Chris Bonds Fellowship
A FAYM Fellowship
Inspired By
Chris Bonds
Chris was born on September 5, 1942, in Florence, Arizona, to Wilmon and Ida Elaine Bonds. The family lived in Phoenix and mainly in Coolidge, where he graduated from high school in 1960. He attended Arizona State University, and ultimately earned a Ph.D. in composition from the University of Iowa in 1969.
Chris began his violin studies at age five. He studied with a variety of teachers and performed in several symphony orchestras over five decades, including the Sioux City, Symphony (Iowa), where he was concertmaster for over 21 years, and the Henderson Symphony. During his career, Chris performed much of the standard orchestra repertoire, which frequently included violin solos. In the 1970s, he served as summer theater musical director in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, for performances that included "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Dames at Sea" ​​​
Chris' passion for music included a wide range of styles from classical, rock & roll, bluegrass, and folk, to jazz improvisation. He played piano, violin, viola, electricviolin, guitar, and mandolin. Returning from a trip to China in 1988, he attempted to learn to play the erhu (2-stringed, vertical fiddle), setting it aside only after his wife Debi offered to pay him to stop. Chris’s sense of humor was a joy for everyone around him.​​
Specializing in college-level instruction, Chris taught in New York, Wisconsin, Indiana, Washington, and in Nebraska, at Wayne State College from 1982 until he retired in 2009. His classes included a broad range of music courses. In 1994, he wrote The Musical Impulse, a college textbook for non-music majors, published by Kendall/Hunt.
Chris loved teaching string students (on violin, viola, cello, and guitar) and conducting orchestras. His commitment to improve his own technique benefitted hundreds of students during his half century of instruction. Even after he quit performing or teaching, Chris continued to practice diligently until weeks before his death.
After retiring and moving to Nevada with his wife, Chris worked with FAYM for ten years, coaching students and ensembles, and serving on the board of directors.
Chris’s interests were wide spread. He was passionate about hiking, cooking, drawing, thinking, writing, and composing. Chris arranged "Simple Gifts: Theme and Variations for String Quartet, a Shaker hymn", which String Valley performed at FAYM Music Camp in 2016.
When Chris died in January 2024, he left ensemble works unwritten. For him this small-group setting provided rich opportunities for musical collaboration. The Chris Bonds Fellowship will give new life to his commitment to music and FAYM.
