Christopher Bowen is a lyric tenor known for his versatility and communicative ability. An accomplished musician; he enjoys collaborations and connecting with audiences.

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"we were immediately transfixed by a voice full of colour, precision and immersion into the words. This is clearly a role he has sung many times before and we benefited from that." Martin Seymour reviews The Dream of Gerontius- The Hampshire Chronicle 9/7/2022 

 

Biography
 

Christopher Bowen has performed a broad array of music, from the role of Daniel in the 12th Century Play of Daniel to creating the role of Rawley Beaunes in Alasdair Nicolson’s The Iris Murder.

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On the opera stage he created the role of James Joyce in Rigaki's Old Ghosts for Irish National Opera. He played Bill in Jonathan Dove's Flight and the Queen of Hearts in Todd's Alice in Wonderland for Opera Collective Ireland, Samuel Beckett in Smail's Blue Electric and performed staged Britten Canticles for Opera Nova at the Presteigne and Cheltenham festivals. 

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His diverse concert appearances include a world premiere of Ina Boyle's Lament for Bion with conTempo Quartet, Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius (RNCM Concert Hall), Britten’s War Requiem (Airforce Museum of New Zealand), Mozart’s Requiem (St Magnus Festival - Norwegian Radio Orchestra), Orff’s Carmina Burana (Albert Hall) and the title role in Charpentier’s Acteon.

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Christopher's first love is for the baroque and he has an extensive repertoire of Bach and Handel cantatas and oratorios.  He has a particular talent for the story telling of evangelist roles.  Recent performances have included the Johannespassion with the Hannover Band, Christmas Oratorio on Radio 3 and Johannespassion in Oxford both with the Academy of Ancient Music. He was the tenor evangelist in the Radio 3 broadcast of Schütz's Weihnachtshistorie, in the UK premiere of the Johannespassion by Gottfried Homilius, and in a “Patchwork Passion” at the BBC Proms. French baroque appearances include Couperin Petit Motets with the Instruments of Time and Truth and Rameau In Contvertendo with the Academy of Ancient Music. He recorded Purcell's Great Parent, Hail with the Irish Baroque Orchestra.

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Christopher has shown a commitment to new music having sung over ten years with the BBC Singers and in performance with groups such as The Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Theatre of Voices and the Hebrides Ensemble. He was Attis in Northcote’s Hymn to Cybele (BBC Proms), the Black Monk in Maxwell Davies’ Taverner (BBCSSO) and the man in the linen cloth in Grier's The Passion of Jesus of Nazareth (Kings College Cambridge).

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Christopher recently recorded songcycles by Scottish New Zealand composer Lyell Cresswell for The Art of Black and White. Other CD appearances include the world premiere recording of Vaughan Williams’ A Cambridge Mass (New Queens Hall Orchestra - Tongue), Delius’ Song of the High Hills (BBCSO - Davis), The Youngest Son in Weir’s The Vanishing Bridegroom (BBCSO - Brabbins) and a Poet in Janáček’s The Travels of Mr Broucek (BBCSO -  Bělohlávek).