in Los Angeles, California, Glass is the son of silent film actor and film executive Gaston Glass. He was educated at the University of Southern California (BM) ...

and Hugo Friedhofer in orchestrating and ghost-writing film scores for Universal Pictures and Metromedia Studios. Ms. Bond is Artistic Director o
Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival
in New York, which she founded in 1998, and is a frequent lecturer at the

Metropolitan Opera Guild The Metropolitan Opera Guild was established in 1935 to broaden the base of support for the Metropolitan Opera, promote greater interest in opera, and develop future audiences by reaching out to a wide public and serving as an educational resource ...

and has lectured for the New York Philharmonic.

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 Theater, 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 classical composers 21st-century classical composers American women classical composers American classical composers Musicians from Los Angeles American opera composers Mannes School of Music alumni USC Thornton School of Music alumni Juilliard School alumni Women conductors (music) 21st-century American composers Women opera composers 20th-century American composers 20th-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American women musicians 20th-century American musicians 21st-century American women musicians Classical musicians from California 20th-century women composers 21st-century women composers