Calvin Bowman graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale University, assisted by a Fulbright scholarship, the inaugural Anthony Joseph Pratt award for the Visual and Performing Arts. His principal teachers include John O’Donnell and Thomas Murray, organ; Donald Thornton, piano; Davitt Moroney, harpsichord; and Graeme Koehne and Ezra Laderman, composition. In 1995 Calvin presented the complete Bach organ works to critical acclaim. He has featured regularly on ABC Classic FM, and in 2000 presented a TV broadcast for the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death. In 2001 he was organist in the première of a work for organ, didgeridoo and narrator written by Philip Glass for the re-opening of the Melbourne Town Hall organ. Calvin’s art songs have been lauded by Barbara Bonney as “very beautiful and well written”. He is a laureate of the 2005 Ned Rorem Award for Song Composition and the 2005 Diana Barnhart American Song Competition, and has received numerous commissions. His work will shortly be published by Alfred Lengnick and Company, Great Britain. In 2006 Calvin will be performing Graeme Koehne’s Capriccio for piano and strings with Australia Pro Arte to mark Koehne’s fiftieth birthday. He will also act as organist and producer for a disc of music by Philip Glass for the composer’s own label, Orange Mountain Music.
