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Modern percussionist Victor Pons "stretches the bounds of electronics and vibraphone" -ArtsATL. He is dedicated to advancing new music in confluence with today’s technological trends. The Goat Farm Arts Center describes him as being “amongst the radicals reshaping musical parameters.” His particular interest is in performing new works with live electronics with an emphasis on vibraphone. He boldly demonstrated his expertise in a solo program with electronics entitled Ampere, which was premiered at the Goat Farm Arts Center in May 2013. The premiere of this groundbreaking program drew critical attention and established for him an identifiable public signature as a solo artist. In 2013 he was honored as one of Atlanta’s 30 under 30 for his work with vibraphone and electronics. In 2014 he was selected for three performances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2015 his lecture recital “Ampere: Performing Intuitively With Electronics” was presented at Transplanted Roots: Percussion Research Symposium in Montreal, QC. In 2016 Ampere made it’s PASIC debut in a clinic format. In addition to his solo program “Ampere,” Victor is called upon as performer and lecturer in numerous percussion and electronic music festivals across North America. Recently he was awarded a New Music USA grant in collaboration with composer Preston Beebe to develop a new work for vibraphone and electronics.
Victor as a soloist has given both world and USA premieres through collaboration with notable electroacoustic composers: Karlheinz Essl, Laurent Durupt, Octavi Rumbau Masgrau, Baljinder Sekhon, II and Adam Scott Neal. He has also worked closely with groups Chamber Cartel and Duo Links in electroacoustic chamber premieres.
Victor has a unique background in percussion performance, electroacoustic studio techniques and sound art. He has studied Max/MSP, SuperCollider, Csound, advanced electroacoustic studio techniques, classical recording techniques and computer music under the mentoring of Robert Scott Thompson, Heinrich Taube, Sever Tipei, Guy Garnett and Scott Wyatt.
Aside from his work with electronics he is also a former member of the McCormick Percussion Group, with which he can be heard on multiple recordings including Music of Gui Sook Lee, Concerti For Strings With Percussion Orchestra, and Concerti For Piano With Percussion Orchestra. He has also performed in new music groups: Bent Frequency, ChamberCartel, NOBROW.collective, Clibber Jones Ensemble, and the Illinois Modern Ensemble.
Victor received his Bachelors in Music performance from the University of South Florida, both his Masters in Music performance and Artist Certificate from Georgia State University, and is currently a Performance and Literature DMA candidate (ABD) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His primary mentors were Robert McCormick and Stuart Gerber, William Moersch and Ricardo Flores.
Victor is a member of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), serves on the Music Technology Committee of PAS, served on the Executive Committee as Secretary/Treasurer for the Illinois Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society, is a USA ambassador for Resta-Jay Percussions, and a Black Swamp Percussion Artist. Victor is an Instructor of Percussion and Computer Applications in Music at Georgia State University and directs the percussion programs at Atlanta International School and the Westminster Schools. He can also be seen freelancing across Atlanta with groups that include the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Alliance Theater.
