PUBLICITY RELEASE

Dr. ROBERT BOWMAN, keyboard artist, has performed extensively on the West and East Coasts of the United States in solo and chamber ensemble recitals, numerous appearances with orchestra, and on radio-tv since 1960. He has also performed solo and ensemble recitals in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Mexico. He has been coordinator of the keyboard program at CSU, Chico since 1971 and previously was a member of the Eastern Illinois University and University of Southern California keyboard faculties.

His principal teachers were Adolph Baller of the Alma Trio, Gertrude Weeth, John Crown, Alice Ehlers, and Martin Canin. In recent years, he has been studying with faculty members of the Dorothy Taubman Institute of Piano including Dorothy Taubman, Edna Golandsky, Nina Scolnik, Robert Durso, John Bloomfield, and Marc Steiner. He also performed in Master Classes with Rosina Lhevinne, Karl Ulrich Schnabel, Dorothy Taubman, and Edna Golandsky. He studied conducting with Dr. Walter DuCloux, Sandor Salgo, and Hans Beer as well as composition with Ingolf Dahl, Halsey Stevens, and Leland Smith.

He obtained a B.A. in Music (1962) and an M.A.degree in Orchestral Conducting (1965) from Stanford University as well as a D.M.A. degree from University of Southern California in Piano and Harpsichord Performance (1969) after serving two years as a Special Services Officer in the U.S. Army in New York. He has appeared as featured soloist with the New Rochelle Symphony in New York, the University of Southern California Congress of Strings, the Camellia Symphony of Sacramento, the CSU, Chico Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, the Paradise and Shasta Symphony Orchestras, and the Chico Symphony Orchestra such works as Franck's SYMPHONIC VARIATIONS; Bach's CONCERTO in D minor, "TRIPLE" CONCERTO in a minor, and BRANDENBERG CONCERTO #5; Mozart's CONCERTO in G major, K. 453; and Concerto in Eb, K. 271 Schumann's CONCERTO and CONCERT ALLEGRO WITH INTRODUCTION; Brahms' CONCERTO #2; Rachmaninoff's CONCERTO #3 and Gershwin's RHAPSODY IN BLUE under the batons of Sidney Powers, Dr. Walter DuCloux, Dr. Daniel Kingman, William Whitson. Dr. Walter Dahlin, Daniel Heistand, Dr. Alfred Loeffler, Dr. Richard Fiske, and Dr. David Colson.

On March 6, 1997, critic Ernst Schoen-Rene of the Chico News and Review wrote:

"I cannot get the opening theme out of my head--nor, I suppose, can anyone who heard Pianist Robert Bowman and the Chico Symphony's magnificent performance of Rachmaninov's THIRD PIANO CONCERTO this past weekend...Bowman, himself of Russian background and deeply engaged in the work, began the statement a bit tentatively Saturday night more firmly Sunday afternoon, but it mattered little, so deeply felt was the playing and so excellent the orchestral accompaniment. Indeed, five minutes into the THIRD CONCERTO (longer and more challenging than any other Rachmaninoff concerto), the sizable Laxson Hall audience was totally captured...Absolutely thrilling!"

On March 5, 1998, critic Charlotte Russell of the Paradise Post wrote:

"Piano soloist, Robert Bowman gave a bravura performance of Gerge Gershwin's "Phapsody in Blue" ...His zest and enthusiasm for the Gershwin perennial favorite was evidenced by his performance...Dr. Bowman gave full play to the lyricism of Gershwin's themes, providing marked contrast to the strident "jazz" mode...at the conclusion of Dr. Bowman's performance, the audience sprang to its feet and shook the walls and rafters with their applause. It was a spontaneous gesture that must have gladdened the hearts of all the musicians who participated in making this an event to remember."

In July, 1989 he was awarded third prize in the Artist's Division of the Young Keyboard Artists Association International Competition in Orlando, Florida. As part of the Bowman-Lundberg Duo, he performed several times at the Winter Duo-Piano Festival and Competition in El Cajon, California where the duo received 2nd, 3rd place, and honorable mention prizes in 1996, 1995, and 1994 respectively.

He has performed for state conventions of the Illinois State Music Teachers, the California Association of Professional Music Teachers, and the Northstate Convention of the American Guild of Organists including two performances of Bach's GOLDBERG VARIATIONS on the harpsichord.

During the Summers of 1987 and 1990, Dr. Bowman presented solo and piano ensemble concerts in Baden-Baden (at Brahmshaus) and in Munich. In 1990, he also performed concerts on organ and harpsichord in Austria. In 1998, he returned to Europe to present concerts of European and American keyboard music and workshops including a lecture-recital for the PIANO-PODIUM of Karlsruhe entitled "From Gottschalk to Gershwin, 90 years of American Piano Music". He also presented concerts in Frankfurt, Germany and Geneva, Switzerland.

In addition to solo work, Dr. Bowman has done extensive concertizing as a collaborative pianist. He has toured with violinists Mischa Lefkowitz, John Creighton Murray and David Mallory in the San Francisco Bay Area, Northern California, and Oregon, and cellist Burke Schuchmann in the Bay Area. He has presented two TV concerts with Mr. Murray in 1985 and a TV concert in 1990 with John Creighton Murray and keyboardist, Leslie Lundberg with whom he also performs keyboard duo concerts as the Bowman-Lundberg Duo. He has also performed with cellists, Ira Lehn, and Ruth Saphir-Hardin, and pianists Istvan Nadas, Joyce Menke Groshong. Nancy Bricard, and Ted Price. He has conducted and performed harpsichord in Bach's MUSICAL OFFERING in Los Angeles and Northern California. In 1988, he performed the complete violin sonatas of Brahms with violinist Alfred Csammer of Karlsruhe, Germany. He performed Carl Reinecke's SONATA"Ondine" with CSU, Chico colleague/flutest, Jan Roberts and Carl Maria von Weber's DUO CONCERTANTE with colleague/clarinetist, Dr. Russell Burnham at the 1994 and 1996 CAPMT state conventions. In 1996-7, he performed the Schumann and Brahms QUINTET's with the Sun String Quartet of CSU, Sacramento as well as Brahms "Horn" TRIO with french hornist Pete Nowland of Sacramento in concerts in Berkeley (with violinist Rudy Cramer) and in Sacramento (with violinist Elizabeth Field). In October 1999, he performed the Dvorak PIANO QUINTET with the world famous DA VINCI QUARTET at CSU, Chico and Cabrillo College and also performed Brahms' PIANO QUARTET in C minor, Op. 60 on the Faculty Chamber Music Recital as well as Prokofiev's FLUTE SONATA with Dr. Heidi Pintner.

He will perform Bach's 'GOLDBERG' VARIATIONS on the organ as part of the Early Music Concert Series at CSU, Chico on August 27, 2000 at 3 p.m. in Harlan Adams Theatre (PAC 144) and will be featured soloist-guest conductor with the Paradise Symphony on October, 29th at 7 p.m. performing and conducting from the piano Haydn's CONCERTO in D major. He will also perform the Schumann PIANO QUARTET, and Tomas Svoboda's SONATINA for piano, flute, and clarinet on the January, 2001 Faculty Chamber Music Concert.

In the United States, Dr. Bowman has presented workshops and master classes on various subjects including Keyboard Works of J.S. Bach, Johannes Brahms, and Domenico Scarlatti, as well as 18th and 19th Century Performance Practice, Stress Reduction for Performers and Teachers, and Improvisation for Keyboard Performers. He is also a registered Associate Advanced Instructor/Practitioner of ORTHO-BIONOMYtm , an effective form of non-force manipulation and self-healing, developed by English Osteopath, Dr. Arthur Lincoln Pauls, which he utilizes in conjunction with his training in the TAUBMAN METHOD, stress management techniques, and principles of the ALEXANDER METHOD to assist musicians reducing tension, preventing injury, and helping the rehabilitation of musicians limited with physical and stress related tension and injury. He also gives ORTHO-BIONOMY workshops for performers focusing on ways to reduce tension and pain in the neck, back, and upper extremities, as well as technique clinics for keyboard players.

He also lectured on Baroque Performance Practice at the state convention of the Music Teachers Assocciation of California as well as presenting lectures on piano pedagogy for various local branches of the MTAC and the Reno Music Teachers Association. He has adjudicated at Festivals, Examinations and Competitions held by CAPMT, the Southern California Jr. Bach Festival, MTAC, Reno MTA, the National Guild of Piano Teachers, and is a regular judge for National Open Piano Competition in Oakland, California.

Press Release (Short Version)

ROBERT BOWMAN, keyboard artist, has performed extensively on the West and East Coasts of the United States in solo and chamber ensemble recitals, numerous appearances with orchestra, and on radio-tv since 1960. He has also performed in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Prague, Czech Republic. He has performed chamber music with violinists John Creighton Murray and Alfred Csammer (Germany), the Vivace Trio, and The Sun and DaVinci Quartets.

He has performed and lectured for state conventions and local branches of the Illinois State Music Teachers, CAPMT, MTAC, and AGO, Nevada MTA. He is active as an adjudicator for festivals and competitions throughout California and Nevada.

He received a BA in music and MA in Orchestral Conducting from Stanford University as well as DMA in piano and harpsichord performance from the University of Southern California. He is the coordinator of the Keyboard Pedagogy Certification Program at CSU, Chico where he has taught for 33 years. In addition, he is an Associate Advanced Instructor of Ortho-Bionomytm-a non-invasive approach that promotes comfort, reduction of tension and pain, and ease of movement in the physical body and balance within the whole person.

He has presented keyboard master classes and interactive workshops on a wide variety of subjects including the "Joy of Improvisation", "Stress Reduction for Performers", "An Introduction to the Dorothy Taubman Approach", "Baroque Performance Practice", and keyboard Music of Brahms and Scarlatti throughout California, Karlsruhe, Germany, Oregon, and Nevada as well as Ortho-Bionomytm Classes. He is also available for individual consultations.

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