JAMES BOWMAN
For nearly 30 years, James Bowman has been one of the world’s most influential counter-tenors. His career spans opera, oratorio, contemporary music and recitals.
After education at Oxford, where he was a member of New College Chapel Choir, he made his debut with Benjamin Britten in 1967 at the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and was soon in demand on the opera stage and concert platform. He appeared at Glyndebourne in 1970, at the English National Opera in 1971 and at Covent Garden in 1972. Amoung his many opera engagements abroad, mention should be made of the Paris Opera, La Scala, Milan, La Fenice, Venice, and the festival of Aix-en-Province. In Australia he has appeared at the Sydney Opera House and in the United States at Santa Fé, Dallas, and San Francisco.
His concert career is equally wide-ranging; in Europe he is particularly well-known as a recitalist, with a large following. In 1992 the French Government admitted him 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.
James Bowman has made over 150 recordings with all the major record labels and with such directors as Harnoncourt, Mackerras, Leppard, Hogwood, Pinnock, and Frans Brüggen. His recorded repertoire covers not only the usual Baroque works (he has recorded Messiah four times, with Willcocks, Dorati, Koopman, and Parrott), but also embraces such works as Orff’s Carmina Burana, Jacques Loussier’s Lumières and Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream - a work with which he has a particularly long association.
Many of his recent recordings have been with Robert King and the King’s Consort. With them, he has been involved in a project to record the complete vocal works of Henry Purcell for Hyperion. Other recordings include Handel’s Joshua, Ottone, Deborah, and Judas Maccabeus, as well as discs of arias from the operas and oratorios.
James Bowman has given the world première of many important contemporary compositions, including works by Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, Peter Maxwell Davies, Richard Rodney Bennett, Robin Holloway, Michael Nyman, Geoffrey Burgon and Alan Ridout.
During 1995 James Bowman was extensively involved in the Purcell tercentenary celebrations, appearing at the televised opening concert of the BBC ‘Fairest Isle’ series, and also at the closing concert from Westminster Abbey. He also sang at a number of concerts in the Wigmore Hall Purcell Festival, and appeared at the Proms and the Gloucester meeting of the Three Choirs.
James Bowman spent his formative years in Jesmond, Newcastle. He received early musical training as a chorister at St. Nicholas’ Cathedral before moving on to Ely Cathedral. In May 1996 he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and in 1999 he appeared for the first time in the Newcastle Early Music Festival.
