Chad Bowles Piano Masterclass

Join us for a Piano Masterclass with Chad Bowles on Saturday, November 10th, 10am-12pm in Keller Room. 

Program:

Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand, Op. 9 by Scriabin

Etude-Tableau in F-sharp minor, Op. 39 No. 3 by Rachmaninov

Sonata in D Major, K. 576, movement I by Mozart

Ballade No. 2 in B minor, S. 171 by Liszt

Chad Bowles

A rising star in the piano world, American pianist Chad R. Bowles is increasingly recognized as a master of his instrument and routinely hailed for an ideal combination of innate musicianship and stunning virtuosity. Equally at home with lesser-known gems, as well as the standard repertoire, his performances have brought him to cities across the United States, Canada, and Europe. His numerous recital appearances as a soloist have seen him in venues including many colleges and universities in the United States, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and the La Gesse Festival in France. Mr. Bowles frequently performs benefit recitals and one-hour long concerts which bring classical music to new audiences, in addition to creating an appreciation for some of the forgotten areas of the piano repertoire.

A busy recitalist, Mr. Bowles has made appearances on series across the country including the Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, Concerts at the Common in Harvard, CCBC Music Forum Series, Stowe Performing Arts, Mildred McDaniel Concert Series, Rappahannock Concert Association, the Newport Music Festival, Texas Music Teachers Association, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of West Florida, Ohio State University, and the University of New Hampshire, as well as recitals in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, California, and many others. Mr. Bowles' performances have been recorded for and broadcast on both television and radio. He is the recipient of several awards in recognition of his abilities, including the Ivory Classics Earl Wild Teaching Scholarship (of which he was the first ever recipient), the La Gesse Foundation Fellowship, and the Peabody Conservatory Career Development Grant. Mr. Bowles has performed widely not only as a soloist, but as a chamber musician, making appearances with members of the Baltimore and New World Symphony Orchestras.

As a recording artist, Mr. Bowles has received unanimous critical praise for his work for JRI Recordings. His debut recording of five Haydn Sonatas was promptly named by Fanfare Magazine as “the starting point for anyone not familiar with Haydn’s sonatas” and continued “If you are already familiar, all the more reason to catch up with Mr. Bowles.” His second recording for JRI features Richard Strauss’ Enoch Arden with Bass-Baritone David Ripley. Less than a month after its release, it was named one of World Magazine's 'Notable CDs' of 2010. An all-digital album of Liszt piano works titled "A Liszt Album" was released in 2011, and his most recent CD, released in May, 2017, features the Chopin and Liszt B Minor Sonatas. Future projects include a second volume of Haydn Sonatas, as well as a recital of music by Beethoven, Chopin, York Bowen, and Liszt.

A New England native, Mr. Bowles holds a Bachelors degree in Piano Performance from the University of New Hampshire and both a Masters degree and the Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland where he served as a teaching assistant in the Keyboard Studies department. His primary teachers include Arlene Kies, Frederick Moyer, Alexander Shtarkman, and legendary American pianist Earl Wild. He makes his home with his wife and young children in Baltimore, Maryland, where he is full-time artist faculty and Chair of the Piano Department at Peabody Preparatory and the Co-Director of the Peabody Piano Academy.