RPS Young Artist Biography
Mark Bowden
RPS Composition Prize Winner 2006
Mark’s work the winged figure for eight players, premièred at the Association of British Orchestras conference by players from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and his orchestral work beyond the world of names premiered by the RCM Symphony Orchestra, were shortlisted by the spnm after his work the dawn halts, premièred at the Warehouse by Chroma, was highly commended. His second orchestral work, sudden light, written for the BBC Symphony Orchestra was performed and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in April 2005. Mark’s five-movement work, far to the northward lying, for unaccompanied choir was performed during his residency with Thames Voyces choir as part of the PRS Foundation Adopt a Composer scheme. He is a founder member of the Camberwell Composers’ Collective and is currently composer-in-residence at Handel House Museum.
Born in South Wales in 1979, Mark studied composition with Richard Steinitz at The University of Huddersfield graduating with first class honours. Supported by awards from the Countess of Munster Trust, the RVW Trust, the Arts Council of Wales and the Rivendell Trust he subsequently completed a Master’s degree in composition with Julian Anderson at the RCM where he won most of the major composition prizes including the Cobbett and Hurlstone Prize for outstanding creative achievement. In 2002 Mark was awarded an RVW Trust Bursary to study with Errollyn Wallen on the advanced composition course at the Dartington International Summer School. Mark is currently undertaking doctoral research at Royal Holloway under the supervision of Philip Cashian.
Recent performances of other concert works include four haiku for mezzo-soprano and percussion written for Catherine King and Julian Warburton performed at the Aldeburgh festival, low over the railroad for solo piano written for Daniel Becker, pull, and pull strongly, for soprano and ensemble, written at the Dartington Summer School and performed there by Linda Hirst, i dreamed my genesis, for soprano and ensemble, premièred by Sarah Leonard, a work for solo violin, meridians, premièred by Mieko Kanno, quartet for clarinet and string trio and some disfigured being for five players both performed by the Contemporary Consort.
Mark’s abiding interest in dance has resulted in works for Christina Gonzalez’s production, Physical Sound, Moving Pictures, premièred at the Bonnie Bird Theatre at the Laban Centre, and Yasmin Lei’s dance project, Yin Yang Dance Project, premièred at the Yorkshire Dance Centre. In January 2003 Mark was invited to take part in the 8th Choreographers and Composers Exchange at the South Bank Centre.
Mark works extensively with young people. He has worked on various Sound Inventors projects including the first residential course in North Yorkshire in August 2004. He participated in the spnm’s Composing 4 Kids scheme, writing a work for London school children which was performed at LSO St Luke’s in June 2005. He has worked extensively with GCSE students in East London and regularly teaches on various residential courses. He currently teaches composition and musicianship at the Royal College of Music Junior Department.
Mark is also an active saxophonist and performs regularly in London and the rest of the UK. He was recently invited to perform Berio’s Sequenza IXb for alto saxophone at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and performs with the Contemporary Consort and the Bergamo Ensemble.