Organist and Director of Music
Geraint Bowen became organist and director of music at the cathedral in 2001. Previously he had held posts as organist and master of the choristers at St Davids Cathedral and artistic director of the St Davids Cathedral Festival (1995–2001), assistant organist at Hereford Cathedral (1989–94), and assistant organist at St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin (1986–89).
He is also conductor of the Hereford Choral Society and artistic director of the Hereford Three Choirs Festival.
He received his early musical education as a chorister at Hampstead Parish Church, under Martindale Sidwell and is a graduate of Jesus College Cambridge, where he was organ scholar from 1982 to 1985, and Trinity College, Dublin.
His work with the cathedral choir has included CD recordings of works
by William Byrd and Herbert Howells, radio and television broadcasts, a
tour of South Africa and four tours of the USA, and the introduction of
an annual Holy Week performance of one of Bach’s Passions. The choir
has also given performances of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and in 2012 completes a cycle of liturgical performances of Haydn’s last six masses.
At
the Three Choirs Festival, he has been responsible for commissioning
works by James MacMillan, John McCabe and Anthony Powers, and he has
worked with some of the country’s leading orchestras, including the
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony
Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra.
He has visited the USA several times to direct choral workshops and courses and returned there in 2011 to direct one of the RSCM America’s summer schools in Charlotte, North Carolina.