Victor Simonson

Victor Rudolph Simonson

Victor Rudolph Simonson is an African American pianist, conductor, baritone, organist, accompanist, and music director.

Early Years

Simonson studied piano with Dr. Stanley Lee Ralph, Sr '"(father of actress Sheryl Lee Ralph" at Memorial Presbyterian Church, Roosevelt, Long Island, New York church, Rev. Dr. Reginald Tuggle, Pastor. He served as Assistant Minister of Music when he was 14 years old and played piano for the Youth Choir. Simonson studied trombone with Steven Pagano at Freeport High School and piano at Manhattan School of Music. He accompanied the Freeport Community Chorale.

Simonson came from a MusicAL family. His great grandfather Walter J. Ford was a composer/songwriter during the Harlem Renaissance, his grandfather, Mal Waldron and grandmother, Ellie Brent were jazz musicians, and his aunt, Mala Waldron is a composer and vocalist. His sister Pamela Simonson Ferguson is a soprano with the Washington National Opera and his parents; father, Victor, Sr. sang with a vocal group and his mother Theresa directed the Youth Choir at the church.

Simonson successfully garnered music awards, including the "William Warfield Award" and was nominated for the 2007 Helen Hayes Award for Best Music Direction in a Musical Production.

Musical Career

Simonson's credits include Associate Conductor for Oprah Winfrey’s national tour production of "The Color Purple"; Music Director for Three Mo' Divas created by Marion J. Caffey; Music Director for Three Mo’ Tenors produced by Willette Klausner; served as Interim Music Director for the Boys Choir of Harlem directed by Walter Turnball; has a composition, "Another Chance", on the Grammy Nominated CD by Total Praise produced by Frank Haye; composed the music for "A House is Not a Home" and "Common Realities" produced by NEW Productions; served as Orchestrator with the production team forDonnie McLurkin’sCD,"The McLurkin Project"; and joined the creative music team as Music Director and Conductor for the Broadway show,Brooklyn: The Musicalproduced byMark Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson, hailing him as the youngest "African American Musical Director"''' for a Broadway bound show.

Simonson served as Musical Director for "A Good Man-The Musical", directed by John Ruocco, served as Guest Conductor for the Cobb Symphony Orchestra in Atlanta, GA, worked at the NAACP Awards with Rickey Minor as Guest Music Director for Three Mo' Tenors(TMT), served as guest Music Director for G.E. Smith for the Whoopi Goldberg Tribute at theMark Twain AwardstheKennedy Center, Washington, DC, and directed theQueens Symphony Orchestraas the Assistant Music Director with Director of theQueens Symphony Orchestra Gospel Choir,Chantel Wright'''.

Mr. Simonson worked with Grammy award winner John McDaniel (Rosie O’Donald Show), served as Director of Organ Music at Metropolitan Baptist Church with Grammy award winner Richard Smallwood and Nolan Williams editor of the African American Heritage Hymnal and performed on stages with Harry Belafonte, Phil Driscoll, Robin Williams, Chris Tucker, Celia Cruz, Felicia Rashaad, Cedric the Entertainer, Wanda Sykes, Billy Crystal, En Vogue, Mercedes Ellington, "(granddaughter of the great Duke Ellington", Vanessa L. Williams, Heather Headley, and Fantasia and Michelle Williams "(Destiny’s Child)" in The Color Purple.

Seen on ABC Nightline, Rosie O’Donnell, Good Morning America, PBS, Maryland Public Television, and the WORD Network, Simonson performed at the memorial services for the Rosa Parks, the funeral services for the Honorable Thurgood Marshall, at the funeral services for the late wife of Paul McCarthy, at President Bill Clinton’s Inaugural concert with the Howard University Choir; performed for New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s Opening Reception; and was seen on ESPN for the opening of the US Open Golf Tournament with champion Tiger Woods.

Having collaborated and performed with classical singers including Denyce Graves, Roderick Dixon, and others, Simonson, conducted the Cobb Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta, GA, performed for Cincinnati’s Opera’s production of "Opera Goes to Church", performed with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the Queens Symphony Orchestra Gospel Choir, the Morgan University Choir under the direction of Dr. Nathan Carter; and accompanied gospel great, Shirley Caesar for the Ben Vereen Gala. The Boys Choir of Harlem credits Simonson with the composition, "I Will Give You All the Praise", on the CD, "God’s By Design".

Simonson attended Howard University under the tutelage of Dr. J. Weldon Norris and the Eastman School of Music where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree. He studied with John Maloy and Michael Crouse for voice, Dr. Raymond Jackson and Rebecca Pennys for piano and Dr. Stanley Ralph for organ. In addition, Simonson and his sister, Pamela, occasionally perform concerts together. They are hailed as the "Only African American Brother Sister Classical Vocal Duet in the USA!"