James Thomas Bowman CBE (born November 6, 1941) is a famous
countertenorA countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or more rarely the normal or modal voice. A pre-pubescent male who has this ability is called a treble...
born in
OxfordOxford is a city, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. The city has a population of just under 165,000, with 151,000 living within the district boundary. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His career spans
OperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
,
OratorioAn oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. The oratorio was somewhat modeled after the opera. Their similarities include the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
, Contemporary music and solo recitals.
Bowman's background is in
Anglican church musicAnglican church music is music that is written for liturgical performance in Anglican church services.Almost all of it is written for choir with or without organ accompaniment...
. He began singing as a boy chorister at
Ely CathedralEly Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and the seat of the Bishop of Ely...
. He later went to
New College, OxfordNew College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Its official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always called "New College"...
. He was a member of the New College and
Christ ChurchThis article is about the Oxford college. For other uses, see Christ Church or Christchurch .Christ Church , is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
choirs. Bowman currently sings regularly with the
Chapel RoyalA Chapel Royal is a department of the Ecclesiastical Household of the monarch in right of either Canada or the United Kingdom, formally known as the royal Free Chapel of the Household...
,
St James's PalaceSt. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it is considered the most senior royal palace in the UK and gives its name to the Royal Court St. James's Palace is...
in London.
In 1967 he auditioned for
Benjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, violist and pianist.-Life:...
's
English Opera GroupThe English Opera Group was a small company of British musicians formed in 1947 by the composer Benjamin Britten for the purpose of presenting his and other composers' operatic works....
, and was cast as
OberonOberon is a legendary king of the fairies.Oberon may also refer to:-People:* Merle Oberon , British actress* Oberon Zell-Ravenheart , Neopagan activist-Media and entertainment:* Oberon...
in
A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is an opera with music by Benjamin Britten and set to a libretto adapted by the composer and Peter Pears from William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream...
, a part which was composed with
Alfred DellerAlfred Deller CBE , an English singer, was one of the main figures in popularizing the use of the countertenor voice in Renaissance and Baroque music....
's voice in mind, but which Bowman made his own over a long series of performances.
He appeared at
GlyndebourneGlyndebourne is a 700-year old country house and opera house near Lewes in East Sussex, England. Since 1934 it has been the venue of the annual Glyndebourne Festival Opera.- History of the house :...
in 1970 in
Francesco CavalliFrancesco Cavalli was an Italian composer of the early Baroque period. His real name was Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni, but he is better known by that of Cavalli, the name of his patron, a Venetian nobleman....
's
La CalistoLa Calisto is an opera by Francesco Cavalli with a libretto by Giovanni Faustini. The libretto was published in 1651 by Giuliani and Batti. The opera received its first performance on 28 November 1651 at the Teatro San Apollinare, Venice...
(the first countertenor to sing there), at
English National OperaEnglish National Opera is is an opera company based in London, England, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
in 1971 in
Semele, and at the
Royal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in the London district of Covent Garden. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal...
,
Covent GardenCovent Garden is a district in London, England, located in the easternmost parts of the City of Westminster and the southwestern corner of the London Borough of Camden...
in 1972 in
TavernerTaverner is an opera with music and libretto by Peter Maxwell Davies. It is based on the life of the 16th century English composer John Taverner, but in what Davies himself acknowledged was a non-realistic treatment. The gestation for the opera dated as far back as 1956 during Davies' years in...
.
James Thomas Bowman CBE (born November 6, 1941) is a famous
countertenorA countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or more rarely the normal or modal voice. A pre-pubescent male who has this ability is called a treble...
born in
OxfordOxford is a city, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. The city has a population of just under 165,000, with 151,000 living within the district boundary. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His career spans
OperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
,
OratorioAn oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. The oratorio was somewhat modeled after the opera. Their similarities include the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
, Contemporary music and solo recitals.
Education
Bowman's background is in
Anglican church musicAnglican church music is music that is written for liturgical performance in Anglican church services.Almost all of it is written for choir with or without organ accompaniment...
. He began singing as a boy chorister at
Ely CathedralEly Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and the seat of the Bishop of Ely...
. He later went to
New College, OxfordNew College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Its official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always called "New College"...
. He was a member of the New College and
Christ ChurchThis article is about the Oxford college. For other uses, see Christ Church or Christchurch .Christ Church , is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
choirs. Bowman currently sings regularly with the
Chapel RoyalA Chapel Royal is a department of the Ecclesiastical Household of the monarch in right of either Canada or the United Kingdom, formally known as the royal Free Chapel of the Household...
,
St James's PalaceSt. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it is considered the most senior royal palace in the UK and gives its name to the Royal Court St. James's Palace is...
in London.
Opera
In 1967 he auditioned for
Benjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, violist and pianist.-Life:...
's
English Opera GroupThe English Opera Group was a small company of British musicians formed in 1947 by the composer Benjamin Britten for the purpose of presenting his and other composers' operatic works....
, and was cast as
OberonOberon is a legendary king of the fairies.Oberon may also refer to:-People:* Merle Oberon , British actress* Oberon Zell-Ravenheart , Neopagan activist-Media and entertainment:* Oberon...
in
A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is an opera with music by Benjamin Britten and set to a libretto adapted by the composer and Peter Pears from William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream...
, a part which was composed with
Alfred DellerAlfred Deller CBE , an English singer, was one of the main figures in popularizing the use of the countertenor voice in Renaissance and Baroque music....
's voice in mind, but which Bowman made his own over a long series of performances.
He appeared at
GlyndebourneGlyndebourne is a 700-year old country house and opera house near Lewes in East Sussex, England. Since 1934 it has been the venue of the annual Glyndebourne Festival Opera.- History of the house :...
in 1970 in
Francesco CavalliFrancesco Cavalli was an Italian composer of the early Baroque period. His real name was Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni, but he is better known by that of Cavalli, the name of his patron, a Venetian nobleman....
's
La CalistoLa Calisto is an opera by Francesco Cavalli with a libretto by Giovanni Faustini. The libretto was published in 1651 by Giuliani and Batti. The opera received its first performance on 28 November 1651 at the Teatro San Apollinare, Venice...
(the first countertenor to sing there), at
English National OperaEnglish National Opera is is an opera company based in London, England, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
in 1971 in
Semele, and at the
Royal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in the London district of Covent Garden. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal...
,
Covent GardenCovent Garden is a district in London, England, located in the easternmost parts of the City of Westminster and the southwestern corner of the London Borough of Camden...
in 1972 in
TavernerTaverner is an opera with music and libretto by Peter Maxwell Davies. It is based on the life of the 16th century English composer John Taverner, but in what Davies himself acknowledged was a non-realistic treatment. The gestation for the opera dated as far back as 1956 during Davies' years in...
. In 1973 he created the role of the "Voice of Apollo" in Britten's "
Death in VeniceDeath in Venice is an opera in two acts by Benjamin Britten, his last. The opera is based on the novella Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. Myfanwy Piper wrote the English libretto. It was first performed at Snape Maltings near Aldeburgh, England on 16 June 1973.The astringent score is marked by some...
".
Bowman no longer appears on stage as an opera singer, but he has appeared at almost every major opera house including
La Scala, MilanLa Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal Theatre of La Scala La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally...
,
Amsterdam||-||-||}The Stopera is a building complex in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, housing both the city hall of Amsterdam and the Muziektheater, the principal opera house in Amsterdam and the home of De Nederlandse Opera, Het Nationale Ballet, and the Holland Symfonia.The name "Stopera" is a portmanteau of...
,
ParisThe Palais Garnier, also known as the Opéra de Paris or Opéra Garnier, but more commonly as the Paris Opéra, is a 2,200-seat opera house on the Place de l'Opéra in Paris, France...
,
Aix-en-ProvenceThe festival international d'art lyrique is an annual international music festival which takes place each summer in Aix-en-Provence, principally in the month of July. Devoted mainly to opera, it also includes concerts of orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo instrumental music.-Establishment:The...
,
SydneyThe Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre on Bennelong Point in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who in 2003 received the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honour...
,
VeronaThe Verona Arena is a Roman amphitheatre in Verona, Italy, which is internationally famous for the large-scale opera performances given there. It is one of the best preserved ancient structures of its kind....
,
ViennaThe Vienna State Opera is an opera house — and opera company — with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera ; in 1920, it was renamed the Vienna State Opera...
, Strasbourg, Sante Fe,
DallasThe Dallas Opera is an opera company located in Dallas, Texas . The company was founded in 1957 as the Dallas Civic Opera by Laurence Kelly and Nicolà Rescigno, both of whom had been active with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the first as administrator, the second as artistic director.-The company's...
, and
San FranciscoSan Francisco Opera is the second largest opera company in North America after the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola...
.
Non-Operatic Work
In 1967 Bowman made his London debut at the opening concert of the
Queen Elizabeth HallThe Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival of...
.
In... Bowman met
David MunrowDavid Munrow was a musician and early music historian.- Biography and career :Munrow was born in Birmingham and was the son of Albert Munrow, a Birmingham University lecturer and physical education instructor who wrote a book on the subject, and was so highly respected that a sports centre was...
and was invited to join the
Early Music ConsortThe Early Music Consort of London was founded by Christopher Hogwood and David Munrow in 1967 and disbanded in in 1976 following Munrow's death. It produced many influential collections of early music, typical of which was The Art of the Netherlands issued as a 3-record set in 1976....
of London. The ensemble flourished in the ten years 1967-1976, making numerous recordings and touring extensively. After Munrow's death in 1976, the consort disbanded but Bowman continued to work with former members such as the harpsichordist and conductor
Christopher HogwoodChristopher Jarvis Haley Hogwood CBE, MA , HonMusD is an English conductor, harpsichordist, writer and scholar of music.-Biography:...
and the lutenist Robert Spencer.
As well as the association with Britten mentioned above, he has given the world premieres of contemporary compositions by composers such as
Geoffrey BurgonGeoffrey Burgon is a British composer notable for his television and film themes.-Life:Burgon was born in Hampshire in 1941, and taught himself the trumpet in order to join a jazz band at school . He entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with the intention of becoming a trumpet player...
,
Alan Ridout-Life:Born at West Wickham, Kent, England, Alan Ridout studied briefly at the Guildhall School of Music before commencing four years of study at the Royal College of Music, London with Herbert Howells and Gordon Jacob...
and
Richard Rodney BennettSir Richard Rodney Bennett, CBE is an English composer renowned for his film scores and his jazz performance as much as for his challenging concert works...
. In recital he now works frequently with the lutenist Dorothy Linell and the pianist Andrew Plant.
Accolades
- In 1992 the French Government honoured him with admission to "L'ordre des Arts et des Lettres" and he was also awarded the Medal of Honour of the City of Paris, in recognition of his long-standing contribution to the musical life of that city.
- Bowman is also President of the Holst Singers
The Holst Singers are an amateur choir based in London, United Kingdom. The choir is named after the composer Gustav Holst, whose choral works are popular in British choral repertoire.The musical director is the English conductor Stephen Layton...
.
- In May 1992 Bowman received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
- He was made a CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for Commander of the Order of the British Empire, a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:*Calgary Board of Education, public school board for the city of Calgary, Alberta...
in the Queen's birthday honours list in June 1997.
- In November 1998 Bowman was made an Honorary Fellow of New College, Oxford.
Discography
Bowman has made over 180 recordings with all the major record labels and has worked with many leading
conductorsConducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. Orchestras, choirs, concert bands and other musical ensembles often have conductors.-Nomenclature:...
including
Nikolaus HarnoncourtNikolaus Harnoncourt is an Austrian conductor, particularly known for his historically informed performances of music from the classical era and earlier.-Biography:...
,
Frans BrüggenFrans Brüggen is a Dutch conductor, recorder player and baroque flutist. He is the uncle of recorder soloist and Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet member, Daniël Brüggen....
,
John Eliot GardinerSir John Eliot Gardiner CBE FKC is an English conductor. He founded the Monteverdi Choir , the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique...
,
Roger NorringtonSir Roger Arthur Carver Norrington, CBE is a British conductor. He is the son of Sir Arthur Norrington and the brother of Humphrey Thomas Norrington.-Background:...
, and
Gustav LeonhardtGustav Leonhardt is a highly acclaimed Dutch keyboard player, conductor, musicologist, teacher and editor. Leonhardt has been a leader in the movement to perform music on period instruments...
. Most of his recent recordings have been for
Hyperion RecordsHyperion Records is an independent British classical record label, named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by composers such as Robin...
, working with the conductor
Robert KingRobert King is an English conductor and harpsichordist. As a youth, he was a member of the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge...
prior to the latter's imprisonment in 2007. These Hyperion recordings include the complete
PurcellHenry Purcell , was an English Baroque composer. Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements but devised a peculiarly English style of Baroque music.-Early life and career:...
odes, secular songs and church music and two discs of
HandelGeorge Frideric Handel was a German-English Baroque composer, who is famous for his operas, oratorios, and concerti grossi. His life and music may justly be described as "cosmopolitan": he was born in Germany, trained in Italy, and spent most of his life in England...
arias. He also commissioned the
Self-laudatory hymn of Inanna and her omnipotence from
Michael NymanMichael Laurence Edward Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, perhaps best known for the many movie scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's...
.
External links