Kevin Bowyer
Kevin Bowyer was born in Southend-on-Sea in January 1961 and studied with Christopher Bowers-Broadbent, David Sanger, Virginia Black and Paul Steinitz. He has won first prizes in five international organ competitions and has gained a reputation for playing unusual and new music and for taking on “impossible” projects. In 1987 he gave the world premiere of Kaikhosru Sorabji’s two hour solo Symphony for Organ, considered “impossible” ever since its publication in 1925. Other UK premieres have included works by Brian Ferneyhough (Sieben Sterne), Anthony Gilbert (Halifenu Vine Dance), Charles Wuorinen (Natural Fantasy) and Iannis Xenakis (Gmeeoorh). Sorabji’s massive Second Organ Symphony (1929-32, about 6½ hours) is scheduled for performance in 2007.
At home Kevin has played solo and concerto concerts in most of the major venues and festivals. Trips and tours abroad have taken him throughout Europe, North America, Australia and Japan. In summer 2003 he played the complete solo organ Symphonies of Widor and Vierne and the complete organ works of Olivier Messiaen in three concerts in the same week, 16 hours of music, at St. Giles, Cripplegate.
Kevin has released a great number of solo CDs, many of which have won awards. These include many landmark recordings of contemporary music as well as the complete organ music of J S Bach and music by Alkan, Brahms, Schumann, Reubke, Hindemith, Schoenberg, Messiaen, Alain, etc. Jonathan Wearn, writing in MusicWeb International, described him as “one of the world’s hardiest and most formidable virtuosos… probably Britain’s most formidable organist…” and Gramophone magazine described him as “unique”.
Kevin’s other interests include reading widely, obscure cinema, real ale, malt whiskies and looking at the sea. His favourite pastime is sleeping.
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