Kris Bowtell
Kristin Bowtell is a baritone and conductor based in Perth, Western Australia. He studied at UWA, and with Simon Halsey at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Kris was appointed Conductor of the University of Western Australia Choral Society in October 2019, having worked with UWACS for many years as conductor (most recently as guest conductor of Brahms’ Requiem 2019) and baritone soloist (on many occasions).
He has conducted Fauré’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Elgar’s The Music Makers, Poulenc’s Gloria, Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music and other concerts for the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).
Kris was Co-Director of the Giovanni Consort in 2015 and has conducted that ensemble in performances of David Lang’s little match girl passion, Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles and Nico Muhly’s Bright Mass with Canons. Kris was an Australia Council Art Start recipient and was part of the Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program.
Kris sings with West Australian Opera and has performed as a soloist with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Recent engagements include Peter in Hansel and Gretel (WA Opera/Perth Festival, Opera in the Park 2020), The Doctor in Macbeth (WA Opera 2019) and Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Darwin Symphony Orchestra (2019). Other roles include baritone solos in Ted Hearne’s Katrina Ballads and Ned Kelly in the Ned Kelly workshops as part of the Perth Festival 2018,The Loudspeaker in The Emperor of Atlantis and Male Chorus in Medée (Lost and Found Opera), Harlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos and Lescaut in Manon (Opera Box), the Water Goblin in Rusalka and Angelotti inTosca (Freeze Frame Opera) and Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Guest performer, WAAPA).
His concert repertoire includes Handel Messiah, Haydn Nelson Mass and The Creation, Mozart Requiem, Orff Carmina Burana, Puccini Messa di Gloria and Rosetti Requiem (all with UWACS), Mozart Coronation Mass, Haydn Missa Sancti Nicolai, Fauré Requiem, Duruflé Requiem, Stainer Crucifixion, and Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Christmas Carols and Five Mystical Songs. Kris has performed song recitals for Art Song Perth among others.
Kris performed as baritone soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with UWACS and the UWA Conservatorium of Music in October 2020. He conducted Beethoven’s Mass in C and festive choral music with UWACS in Winthrop Hall in December 2020. More recently, he conducted concerts in Subiaco and Bunbury in March 2021, a 90th birthday gala concert in May of that year and a fine Christmas concert featuring the Bach Magnificat just before Christmas. 2022 saw Kris conducting Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man in April, Fauré’s Requiem and other French works in August, and a memorable performance of the Bach Christmas Oratorio (with Australian Baroque) in December.
