Geraint Bowen (born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, 11 January 1963) is a British

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

and

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

. He is Organist and Director of Music at

Hereford Cathedral Hereford Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in Hereford, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Hereford and the principal church of the diocese of Hereford. The cathedral is a grade I listed building. A place of wors ...

Early life and education

Bowen is a son of the Welsh tenor Kenneth Bowen (1932–2018) and the brother of the arts administrator

Meurig Bowen Meurig Bowen is a British arts administrator who works mainly in festival and orchestral programming. Since 2020 he has been Chief Executive and Artistic Director of the Britten Sinfonia. He is the younger son of Welsh tenor Kenneth Bowen (1932� ...

. As a boy, Bowen was a chorister at

St John-at-Hampstead St John-at-Hampstead is a Church of England parish church dedicated to St John the Evangelist (though the original dedication was only refined from St John to this in 1917 by the Bishop of London) in Church Row, Hampstead, London. History Ha ...

Church in London, under the direction of

Martindale Sidwell Professor Martindale Sidwell FRCO (23 February 1916 – 20 February 1998) was an English organist, composer and teacher. Education John William Martindale Sidwell was born in Little Packington, Warwickshire on 23 February 1916, the son of Joh ...

. He graduated from

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Jesus College was established in 1496 on the site of the twelfth-century Benedictine nunnery of St Radegund's Priory, Cambridge, St ...

, where he was organ scholar from 1982 to 1985 and from where he started his conducting career and recorded an LP of early music with the Choir of Jesus College.

Career

In 1986 Bowen was appointed assistant organist at

St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Saint Patrick's Cathedral () in Dublin, Ireland is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Christ Church Cathedral, also a Church of Ireland cathedral in Dublin, is designated as the local cathedral of ...

. While in Dublin he took the external MusB degree at

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

. In 1989 Bowen was appointed Assistant Organist at Hereford Cathedral. In 1995 Bowen was appointed organist and Master of the Choristers at

St Davids Cathedral St Davids Cathedral () is a Church in Wales cathedral situated in St Davids, Britain's smallest city, in the county of Pembrokeshire, near the most westerly point of Wales. Early history Monastery of Saint David, Wales, A monastic community was ...

in Wales, and artistic director of the St Davids Cathedral Festival. While at St Davids, he oversaw the re-building of the cathedral's

Father Willis Henry Willis (27 April 1821 – 11 February 1901), also known as "Father" Willis, was an English organ player and builder, who is regarded as the foremost organ builder of the Victorian era. His company Henry Willis & Sons remains in busin ...

organ by

Harrison & Harrison Harrison & Harrison Ltd is a British company based in Durham that makes and restores pipe organs. It was established in Rochdale in 1861. It is well known for its work on instruments such as King's College, Cambridge, Westminster Abbey, and t ...

, a major project which was completed in 2000. Bowen was appointed Organist and Director of Music of Hereford Cathedral in 2001. He is also conductor of the Hereford Choral Society and artistic director of the Hereford

Three Choirs Festival 200px, Worcester cathedral 200px, Gloucester cathedral The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held annually at the end of July, rotating among the cathedrals of the Three Counties (Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester) and originally fe ...

. With the choirs of St Davids Cathedral and Hereford Cathedral he has toured the US and Australia; he has also directed choral workshops and courses in the US, including three for the

Royal School of Church Music The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) is a Christian music education organisation dedicated to the promotion of music in Christian worship, in particular the repertoire and traditions of Anglican church music, largely through publications, tr ...

. With the Hereford choir, he recorded a CD of ''Anthems, Motets & Services'' by

William Byrd William Byrd (; 4 July 1623) was an English Renaissance composer. Considered among the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he had a profound influence on composers both from his native country and on the Continental Europe, Continent. He i ...

and directed what was probably the cathedral's first performance of John Browne's Stabat mater.

Discography

* ''Aeternae Laudis Lilium'' (Abbey, 1985) − conducting the Choir of

* Psalms of David Vol. 1 ''Hear My Prayer O Lord'' (Priory, 1989) − organist accompanying the Choir of Hereford Cathedral * ''Howells From Hereford'' (Regent, 2009) - conducting the Choir of Hereford Cathedral * ''William Byrd: Anthems, Motets & Services'' (Griffin, 2010) - conducting the Choir of Hereford Cathedral * ''Christmas From Hereford'' (Regent, 2012) - conducting the Choir of Hereford Cathedral * ''Easter Day at Hereford'' (Regent, 2016) - conducting the Choir of Hereford Cathedral

References

External links

Hereford Cathedral
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen, Geraint British male conductors (music) British classical organists Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge People educated at William Ellis School Living people British cathedral organists 21st-century British conductors (music) 21st-century British organists 1963 births 21st-century British male musicians British male classical organists