HISTORY

Dr. Daniel Judd Bonner was born and raised in Los Angeles County, CA. After high school he attended Azusa Pacific University where he discovered his passion for choral music through the University Choir and Orchestra directed by his father, Dr. Gary Bonner. After graduating, Bonner taught Advanced Placement English and Choral Music at Covina High School, where he took a music program with one choir of 23 students and built it into a program of four choirs including a 30-voiced male Chorale and an 80-voiced Concert Choir. While working at the public high school, Bonner went to Cal Poly Pomona to earn his Masters degree in Literature; he was selected by the faculty as the "Outstanding Student in Literature" of 1999. While teaching at Covina, Bonner was recruited to teach various English courses at Cal Poly Pomona. In 2002, Bonner joined California Baptist University as full-time faculty, where he initiated and built the CBU Male Chorale. Throughout his fifteen-year tenure at CBU, he served as the dean, associate dean, and professor of music. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting at Claremont Graduate University in 2009. Dr. Judd Bonner's doctoral work culminated with the D.M.A. Thesis entitled, "Non-Verbal Language, Gesture, and the Choral Conductor," which explores the innovative Bonner philosophy of music, conducting, group building, and its application in today's diverse, contemporary musical and social climate.

Bonner's passion for reenergizing choral/orchestral music in the church and in schools led him to serve as the 2016-17 Music Development Director at Alvord Unified School District in Riverside, California. This unique position allowed him to provide support and training for new music teachers in the district. Serving in higher education and simultaneously working in public schools provided a rare opportunity for Bonner to implement his vision, which is building relevant choral programs in the 21st century that attract multiple generations while creating a lifelong appreciation for music in each and every student. In 2020, Bonner joined the music team in Alvord Unified where he teaches music full-time. 

Bonner continues to concentrate on independent consulting with choirs in churches and schools, guest conducting, worship leading, co-directing the Bonner Singers with his father, and exploring, through writing and research, the Bonner approach to conducting. Focusing on these endeavors has allowed him to experience the vast musical diversity and styles within the church while continuing to pursue his passion in choral music. Joining his father as co-director of The Gary Bonner Singers has been a rich experience, conducting incredibly talented musicians from all over Southern California while furthering the Bonner Institute’s mission for the advancement of choral music. 

In addition to teaching and administrating, Dr. Bonner has been honored to serve in music ministry over the last thirty years at West Valley Community Church of Reseda, Glendora Church of the Nazarene, SeaCoast Grace Church of Cypress, and First Presbyterian Church of Upland. Currently, he serves as the Choral Director at Mount of Olives Church in Mission Viejo, CA.

Throughout Dr. Bonner's career he has performed and/or conducted at numerous world-renowned venues, such as the Hollywood Bowl, the White House, Disneyland, Reagan Library, the Metropolitan Opera House, Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Nixon Library, Mission San Juan Capistrano, and The Fox Theater in Riverside, CA. Internationally, Bonner has directed groups throughout China and Japan, and performed with choirs and orchestras in Oberammergau, Barcelona, Leon, Prague, London and Paris. His conducting and teaching philosophy builds upon a foundation set by his father and mentor, Dr. Gary Bonner, who has spent a lifetime influencing students, music educators, and ministers of music throughout the world.  

In 2000, Judd met his wife, Summer,  while leading worship at SeaCoast Grace Church in Cypress, CA.  Judd and Summer were married in Bigfork, Montana in an intimate wedding ceremony in August of 2002. They have four sons:  Jacob, Joshua, Garrison and Ray. As a family, they enjoy hiking, camping, snow skiing, rafting the rivers of Montana, and playing tennis.