Victoria Bond

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

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. Her grandfather was a composer, conductor and double bass player by the name of Samuel Epstein. The family later moved from California to New York, and Bond studied piano at the Mannes School of Music with Nadia Reisenberg. Her first foray into conducting began as a guest conductor for the Senior Citizens Orchestra of Los Angeles, California, at the invitation of one of her early music teachers. She continued her studies in composition with Ingolf Dahl and voice with William Vennard at the University of Southern California, and in conducting with Leonard Slatkin at Aspen. She was accepted into the Juilliard School of Music, where she studied composition withRoger Sessions and conducting with teachers including Herbert von Karajan. She graduated with a doctoral degree in Orchestral Conducting.

Bond married Stephan Peskin in 1974. She recorded vocals with Bethany Beardslee and for Harry Partch’s Delusion of the Fury. She also assisted film composer Paul Glass in creating filmscores for Universal and Metromedia Studios.

Bond became an Exxon/Arts Endowment Conductor with the Pittsburgh Symphony in 1978, and in 1986 was invited to conduct the Houston Symphony for the premiere of her work Ringing. She has served as artistic director of the Bel Canto Opera Company in New York, music director and conductor of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and artistic director of the Southwest Virginia Opera, the Harrisburg Opera and the New Amsterdam Symphony. She also composed the opera Mrs. President about Victoria Woodhull, which premiered in 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska.

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