(b. 23 December 1958, Wolfville, Nova Scotia).

Canadian composer, now resident in the USA, of mostly chamber, choral, vocal, and piano works that have been performed in North America and elsewhere; he is also active as a scholar.

Mr. Bowlby studied composition with Owen Stephens at Acadia University in Wolfville from 1981–84, where he earned his BA in music. He then studied composition with William Brooks, Morgan Powell and Paul Martin Zonn at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 1984–98 and there earned his MMus in both composition and in music theory and musicology, as well as his DMA in composition and music theory with the thesis Webern's Strongest Readers.

His music has been performed in Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the USA.

As a scholar, he has written essays on Johann Sebastian Bach and Dmitri Shostakovich, René Leibowitz, Arnold Schoenberg, Igor Stravinsky, and Anton Webern for ex tempore and other publications.

Mr. Bowlby is also active in other positions. He has worked as a performer of solo choral and vocal music from all periods of musical history since the mid-1980s. He has sung as a bass in, and served as a rehearsal conductor and section leader of, the Chancel Choir of the Union Church of Hinsdale, Illinois since 2004 and of the Lewis University Choir in Romeoville, Illinois since 2006.

He worked as online composer-in-residence to the NETCOMM Telementoring Project at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 2002–04 and as a mentor in composition for the Vermont MIDI Project from 2002–05. He taught music appreciation and music theory at Columbia College in Chicago in 2004 and composition and solfège at Saint Xavier University in Chicago from 2004–06. He has taught music theory and solfège at Lewis University since 2004, where he also designed and taught a new course for minors in film studies in 2008.

He has lived in the USA since 1984.

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS (dates unavailable for some works)

STAGE:

Only, emotion's a way... (dance music, choreography by Jodi Youmans), clarinet, B-flat trumpet, double bass, vibraphone, 1990

ORCHESTRAL:

Shadow Studies, small orchestra, 1995

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Chorale Prelude in D minor (with accompanimental figures from Johann Sebastian Bach), clarinet, bass clarinet/bassoon, French horn, trumpet, c. 1982

Three Different Winds, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1983

Toast 'n' Jam, alto saxophone, bass guitar, synthesizer/Hammond organ/electronic keyboard, drum kit, percussion, c. 1983–84

Fugue in B minor, string quartet, 1984

Septet, flute, clarinet, French horn, tuba, violin, cello, vibraphone, 1987

Duo in C, trumpet, piano, 1989

Cross'd, soprano saxophone, 2 alto saxophones, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, 1989

None(xemp)t, any 8 diverse instruments/voices, piano, 1990

Five Canons, violin, cello, 1990

4: by 2, string quartet, 1990

Waltz in G major, clarinet, 4 French horns, violin, double bass, c. 1990

According to Hoyle, flute, 1991

E. D. G. E., tuba, 1991

Music for Solo Violin, violin, 1991

Another Season's Promised, viola, piano, 1991

Aftermaths (Reflections on Shelley's 'Ozymandias'), trumpet, 1991

Chime Tune No. 1 in D major, handbells, c. 1991

Trio in C major, 3 flutes, c. 1991 (version of work for organ)

4 Tr. R.'s (for T. R. R.'s), flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, percussion, 1992

A View of You, flute (+ piccolo), trumpet, 1992

Homonyms, cello, 1992

Elegy, baritone saxophone, 1992

Bluenosed, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1992

True North, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1992

Eventual Memories, flute, guitar, 1992

Just One More, oboe, 1992

In Probabilities, bass clarinet, 1993, revised 1995

Circumstances, alto flute, harp, 1993

Persuasions, viola, 1993

Concentricities, tuba, piano, percussion, 1994

Meditation: Upon Olde Coynes, 4 saxophones, 1994

Canzona: Aequaleities, 2 alto trombones, 8 trombones, 2 bass trombones, 1994

Fugue in E minor, 2 clarinets, French horn, tuba, c. 1994

Permutations of a Theme by Johannes Brahms, flute, piano, 1995

Soliloquy: Grey Matters, bassoon, 1995

Quartetto profundo, 4 double basses, 1995

Passacaglia in C, 2 violins, handbells, c. 1995

Polacca, vibraphone, 1996

Not Just North, flute, violin, 1996

for There, a Rose Patterns, trumpet, trombone, violin, double bass, vibraphone, 1996

Duo Concitato, bass trombone, timpani, 1997

String Quartet No. 3, 1997

Sentence and Doubles, double bass, vibraphone, 1997

Given to Younger Angels, 2 harps, 1997

Imprints, piccolo (+ flute), flute (+ alto flute), oboe (+ English horn), piano, percussion, 1998

Sonatina, trumpet, tuba, 1998

TEAR (...of Two Minds), alto saxophone, timpani, vibraphone, 1998

Preliminaries, trombone, 1998

In Memoriam Harry Somers, flute, 1999

Rondo, 2 clarinets, 1999

Trio, violin, cello, piano, 1999

Seconds and Endings, flute, oboe, 2000

Anterior Landscapes, oboe, bassoon, piano, 2000

Ghosts in the Early Frost, flute, violin, double bass, vibraphone, 2000

Rondo Capriccioso, alto saxophone, piano, 2000–01 (also version for A-clarinet, piano, 2000–01)

Traces for Solo Horn, French horn, 2001

Cross Purposes, double bass (with scordatura), 2001 (also version for cello [with scordatura], 2001)

Saltarello, oboe, violin, cello, accordion, 2001

A Joyful Noise, handbells, 2001

Beware the People Weeping, 10 B-flat trumpets, 2001

Trio in F minor, flute, oboe, organ, 2001

Sonata in Three Movements, trombone, piano, 2002

Trio for Trumpet, Trombone and Piano, trumpet, trombone, piano, 2002

Elegy, viola, cello, 2002

Dream Sequence Tango, euphonium, violin, accordion, 2002

Trio for Clarinet, Violoncello and Piano, clarinet, cello, piano, 2003

Trio for Oboe, Bass Clarinet and Vibraphone, oboe, bass clarinet, vibraphone, 2003

Impressions for Solo Flute, flute, 2004

Lyric Duo for Trumpet and Piano, trumpet, piano, 2004

Sonata in Five Movements, bass clarinet, piano, 2004

Sonatina for Flute and Harp, flute, harp, 2006

Mined Sets, flute, clarinet, piano, 2009

Toccata for Unaccompanied Marimba, marimba, 2009

Beguine in C, flute, saxophone, double bass, Hammond organ

Canonic Variations on the Spiritual 'Go Tell it on the Mountain', flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon

Champagne Flutes, 4 piccolos, 4 flutes, 2 alto flutes, 2 bass flutes, double bass

Chorale Tune in G major, 2 clarinets, French horn, tuba

Elaborate in Latin, trumpet, guitar, double bass, Hammond organ, percussion

Fanfare in G, 5 B-flat trumpets

Fugue in D major, flute, oboe, violin, viola, cello

Habanera in G minor, clarinet, 4 trumpets, bass guitar (also version for guitar, 2 violins, double bass, accordion/bandoneón)

Minuet in A major, 2 violins, 2 violas, cello

Trio in A minor, 2 violins, cello

CHORAL:

Two Elizabethan Lyrics (texts by Robert Herrick, an anonymous source), 12/16 mixed voices, piano, 2 percussion, 1987

Stillborn Silence! (text by Richard Flecknoe), 8 mixed voices, 1994

Three Choral Introits on Psalm Fragments (texts from Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 57), 4 mixed voices, 1998

Behold, How Good and How Pleasant it Is (text from Psalm 133), 4 mixed voices, 1999

Praise His Name! Sing Alleluia! (text by the composer), children's chorus, piano, 2000

A Pilgrim's Cantata (text by John Bunyan, arranged by the composer), alto, tenor, mixed chorus, French horn, piano, 1999–2004

With Silent Lips (texts by Emily Dickinson, Emma Lazarus), mixed chorus, small orchestra (clarinet, French horn, piano, violins, violas, cellos), 2005

Two Sacred Settings (text by Rowland Watkyns), mixed chorus, 2008

Psalm XXIII (text from Psalm 23), mixed chorus, trumpet, bass guitar, piano, 2008

Lullaby (text by the composer), 3/6/9 female voices, 2011

Hymn and Descant Variations: 'Abide with Me', mixed chorus, violin

VOCAL:

Three Shakespearean Sonnets (text by William Shakespeare), mezzo-soprano, violin, 1989

Four Songs on Poems by Thomas Hardy (text by Thomas Hardy), mezzo-soprano, violin, viola, double bass, piano, 1990

Two Songs of Experience (text by William Blake), mezzo-soprano, piano, 1991

Two Songs on Texts by Robert Herrick (text by Robert Herrick), mezzo-soprano, piano, 1992

Two Songs on Poems by A. E. Housman (text by A. E. Housman), soprano, bassoon, piano, 1992

Out of an Old Poet (texts, translations by Barnabe Googe), soprano, piccolo (+ flute, alto flute), piano, 1993

The Africa We Knew (texts by Claude McKay, William Plomer), soprano, clarinet (+ bass clarinet), trumpet, piano, percussion, 1994

Three Songs of Shattering (text by Edna St. Vincent Millay), soprano, oboe, piano, 1994

Dickinson Song Set (text by Emily Dickinson), soprano, oboe, piano, 1994

Two Songs on Texts by Charles Tennyson Turner (text by Charles Tennyson Turner), soprano, A-clarinet, vibraphone, 1994

Three Songs on Sacred Texts (text by George Herbert), mezzo-soprano, viola, piano, 1996

Two Songs on Texts by A. E. Housman (text by A. E. Housman), mezzo-soprano, piano, 1997

Four Songs on Texts by Richard Crashaw (text by Richard Crashaw), mezzo-soprano, flute, guitar, double bass, percussion, 1998

Three Songs on Shakespeare Texts (text by William Shakespeare), soprano, flute, French horn, cello, vibraphone, 1999

To Music Bent Is My Retirèd Mind (text by Thomas Campion), baritone, piano, 1999

The Heavens Reward Thee Manifold (text by Anne Bradstreet), soprano, baritone, piano, 1999

The Cuckoo of a Worse July (text by Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson of Aldworth and Freshwater), soprano, French horn, double bass, vibraphone, 2000

Two Imaginary Sonnets (text by Eugene Lee-Hamilton), soprano, clarinet, piano, 2001

As the Wounded Hart, Embost (text by Francis Quarles), soprano, oboe, clarinet (+ bass clarinet), French horn, cello, piano, 2001

Three Songs on Texts by Charles Tennyson Turner (text by Charles Tennyson Turner), soprano/tenor, flute, English horn, bass clarinet, vibraphone, 2002

A Lyre with Other Strings (text by William Cowper), soprano/tenor, 2007

Octaves of a Mystic Depth and Height (text by Elizabeth Barrett Browning), soprano, flute, bass clarinet, violin, double bass, vibraphone, 2007

PIANO:

Invention in A major, 1983

3 4 88, 2 pianos, 1989

Tested Metals, 1991

In Her Moods, 1992

Étude in C major, c. 1992

In, Sigh'd and Out, 2 pianos, 1994

Variations, c. 1990–95

Faust Sonata (Laffen und Pfaffen), 1995

Theme and Three Variations, c. 1997

ORGAN:

Trio in C major, c. 1991 (also version for 3 flutes)

Chorale Prelude in D minor, c. 1990–95

Three Movements, c. 1990–95

Vicissitudes, 1996

ARRANGEMENTS:

Menuetto: Allegretto from Streichquintett Nr. 4 in G-moll, K 516 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart), handbells, c. 2003

Away in a Manger (Christmas carol), oboe, handbells, c. 1997–2004

How Long, O Lord? (E. H. Thiman), handbells, c. 1997–2004

Musette II (Johann Sebastian Bach), handbells, c. 1997–2004

The Easy Winners (Scott Joplin), flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 2011

Bethena (Scott Joplin), flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 2011

When in Our Music God Is Glorified (Sir Charles Villiers Stanford), mixed chorus

Nearer, My God, to Thee (Lowell Mason), violin