It is with great pleasure that one of my first Parish announcements is to introduce Dr Calvin Bowman who joins our Music Leadership Team as Organist. Calvin will be officially with us from 9 October 2019 although you may see him wandering around the Parish leading up to this date.
In announcing this wonderful news,I would also like to take this opportunity to especially thank Zachary Hamilton-Russell for his efforts in undertaking the Acting Organist role while the Parish undertook the search for a new organist. Zachary will be continuing on here at St Andrew’s as our Organ Scholar and with Calvin’s assistance we look forward to his continued development as an organist.
So, a little bit about Calvin. He is a graduate of the University of Melbourne, and was the first Australian to graduate with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale University, with the assistance of a Fulbright scholarship.
Calvin is much in demand as a soloist, accompanist and chamber musician. As keyboardist he has premièred works by many prominent Australian composers and appeared as soloist with most of the major Australian orchestras.
Calvin is also a prolific composer, specialising in the form of artsong. Most recently, his songs have been performed in iconic venues such as the Musikverein and the Elbphilharmonie. His major awards include an Australia Council Fellowship, and he has also been commissioned by organisations such as Ars Musica Australis and Symphony Australia, as well as by many individuals and ensembles.
He is an exclusive Decca/UMA artist. A recording of his artsong entitled ‘Real and Right and True’ was released in 2018.
Not only will Calvin take the role as our Organist, but he will partner with me on the continuing development of a St Andrew’s program providing not just voice but piano and organ lessons for the community. Together we will also review and further develop the concerts program here at St Andrew’s, certainly interesting and exciting times ahead.
Please make Calvin feel welcome when he joins us in October.
Christopher Roache Director of Music, St Andrew’s Brighton