Mary Elizabeth Bowden
BIO:Classical Trumpeter and Gold Medal Global Music Award Winner Mary Elizabeth Bowden has been described by Gramophone Magazine as “brilliant” and “radiant in new repertoire for trumpet.” Bowden, a Yamaha Performing Artist, is highly regarded for her artistry and virtuosity as a soloist, and has been praised for the clarity, purity and power of her sound. Bowden released her debut album, “Radiance”, on Summit Records featuring new American works. She has been featured on MPR’s “New Classical Tracks” with Julie Amacher, which is being aired on NPR stations nationwide and has been interviewed by the Brass Herald, an international brass magazine. Following a summer debut with Montana’s Festival Amadeus, Bowden’s 2016-17 performance highlights include the Arutunian Concerto with the Peninsula Symphony (California), Haydn Concerto with the Fifth Avenue Chamber Ensemble in Naples, a tour to Wisconsin performing Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 with the Chrysalis Chamber Players, and residencies and recitals at several universities. She will tour extensively with Seraph Brass, a quintet composed of America’s top female brass performers. Seraph will be the featured ensemble at the 2017 International Women’s Brass Conference and at the Lieksa Brass Week in Finland. She has also performed many dates on Adele’s 2016 North American tour. Bowden is the First Prize winner of the 2012 International Women’s Brass Conference Trumpet Competition. She has performed as a soloist with the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, Croatian Army Wind Band, Festival Amadeus Strings (Montana), Springfield Symphony (MO), Naples Symphony, Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra, San Juan Symphony, Springfield (OH) Symphony Orchestra and New Haven Chamber Orchestra, among several others. At The Banff Center in Alberta, Canada, she performed Vivaldi’s Concerto for 2 Trumpets with trumpeters Jens Lindemann and Ryan Anthony. She was also awarded the Public Prize from the 2009 Perrenoud Foundation International Music Competition. Bowden frequently performs in recital both in solo programs and in a duo with her husband, trumpeter David Dash. Bowden and Dash will begin teaching in the fall at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts; Dash as the Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Bowden as a Resident Artist. Bowden is a founding member of both Seraph Brass and the Chrysalis Chamber Players, a recipient of a Yale Alumni Grant. She has collaborated in chamber music programs at the Marlboro Music Festival, Lakes Area Music Festival, The Banff Centre, and at the Sydney Opera House under the baton of Håkan Hardenberger. She has served on the adjunct faculty of Virginia Commonwealth University and at The Curtis Institute of Music’s Young Artist Summer Program. An experienced orchestral musician, Bowden is currently Principal Trumpet of the Artosphere Festival Orchestra. She has served as Principal Trumpet of the Sarasota Opera Orchestra, Lakes Area Music Festival Orchestra, New Zealand’s Auckland Philharmonia, the Daejeon Philharmonic in Korea, and with Seraphic Fire’s Firebird Chamber Orchestra. At the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, she held the principal chair in Pierre Boulez’s performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, which was released on CD in 2011. The Luzerner Zeitung described her playing in one word - “outstanding.” Bowden is also a member of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and the Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra. Bowden began full-time college studies at the age of 14, receiving an Associate degree from the Joliet Junior College. Subsequently, she earned her Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with the principal trumpeter of the Philadelphia Orchestra, David Bilger. She was awarded her Master of Music degree in 2006 from the Yale School of Music where she studied on a full scholarship with trumpeter Allan Dean. PRESS:“The title-track “Radiance," an adaptation of David Ludwig’s plaintive soliloquy for oboe and strings, shows just how chaste and radiant a piccolo trumpet can be…” Laurence Vittes "Splendidly played... Bowden does her best work on James Stephenson's erratically stylish track "Croatian Trio." “Soloist Mary Elizabeth Bowden delivered a clear, beautifully phrased reading of the once groundbreaking work [Haydn Trumpet Concerto]. Bowden rendered clean scale motifs and virtuosic flourishes with ease.” “An outstanding solo performance by trumpet soloist Mary Elizabeth Bowden.” “There’s something about Mary Elizabeth Bowden and her ability on the trumpet – a fluid sense of light and dark, of grace and power.” "A splendid debut recording of classical works by trumpeter Mary Elizabeth Bowden, especially when her playing is so expressive on the eight compositions. On technical grounds, she's an exquisite player whose polished tone is heard in ample supply on the seventy-four-minute release." “Though the material is all modern, it’s largely harmonious and melodically grounded and thus eminently accessible to both experienced and novice classical listeners, and Radiance is an especially welcome release, given the relatively modest number of classical trumpet recordings that are issued compared to the plenitude featuring violinists and pianists.” “Her piccolo trumpet tone is pure, refined, and warm—quite impressive. She sounds even better in David Ludwig’s ‘Radiance’ for piccolo trumpet and strings. It is a lyrical work with big leaps up to very high notes, and she does them with no apparent strain.” New Works Recital (headline)
"Bowden's sound is indeed 'radiant'-very clear, focused, slightly lighter than some, but marked by dramatic power and elegant lyricism. She is equally at home on the high piccolo trumpet as on the larger horns...This is a very enjoyable recording that will prove of great value to trumpeters and all lovers of new music." “The stage lit up, as Bowden showed why Yale’s graduates are so highly regarded.” American Women Artists Recital [headline] “Mary Bowden has one of the most beautiful trumpet sounds I have ever heard from a soloist. She has a special affinity for piccolo trumpet and E-flat with a lightness of touch and ease of approach that is quite extraordinary. Mary Bowden is a soloist worth watching.” “Mary’s performance was superlative. Her musicianship is impeccable, and her technical skill is likewise most impressive. Her gorgeous sound and facile ability make the whole process seem effortless. Her command of classical and baroque style indicates solid thought and preparation. The audience was totally enthralled, offering a standing ovation that was both genuine and spontaneous. It is a pleasure to offer Mary Elizabeth Bowden my highest professional recommendation.” “Mary is a great trumpet player and a wonderful person as well! It’s a joy to watch her blossoming career.” |
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