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The English tenor, Gwilym Bowen, was a choral scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with double-First class honours in Music (2011), subsequently studying at the Royal Academy of Music.
On the operatic stage, Gwilym Bowen's diverse repertoire has included Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande, multiple roles in L'incoronazione di Poppea and Il ritorno di Ulisse in Patria with the Academy of Ancient Music at the Barbican Hall, in Venice and in Bucharest, Tom Rakewell in Igor Stravinsky's The Rake’s Progress, Davey in Jonathan Dove’s Siren Song, Dwight/God in Jerry Springer: the Opera, Sailor in Dido and Aeneas, Intelletto in Emilio de'Cavalieri's Rappresentatione di anima e di corpo and Lysander in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream in Aldeburgh.
In new opera Gwilym Bowen has created the roles of Tamino in Be With Me Now at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, with performances at La Philharmonie de Paris, La Monnaie de Munt and the National Opera of Poland, and the protagonists in two operas by Kate Whitley, Unknown Position and 0520. Roles at Royal Academy Opera included Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi, Novice in B. Britten's Billy Budd, Albert in B. Britten's Albert Herring Sellem in The Rake's Progress and HRH Prince Phillippe in A dinner engagement.
Concert highlights include acclaimed Evangelists in both J.S. Bach's Passions (BWV 244, BWV 245), J.S. Bach's cantatas with Masaaki Suzuki at Alice Tully Hall, New York City, Damon in Acis and Galatea with the Academy of Ancient Music at Milton Court, Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde in Arnold Schoenberg's chamber arrangement with the City of London Sinfonia, the role of Sylph in Rameau's Zaïs with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, George Frideric Handel's Messiah, J.S. Bach's Mass in B Minor (BWV 232) and Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) arias for Stephen Layton and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at St John's, Smith Square, G.F. Handel's Israel in Egypt and Solomon with the Holst Singers at Smith Square, J.S. Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248) Evangelist for Ludus Baroque in Edinburgh and Oxford Philomusica/Merton College Choir at the Sheldonian Theatre, the J.S. Bach's Passions in Poland with Die Kölner Akademie and orkiestra historyczna, B. Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings for the Amersham Festival and Orchestra of St John, Bromsgrove, and, with Brouwen, the vocal/instrumental chamber group he co-directs, J.S. Bach's cantatas and G.F. Handel's Dixit Dominus.
Upcoming engagements include Smith in And London Burned, a new opera by Matt Rogers and Sally O’Reilly for the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, G.F. Handel's Messiah with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, J.S. Bach's passions throughout the UK and on the continent, including two recordings of the Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) arias, and as Evangelist for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under John Butt, and a debut in the English summer opera season.
In addition to a busy performing schedule, Gwilym Bowen also prepares performing editions and writes on music both at his blog, and for organisations such as the Three Choirs Festival, St Davids Cathedral Festival and Cheltenham Festival. |
