PRESS ACCLAIM
“Bowlin was an enchanting soloist, cut from the same cloth as David Oistrakh. His throbbing vibrato and technical command were well suited to the young Bartók’s Straussian Post-Romantic sensibility.”
-The San Diego Union-Tribune
“...an alluring performance, with David Bowlin as the brilliant violin soloist, traversing his complicated part with ferocious intensity."
-The New York Times
“the violinist David Bowlin...spun out the melancholy melody with a rich, alluring tone.”
-The New York Times
"… superb…"
-The New York Times
“Bowlin is a formidable violinist, combining dulcet sweetness of tone with incisive drive.”
-The Chicago Sun-Times
“David Bowlin was the impressive soloist, taming the awkward double-stops with ease and carefully delineating the rapid changes of character.”
-The Chicago Tribune
"David Bowlin was the brilliant soloist, chirruping and keening for nearly all of the piece's 20 minutes."
-The Chicago Tribune
“The alarmingly gifted violinist, David Bowlin...provided sterling advocacy and an array of widely terraced dynamics and colors.”
-Chicago Classical Review
CURRICULUM VITAE
TEACHING POSITIONS:
- Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York: Professor of Violin (July 2024-)
- Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, Ohio: Professor of Violin (2007-2024) | Chair of Strings (2019-present) | Division Director of Strings (2016-2019)
- Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Blue Hill, Maine: Faculty Artist (2013-present)
- Sarasota Music Festival, Florida: Faculty Artist (June 2025)
- Bowdoin International Music Festival, Brunswick, Maine: Faculty Artist (2017-2020)
- Banff Centre, Alberta, Canada: Faculty Artist, Ensemble Evolution Workshop (2017, 2018)
- ARIA International Summer Academy, South Hadley, Massachusetts: Faculty (2015, 2016, 2020, 2022, 2024*)
- Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, Burlington, Vermont: Faculty Artist (2010-2012)
- The Juilliard School, New York, New York: Teaching Assistant to Ronald Copes (2002-2005)
ENSEMBLES:
- International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE): Founding member (2001-2022) | Emeritus member (2022-present)
- Bowlin-Cho Duo: With pianist Tony Cho (2017-present)
- Oberlin Trio: With cellist Dmitry Kouzov and pianist Haewon Song (2008-2024)
- Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota: Guest Concertmaster (2023) | Guest Principal Second (2019, 2020)
- Juilliard String Quartet: Guest Second Violinist (2019)
- Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Ontario, Canada: Guest Concertmaster (2011)
- Da Capo Chamber Players (2003-2007)
- Rothko String Quartet (2005-2007)
- Andros String Quartet (2003-2005)
SELECTED ENGAGEMENTS:
- Music in the Vineyards, Napa, California: Guest Artist (August 2024)
- Boston Chamber Music Society, Massachusetts: Guest Artist (2016, 2018, 2023, 2024)
- Fermata Chamber Soloists, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Guest Soloist (April 2024)
- Olympic Music Festival, Port Townsend, Washington: Guest Artist (August 2022, 2023)
- ChamberFest Cleveland, Ohio: Guest Artist (June 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023)
- International Chamber Music Festival,Thessaloniki , Greece: Guest Artist (November 2022)
- Seoul International Music Competition, Seoul, Korea: Violin Jury (October 2022)
- Aspen Music Festival, Colorado
Guest Soloist, Donald Crockett: Violin Concerto *World Premiere (August 2022)
Guest Soloist, Alban Berg: Kammerkonzert (August 2017)
- La Jolla Symphony, San Diego, California
Guest Soloist, Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 1 (June 2022)
Guest Soloist, Beethoven: Violin Concerto (February 2017)
- Chamber Music Chicago, Illinois: Guest Artist (2019)
- Detroit Chamber Music Society, Michigan: Guest second violinist with the Juilliard String Quartet (2019)
- The Kennedy Center, Washington D. C.: Guest second violinist with the Juilliard String Quartet (2019)
- The Arctic Sinfonietta, Bodø, Norway: Guest Soloist, Alban Berg: Kammerkonzert (March 2019)
- The Gilmore Piano Festival, Kalamazoo, Michigan: Guest Artist, Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time (April 2018)
- SongFest at the Colburn School, Los Angeles, California: Guest Artist (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
- Miller Theater, Columbia University, New York City: Soloist, Marcos Balter: Violin Concerto, with the ICE (November 2017)
- Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium, New York City: With the ICE. Music of Steve Reich. (November 2016)
- Harris Theater, Millenium Park, Chicago: Soloist, Marcos Balter: Violin Concerto, with the ICE (October 2016)
- Seoul Arts Center, Korea: Oberlin Trio Concerts (February 2015 & April 2012)
- Ojai Music Festival, California: Guest Artist (June 2015)
- Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, Greenville, North Carolina: Guest Artist (2014, 2015)
- Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California: With the ICE(April 2014)
- Mostly Mozart Festival, Lincoln Center, New York City:
With the ICE (2011-2016)
Soloist, Marcos Balter: Violin Concerto *world premiere (2016)
- Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, New York: Guest Artist (2010-2011)
- Mannes Beethoven Institute, New York City: Faculty Artist (2009, 2013)
- Madeline Island Chamber Music Camp, La Pointe, Wisconsin: Faculty Artist (2009)
- Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival, Easton, Maryland: Guest Artist (2008, 2010)
- Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, New York City: Guest Soloist, Alexandra Hermentin-Karastoyanova: Mahagoni *world premiere (2007)
- Marlboro Music Festival, Vermont
Musicians from Marlboro Tours (2008, 2010, 2012)
Participating Artist (2005-2008)
RESIDENCIES & MASTERCLASSES:
- Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois: Recital (November 2024 & September 2021)
- University of Iowa: Recital (November 2024)
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles: Recital | Masterclass I Contemporary Forum (March 2014 & April 2024)
- The Colburn School, Los Angeles, California: CSPA Honors Chamber Seminar Masterclass (April 2024)
- California State University, Long Beach: Masterclass (April 2024)
- Cornell University, Ithaca, New York: Marcos Balter: Violin Concerto with Ensemble X (March 2023)
- Seoul National University, Korea: Masterclass (April 2012 & October 2023)
- Korea National University of Arts, Seoul, Korea: Masterclass (October 2019 & 2023)
- Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea: Recital | Masterclass (October 2023)
- Florida State University, Tallahassee: Recital | Masterclass (September 2023)
- Australian National Academy of Music, Melbourne: Recital | Masterclass (May 2023)
- DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois: Recital | Masterclass (February 2023)
- The Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen, Denmark: Masterclass (January 2023)
- Malmö Music Academy, Lund University, Sweden: Masterclass (January 2023)
- Ingesund School of Music, Karlstads University, Arkiva, Sweden: Recital | Masterclass (January 2023)
- Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo, Norway: Masterclass (January 2023)
- Barrett Due Musikkinstitutt, Oslo, Norway: Masterclass (January 2023)
- Institut Oberschützen, Austria: Masterclass (November 2022)
- Kunstuniversität Graz, Austria: Masterclass (November 2022)
- Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Thessaloniki, Greece: Chamber Music Concert | Masterclass (November 2022)
- Shenandoah Conservatory, Winchester, Virginia: Recital | Masterclass (February 2022)
- Montclair State University, New Jersey: Recital | Masterclass (January 2022)
- Youngstown State University, Ohio: Recital | Masterclass (November 2021)
- Oklahoma State University, Stillwater: Recital | Masterclass (September 2021 & 2017)
- Menntaskóli í tónlist, Reykjavik, Iceland: Recital | Masterclass (September 2021)
- Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Blue Hill, Maine: Lecture Recital on William Grant Still (2021) | Chamber Music Masterclass (2013, 2021)
- New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, Massachusetts: Masterclass via zoom for Ayano Ninomiya's Studio (April 2021)
- McGill University, Montreal, Canada: Masterclass via zoom for Jinjoo Cho's Studio (April 2021)
- Credo Chamber Music Festival, Ohio: Recital | Masterclass (July 2020)
- Bowling Green State University, Ohio: Recital | Masterclass (November 2019)
- Longy School of Music, Boston, Massachusetts: Recital | Masterclass (November 2019)
- New York University, New York City: Masterclass (January 2019)
- University of Washington, Seattle: Recital | Masterclass (January 2019)
- San Francisco Conservatory of Music, California: Masterclass (December 2018)
- University of Connecticut, Storrs: Recital | Masterclass (October 2018)
- The Peabody Institute, Baltimore, Maryland: Recital | Masterclass (December 2017)
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: Recital | Masterclass (April 2016)
- Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York: Masterclass (January 2016)
- Stony Brook University, New York: Recital | Masterclass (March 2007 & February 2014)
- Central Conservatory, Beijing, China: Masterclass (August 2012)
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor: Masterclass (January 2012)
- University of Texas, Austin: Masterclass (December 2010)
- Conservatorio de las Rosas, Morelia, Mexico: Chamber Music Concert | Masterclass (June 2007)
- Cornell University, Ithaca, New York: Recital | Masterclass (November 2006)
- North Carolina School of the Arts: Masterclass (2005)
AWARDS:
- Samuel Sanders Award (2017): From the Classical Recording Foundation, for a recording of music for violin and piano by Peter Lieberson, with Thomas Sauer, piano.
- The 2016-2017 Excellence in Teaching Award: From Oberlin College and Conservatory
- Musical America’s Ensemble of the Year (2014): As a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble
- NPR’s Top 5 Best American Contemporary Classical Albums (2010): As a member of the Da Capo Chamber Players (2010)
- Washington International Competition (2003): First Prize in Violin
SELECTED AUDIO RECORDINGS:
- Naxos Recordings: Albert Roussel, Violin Sonatas and String Trio. (Will be released in 2024*)
- Naxos Recordings: Franz Joseph Haydn Keyboard Trios. The Oberlin Trio. (2022)
- Oberlin Music: William Grant Still, works for violin and piano. (2021* release pending)
- New Focus Recordings: Bird As Prophet. Solo and chamber music by Georg Walker, Edgar Guzmán, Du Yun, Mario Davidovsky, Martin Bresnick, and Alexandra Karastoyanova-Hermentin (2019)
- Tundra Records: Aesopica. Music by Marcos Balter (2016)
- Bridge Records: Solo and duo repertoire by Roger Sessions (2015)
- Oberlin Music: The Oberlin Trio, music by Dvorák, Shostakovich, and Joan Tower (2015)
- Oberlin Music: Concerti and works for unaccompanied violin by Huang Ruo and Luciano Berio (2014)
- ORF (Radio Österreich): Music by Alexandra Karastoyanova-Hermentin. (2013)
- Bridge Records: Ursula Mamlok, “Suite” and “Designs,” for violin and piano. With Jacob Greenberg, piano. (2010)
- Bridge Records: Ursula Mamlok, “From My Garden” and “Wildflowers” for solo violin. (2010)
- Bridge Records: Music by Chinary Ung. With the Da Capo Chamber Players.
- Bridge Records: George Crumb, “Eleven Echoes of Autumn.” With the International Contemporary Ensemble. (2008)
- Naxos Recordings: Huang Ruo: Chamber Concerti (2007)
EDUCATION:
