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The English organist, harpsichordist, pianist and conductor, Richard Gowers, stated the piano at an early age. He then sang as a chorister in the King's College Choir Cambridge in 2004-2008 and took up the organ and violin. He spent five years at Eton College (2008-2013) with the support of a generous music scholarship, and continued his studies in several musical disciplines while beginning to take an interest in the harpsichord and in conducting. At the age of 16 he became a prize-winning Associate of the Royal College of Organists, and a year later became a prize-winning Fellow. In his final school year, approximately fifty separate concerts and performances on the piano, organ, harpsichord and violin or as a counter-tenor or conductor included conducting a 100-man performance of Johannes Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, the solo role in Ravel's Piano Concerto in G and solo organ recitals in St Paul's Cathedral and at the St Albans International Organ Festival. With generous support from the Nicholas Danby Trust, Richard spent a year studying at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy" in Leipzig, Germany (2013-2014). Past teachers include Christopher Hughes and Alexander Meinel (piano) and Nigel Kerry, David Goode, Stefan Engels, Daniel Beilschmidt (organ). He is currently taught the piano by Charles Owen and the organ by Gordon Stewart. He currently learns also with Douglas Tang.He is the junior organ scholar of King's College (2014-2017).
After his studies, Richard Gowers began an international concert career as an organist. Past recitals include cathedrals and concert halls in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the USA and Australia. He is a keen player of keyboard instruments and conductor. As a pianist, he is equally experienced as a soloist, accompanist and chamber player. He is also a fan and promoter of obscure virtuoso harpsichord music outside the realm of J.S. Bach. |
