Mark Bowden (born 1979, Wales) is a Welsh

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

Biography

Bowden studied composition with Richard Steinitz at the

University of Huddersfield , mottoeng = Thus not for you alone , established = 1825 – Huddersfield Science and Mechanics' Institute1992 – university status , type = Public , endowment = £2.47 million (2015) , chancellor = George W. Buckley , vice_chancel ...

before completing a master's degree at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...

where he studied with

Julian Anderson Julian Anderson (born 6 April 1967) is a British composer and teacher of composition. Biography Anderson was born in London. He studied at Westminster School, then with John Lambert at the Royal College of Music, with Alexander Goehr at Cambri ...

. He has received commissions from the

London Sinfonietta The London Sinfonietta is an English contemporary chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble has headquarters at Kings Place and is Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre. Since its inaugural concert in 1968—givi ...

, the

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. T ...

, the

BBC National Orchestra of Wales The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) ( cy, Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC) is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional radio orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisatio ...

, the

Ulster Orchestra The Ulster Orchestra, based in Belfast, is the only full-time professional orchestra in Northern Ireland. The orchestra plays the majority of its concerts in Belfast's Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall. It also gives concerts across the United Ki ...

, and

Welsh National Opera Welsh National Opera (WNO) ( cy, Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru) is an opera company based in Cardiff, Wales; it gave its first performances in 1946. It began as a mainly amateur body and transformed into an all-professional ensemble by 1973. In its ...

amongst others and his music has been broadcast by

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

. With

Anna Meredith Anna Howard Meredith (born 12 January 1978) is a Scottish composer and performer of electronic and acoustic music. She is a former composer-in-residence with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and former PRS/RPS Composer in the House with Si ...

and

Emily Hall Emily Hall (born 1978) is a composer of classical music, electronica and songs. Her music has been performed by the Duke Quartet, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Brodsky Quartet, the London Sinfonietta, and the Philharmonia; it has been broa ...

he created the Camberwell Composers' Collective. Bowden has received awards and prizes for his music including the

Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a memb ...

Composition Prize, a British Composer Award, and an

Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...

nomination for his saxophone concerto ''Sapiens''. Bowden was the first composer-in-residence at Handel House Museum and, with fellow composers in the Camberwell Composers' Collective, was New Music Associate at

Kettle's Yard Kettle's Yard is an art gallery and house in Cambridge, England. The director of the art gallery is Andrew Nairne. Both the house and gallery reopened in February 2018 after an expansion of the facilities. Kettle's Yard galleries, shop and caf ...

in Cambridge from 2008-2010. He was the 2011–2012 Music Fellow at

Rambert Dance Company Rambert (known as Rambert Dance Company before 2014) is a leading British dance company. Formed at the start of the 20th century as a classical ballet company, it exerted a great deal of influence on the development of dance in the United Kingd ...

. Bowden was Resident Composer at

from 2011 to 2015 and Director of Composition at

Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public research university and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It has six schools, 21 academic departm ...

from 2007-2022. In 2017 the University of London awarded Bowden the title of Professor of Composition and in 2022 he was appointed Professor of Music at the Royal College of Music.

Selected works

''Voices on the Air'' (2021) for chamber ensemble ''Outside'' (2020) for orchestra ''Sapiens'' (2018) for solo saxophone & ensemble ''Three Interludes'' (2018) for orchestra ''Five Memos'' (2015) for violin & piano ''We Have Found a Better Land'' (2015) for chorus ''Airs No Oceans Keep'' (2015) for piano trio ''A Violence of Gifts'' (2014) for soprano, baritone, chorus & orchestra ''Channel Rose'' (2014) for soprano saxophone & vibraphone ''Beldam'' (2014) for solo percussion ''Heartland'' (2012) for solo percussion & orchestra ''Parable'' (2012) for solo saxophone ''Lyra'' (2011) for solo cello & orchestra ''Lines Written a Few Miles Below'' (2011) for solo violin & track ''The Soul Candle'' (2008) for baritone and piano ''Sudden Light'' (2004) for orchestra

Recordings

Taliesin’s Songbook

* Label: Tŷ Cerdd * Performers: Gareth Brynmor John and Andrew Matthews-Owen * Work: ''The Soul Candle''

Flux

* Label: NMC * Performers: Fidelio Trio * Work: ''Airs No Oceans Keep''

Sudden Light

* Label: NMC * Performers: Oliver Coates (cello), Julian Warburton (percussion), Hyeyoon Park (violin),

Huw Watkins Huw Thomas Watkins (born 13 July 1976) is a British composer and pianist. Born in South Wales, he studied piano and composition at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, where he received piano lessons from Peter Lawson. He then went on to re ...

(piano),

, Grant Llewellyn (conductor) * Works: ''Lyra'', ''Heartland'', ''Five Memos'', ''Sudden Light''

Bach to Parker

* Label: Champs Hill Records * Performer: Thomas Gould * Work: ''Lines Written a Few Miles Below''

Parable

* Label: NMC * Performer: Simon Haram * Work: ''Parable''

References

External links

Official website

Mark Bowdens works at Composers Edition
*
Camberwell Composers Collective website
1979 births Living people Welsh classical composers Welsh male classical composers 21st-century classical composers Alumni of the University of Huddersfield Alumni of the Royal College of Music People from Abertillery 21st-century British male musicians {{UK-composer-stub