2015/16 highlights included the role of Lord Riccardo Percy (Anna Bolena),
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 - Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Beethoven
Choral Fantasy and Mozart’s Requiem - Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Bach
Magnificat - Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, the role of Roberto (Maria Stuarda)
Melbourne Opera, Prince Ramiro (Cenerentola) CitiOpera, Bach’s Christmas
Oratorio with Bach Music NZ, Baccus (Ariadne auf Naxus) CitiOpera, Opera in
the Orchard, St Matthews Passion, Lord Riccardo Percy (Anna Bolena) Operabox,
Darwin Symphony Orchestra, Carmina Burana - QSO, Beethoven’s Symphony
9 and Mozart Requiem – Wellington Symphony Orchestra, Baccus – Operabox,
Bravo Cruise of Performing Arts and Handel’s Messiah –NZSO.
Christopher Bowen tenor
Evangelist
The tall New Zealand tenor, Christopher Bowen
started his professional singing career upon
moving to London in 2003. A pupil of Vernon
Midgely and Ian Partridge, he quickly found a niche
as a high tenor in oratorio, opera and ensemble
singing. Christopher has performed a broad array
of music from medieval to modern: he was Daniel
in the 13th century Play of Daniel at the Liverpool
Cathedral centenary and Rawley Beaunes in
Alasdair Nicolson’s Opera The Iris Murder with the
Hebrides Ensemble at the St Magnus Festival Orkney.
Christopher’s CD appearances include Judith Weir’s The Vanishing Bridegroom,
Janacek’s The Excursions of Mr Broucek, Delius’ A Song of the High Hills
and Vaughan Williams’ A Cambridge Mass. In 2013 Christopher performed
at the Britten centenary celebrations in Aldeburgh and last year performed
Britten’s War Requiem in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christopher sings for
period performance groups such as I Fagiolini as well as contemporary music
ensembles including Theatre of Voices and the BBC Singers.
Christopher is in demand as a tenor soloist with choral societies throughout the UK.
He sang Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius at the RNCM. Noted for fluent and articulate
performances of Bach, he has sung passions and cantatas in the United Kingdom,
Europe and further afield. Acclaimed performances have included the Christmas
Oratorio in Sheffield, John Passion in Bristol, and Matthew Passion in Covent
Garden. He was the tenor evangelist in the UK premiere of the Johannespassion
by Gottfried Homilius and in the Radio 3 broadcast of Schütz’s Weihnachtshistorie.
As an haute-contre Christopher performed Monteclair’s Le Triomphe de l’Amour and
the title role in Charpentier’s Acteon. Recent engagements have included the swan in
Orff’s Carmina Burana at the Albert Hall and Handel’s Israel in Egypt. He was Zadok
in Handel’s Solomon at the Dublin Handel Festival and performed Handel’s Messiah
at King’s College Cambridge, Snape Maltings and the Wexford Opera House.
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