Photo: Herber Hughes · CC BY-SA 4.0 · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regionalfull biography
York Bowen
Person · male · United Kingdom · London · born 1884 · died 1961 · recording since 2005
English composer and pianist (1884-1961)
streamingdatabasedatabasedatabase
Listen on SpotifyYouTube Music
Also known as 约克·鲍文
Timeline
16 events▣ Album 13◦ Birth 1† Death 1★ Debut release 1
1880s
1960s
2000s
· Debut release
Debut release: Joop Celis plays York Bowen: Rêverie / 24 Preludes / Sonata no. 6
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: Joop Celis plays York Bowen: Rêverie / 24 Preludes / Sonata no. 6
Album
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: Joop Celis plays York Bowen, Volume 2: Fantasia / Sonata no. 5 / Four Bagatelles
Album
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: The Romantic Piano Concerto, Volume 46: Concerto no. 3, op. 23 "Fantasia" / Concerto no. 4, op. 88
Album
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: Joop Celis plays York Bowen, Volume 3: Short Sonata / Toccata / Ballade no. 2
Album
source: musicbrainz
2010s
· Album
Album: Joop Celis plays York Bowen, Volume 4: Partita / Third Suite / Three Novelettes
Album
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: Dale: Piano Sonata / Prunella / Night Fancies / Bowen: Miniature Suite
Album
source: musicbrainz
2020s
· Album
Album: Fragments from Hans Andersen, op. 58 & 61 / 12 Studies, op. 46 / 2 Concert Studies
Album
source: musicbrainz
Biography
English biography2,088 words · 6 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1374187294
Biography
Edwin York Bowen (22 February 1884 – 23 November 1961) was an English composer and pianist. Bowen's musical career spanned more than fifty years during which time he wrote over 160 works. As well as being a pianist and composer, Bowen was a talented conductor, organist, violist and horn player. Despite achieving considerable success during his lifetime, many of the composer's works remained unpublished and unperformed until after his death in 1961. Bowen's compositional style is widely considered ‘Romantic’ and his works are often characterized by their rich harmonic language.
Biography
Bowen was born in Crouch Hill, London, to a father who was the owner of the whisky distillers Bowen and McKechnie. The youngest of three sons, Bowen began piano and harmony lessons with his mother at an early age. His talent was recognised almost immediately and he soon began his musical education at the North Metropolitan College of Music. He subsequently went on to study at the Blackheath Conservatoire of Music with Alfred Izard.
In 1898, at the age of fourteen, Bowen gained an Erard scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. He studied there until 1905, learning composition with Frederick Corder and piano with Tobias Matthay. While studying at the Royal Academy of Music, Bowen won numerous awards including the Sterndale Bennett Prize in 1902 and the Worshipful Company of Musicians Medal. In 1907 Bowen was awarded a fellowship to the Royal Academy of Music and two years later was appointed professor.
In 1912 Bowen married Sylvia Dalton, a singer and the daughter of a Somerset vicar. Their son Philip was born a year later. During the First World War Bowen played in the Scots Guards Band but during service in France he contracted pneumonia and was forced to return to the UK. Bowen returned to composing and performing after the war and continued to work as a teacher, examiner, lecturer and adjudicator. He taught at the Tobias Matthay Piano School for over forty years and remained a professor at the Royal Academy of Music until his death in 1961. Among his students were Myers Foggin, Derek Holman, Joan Mary Last, Charles Lynch, Ivor Newton, Kathleen Richards, Betty Roe, Leo Rowlands and Timothy Salter.
Bowen was awarded several prizes for composition including the Sunday Express Prize for March RAF (1919) and Chappell's Orchestral Suite Prize and the Hawkes and Co. Prize for Intermezzo (1920).
Musical career
Bowen achieved considerable success during his lifetime both as a concert pianist and composer. He performed regularly at both the Queen's Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. As a pianist he was recognised for his technical ability and artistic excellence.
Bowen premiered many of his own works including all four of his piano concertos. He produced his first three piano concertos between 1904 and 1908, performing the Piano Concerto No. 1 in E♭ major, Op. 11, at the Proms under Henry Wood and the Piano Concerto No. 4 in A minor, Op. 88, under the direction of Adrian Boult. During his lifetime many of Bowen's orchestral works were also performed by other prominent conductors. In 1903 Henry Wood conducted Bowen's symphonic poem The Lament of Tasso, Op. 5, in 1906 Hans Richter performed the Symphonic Fantasia in F major, Op. 16, and in 1912 Landon Ronald directed the Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 31.
Many of Bowen's instrumental works were dedicated to and premiered by renowned musicians. In 1910 Fritz Kreisler performed the Suite in D minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 28, and many other renowned violinists of the time later gave performances of the work, including Joseph Szigeti, Michael Zacharewitsch and Efrem Zimbalist. The celebrated violinist Marjorie Hayward performed Bowen's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 33, at the Proms in 1920 and the first performances of Sonata for Horn and Piano, Op. 101, and Concerto for Horn, Strings and Timpani, Op. 150, were given by Aubrey Brain and Dennis Brain respectively. Bowen also composed works for many of his other contemporaries including Carl Dolmetsch, Léon Goossens, Beatrice Harrison, Pauline Juler and Gareth Morris.
As an instrumentalist, Bowen considered the tone quality of the viola to be superior to the violin, and composed numerous works for viola. Bowen frequently performed as a pianist alongside the viola player Lionel Tertis and in 1908 Tertis premiered Bowen's Viola Concerto in C minor, Op. 25. Bowen also aided Tertis in his campaign to increase the popularity of the viola as a solo instrument. Bowen made numerous other contributions to the viola repertoire, including the Fantasy Quartet for four violas and two sonatas for viola and piano. Alongside Arnold Bax and Benjamin Dale, Bowen was one of the first English composers to add original works to the modern viola repertoire. Bowen also wrote three traditional string quartets, the second (of 1918) published in 1922 as part of the Carnegie Collection of British Music, and a Phantasy Quintet for string quartet and bass clarinet in 1932.
Aside from his performances with Lionel Tertis, one of Bowen's most successful collaborations was the piano duo that he formed with fellow professor at the Royal Academy of Music, Harry Isaacs. As a composer Bowen was noted for his inventive piano duets and he continued to perform many of these compositions with Isaacs throughout his career.
As well as premiering many of his own works, including his four piano concertos, Bowen also gave many first performances of piano works by other composers. In 1907 he performed alongside Henry Wood and Frederick Kiddle to give the first British performance of Mozart's Concerto for Three Pianos and Orchestra in F major, K. 242. Similarly, in 1928 Bowen gave the first performance of William Walton's Sinfonia Concertante for Orchestra and Piano at a Royal Philharmonic Society concert at the Queen's Hall.
He was the first pianist to record Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major.
During his lifetime Bowen also published editions of works by other composers. These included a three volume edition of Mozart's piano works published between 1931 and 1932. In addition, Bowen produced editions of many of Chopin's nocturnes, preludes, valses, ballades and scherzos between 1948 and 1950.
Compositional style
Bowen's compositions each display a unique 'blend of Romanticism and strong individuality'. Although his influences include Rachmaninoff, Medtner, Chopin, Grieg and Tchaikovsky, Bowen's music is very much defined by its distinctive textures and harmonies. Although his active career spanned more than fifty years, Bowen's compositional style altered very little and he continued to employ a diatonic key system with use of chromatic harmonies throughout his life.
Bowen's compositional output is made up almost entirely of instrumental works. Although he wrote for numerous different instrumental combinations, the piano features prominently in many of his works. Despite this, Bowen's varied instrumental proficiencies are evident in his technical and musical understanding of individual instrumental capabilities.
The varying standards of difficulty of his compositions make Bowen's instrumental music accessible to a wide range of musicians. This is particularly true of Bowen's piano works which span from study pieces such as Twelve Easy Impromptus, Op. 99. to the extreme technical virtuosity of works such as Sonata No. 5 in F minor, Op. 72.
Many of Bowen's piano works are aimed at improving piano technique. One of his most notable works, Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 102, is set in all major and minor keys and his Twelve Studies, Op. 46, are also intended to address different elements of piano technique. Bowen dedicated the studies to his piano teacher at the Royal Academy of Music, Tobias Matthay, who had written several books about various aspects of fore-arm rotation and piano touch. Each of Bowen's studies deals with a different aspect of piano technique discussed in Matthay's books. Inspired by Matthay's innovative approaches, Bowen later produced two books on piano technique: Pedalling the Modern Piano Forte (London, 1936) and The Simplicity of Piano Technique (London, 1961)
Reception
During his early career Bowen achieved considerable success as both a composer and concert pianist. After hearing the premiere of Bowen's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E♭ major, Op. 11 in 1903, Camille Saint-Saëns hailed Bowen as 'the finest of English composers'. This opinion was shared by many of Bowen's contemporaries and is reflected in the support he received from many eminent musicians and academics.
Despite Bowen's success during the years before the First World War, by the time he wrote his Piano Concerto No. 4 in A minor, Op. 88, in 1929, his romantic compositional style was considered outdated in relation to the modern techniques of his contemporaries. In his autobiography published in 1938, Henry Wood protested that Bowen had 'never taken the position he deserves'. In 1960 the record label Lyrita asked Bowen to record performances of some of his own works, including 10 of the 24 Preludes and the newly composed Partita, Op. 156.
Following his death in 1961, many of Bowen's compositions remained unpublished. As a result of this, performances of Bowen's works diminished and much of his music remained unperformed in the decades after his death. During this time one of Bowen's most enthusiastic advocates was the composer and pianist Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, to whom Bowen had dedicated his Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 102. The increase in publications and performances of Bowen's works during the late twentieth century was also largely due to the work done by the York Bowen Society. The revival of interest in Bowen's music during the 1980s was also influenced by the publication of Monica Watson's book York Bowen: A Centenary Tribute (Thames, London, 1984) as well as numerous recordings made of Bowen's works.
Despite the advancements made by the York Bowen Society, many of the composer's works remain unpublished. Although many of Bowen's solo instrumental works contribute significantly to modern performance repertoire, his orchestral and chamber works are rarely performed.
Selected recordings
British Music for Viola and Piano, Phantasy in F Major. Izabel Markova (viola), Alla Belova (piano). Claves CD3073 (2024)
Cello Sonata, Op. 64 – Jo Cole (Cello), John Talbot (piano) BMS
Concerto for Horn, Strings and Timpani, Op. 150 – David Pyatt (Horn), London Philharmonic Orchestra (Nicholas Braithwaite) Lyrita
Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in C minor, Op.25 – Doris Lederer/Paul Polivnick, Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra (2005) [1] Archived 23 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine
Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in C minor, Op. 25 – Lawrence Power (viola), BBC Scottish SO (Martyn Brabbins) Hyperion
Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in C minor, Op. 25 – Diyang Mei (viola), Deutsche Radio Philharmonie/Brett Dean (2024)
Fragments from Hans Andersen, Op. 58/61 – also Concert Studies Nos 1 and 2, Twelve Studies, Op. 46. Nicolas Namoradze (piano). Hyperion CDA68303 (2021)
Miniature Suite, Op. 113 for wind quintet (1944), Burlesque and Debutante (1956). Camarilia Ensemble, Dutton Epoch CDLX 7398 (2022)
Piano Concertos Nos 3 (Fantasia) and 4 – Danny Driver (piano), BBC Scottish SO (Martyn Brabbins) Hyperion
Piano Sonatas (complete) – Danny Driver (piano), Hyperion
Portraits of Bowen, 24 Preludes, Rêverie Op. 86, Zazra. Nuron Mukumi (piano). Prospero PROSP0106 (2024)
Suite for Four Cellos (1930), Cellophonics, SOMMCD0731 (2026)
Suite Mignonne: Moto Perpetuo, Op. 39, Toccata, Op. 155 – Stephen Hough (Piano) Hyperion
Symphonies No. 1 and 2. BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Andrew Davis. Chandos CHAN 10670 (2011)
Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 31 – Royal Northern College of Music SO (Douglas Bostock) Classico
Three Duos, Shirley Turner (violin), Peter Mallinson (viola), A Musical Soirée, Meridian CDE84686 (2026)
Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 102, Ballade No. 2, Op. 87, Sonata No. 5 in F minor, Op. 72, Berceuse, Op. 83. Stephen Hough (piano). Hyperion CDA66838 (1996)
Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 102 – Suite Mignonne, Op. 39 – Berceuse, Op. 83. Cristina Ortiz (piano) Grand Piano Records GP 637 (2014)
York Bowen Music for organ, viola, violin and harp – Fantasias for organ (1903, 1904, 1951), Poem for viola, harp and organ, Op.27 (1911), Three Duos for violin and viola - Dutton Epoch SACD CDLX7421 (2025)
York Bowen Sonatas – Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 120, Sonata for Oboe and Piano, Op. 85, Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 109, Sonata for Horn and Piano, Op. 101 – Endymion. Dutton Epoch (2004)
York Bowen Works for Piano Vol 1 – Sonata No. 6 in B♭ minor, Op. 160, Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 102, Reverie, Op. 86 – Joop Celis. Chandos CHAN 10277 (2005)
York Bowen Works for Piano Vol 2 – Sonata No. 5, Nocturne, Op. 78, Ripples, Op. 100 No. 1, Two Preludes, Fantasia, Op. 132, Two Intermezzi, Op. 141, Siciliano and Toccatina, Op. 128, Four Bagatelles, Op. 147, Evening Calm. Joop Celis. Chandos CHAN 10410 (2007)
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 15 | 72.5th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 15 | 85th |
| Studio albums | 14 | 94th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 16 | 91.8th |
| Recording span (years) | -44 | 6.9th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (15 release groups · 14 studio albums)
Albums · 14
Joop Celis plays York Bowen: Rêverie / 24 Preludes / Sonata no. 6
2005 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 28 tracks · 1:08:10
1Sonata no. 6 in B-flat minor, op. 160: I. Moderato e serioso - Allegro risoluto e con fuoco7:422Sonata no. 6 in B-flat minor, op. 160: II. Intermezzo. Poco lento e tranquillo - Poco andante3:573Sonata no. 6 in B-flat minor, op. 160: III. Finale alla toccata. Allegro molto e con spirito3:22424 Preludes, op. 102: No. 1 in C major. Moderato appassionato1:05524 Preludes, op. 102: No. 2 in C minor. Andante tranquillo2:15624 Preludes, op. 102: No. 3 in D-flat major. Andante grazioso1:54724 Preludes, op. 102: No. 4 in C-sharp minor. Allegro con fuoco1:16824 Preludes, op. 102: No. 5 in D major. Allegro risoluto1:35924 Preludes, op. 102: No. 6 in D minor. Andante con moto2:551024 Preludes, op. 102: No. 7 in E-flat major. Andantino amabile1:541124 Preludes, op. 102: No. 8 in E-flat minor. Poco lento, serioso2:221224 Preludes, op. 102: No. 9 in E major. Allegro risoluto e ritmico1:441324 Preludes, op. 102: No. 10 in E minor. Moderato, a capriccio1:341424 Preludes, op. 102: No. 11 in F major. Andante con moto e grazioso2:421524 Preludes, op. 102: No. 12 in F minor. Allegro con fuoco1:411624 Preludes, op. 102: No. 13 in G-flat major. Andante tranquillo2:161724 Preludes, op. 102: No. 14 in F-sharp minor. Allegretto scherzando1:211824 Preludes, op. 102: No. 15 in G major. Allegretto grazioso1:441924 Preludes, op. 102: No. 16 in G minor. Moderato semplice2:162024 Preludes, op. 102: No. 17 in A-flat major. Andante molto espressivo1:552124 Preludes, op. 102: No. 18 in G-sharp minor. Allegro con fuoco2:112224 Preludes, op. 102: No. 19 in A major. Andantino con moto1:582324 Preludes, op. 102: No. 20 in A minor. Allegro con fuoco1:232424 Preludes, op. 102: No. 21 in B-flat major. Andante piacevole2:342524 Preludes, op. 102: No. 22 in B-flat minor. Allegro molto e con fuoco1:222624 Preludes, op. 102: No. 23 in B major. Andante con moto1:472724 Preludes, op. 102: No. 24 in B minor. Moderato serioso e tragico4:1028Rêverie, op. 865:15Joop Celis plays York Bowen, Volume 2: Fantasia / Sonata no. 5 / Four Bagatelles
2007 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 17 tracks · 1:12:14
1Sonata no. 5 in F minor, op. 72: I. Moderato8:422Sonata no. 5 in F minor, op. 72: II. Andante semplice4:503Sonata no. 5 in F minor, op. 72: III. Finale. Allegro con fuoco8:374Nocturne, op. 785:045Ripples (A Short Sketch), op. 100 no. 12:266Two Preludes: No. 1. Andante sostenuto3:487Two Preludes: No. 2, op. 100 no. 2 "Shadows"3:368Fantasia, op. 13210:439Two Intermezzi, op. 141: I. Andantino tranquillo2:3810Two Intermezzi, op. 141: II. Allegro con fuoco1:0511Siciliano and Toccatina, op. 128: Siciliano. Andantino grazioso3:1112Siciliano and Toccatina, op. 128: Toccatina. Allegro, quasi presto2:0213Four Bagatelles, op. 147: I. Andante con moto1:3014Four Bagatelles, op. 147: II. Moderato sostenuto2:1915Four Bagatelles, op. 147: III. Allegretto grazioso1:3416Four Bagatelles, op. 147: IV. Andantino grazioso1:5117Evening Calm8:18The Romantic Piano Concerto, Volume 46: Concerto no. 3, op. 23 "Fantasia" / Concerto no. 4, op. 88
2008 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 4 tracks · 1:00:45
1Piano Concerto no. 3 in G minor, op. 23 "Fantasia"17:542Piano Concerto no. 4 in A minor, op. 88: I. Moderato serioso - Allegro moderato13:123Piano Concerto no. 4 in A minor, op. 88: II. Poco lento, sostenuto - Poco più andante14:304Piano Concerto no. 4 in A minor, op. 88: III. Allegro energico e risoluto - Moderato serioso15:09Joop Celis plays York Bowen, Volume 3: Short Sonata / Toccata / Ballade no. 2
2009 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 19 tracks · 1:19:19
1Ballade no. 2, op. 8710:242Three Songs Without Words, op. 94: Song of the Stream3:553Three Songs Without Words, op. 94: Solitude4:014Three Songs Without Words, op. 94: The Warning3:265Three Preludes, op. 81: No. 2. Andante dolente e rubato3:396Three Preludes, op. 81: No. 3. Allegretto grazioso2:157Short Sonata, op. 35 no. 1: I. Andante con moto5:248Short Sonata, op. 35 no. 1: II. Lento espressivo4:579Short Sonata, op. 35 no. 1: III. Finale. Presto scherzando4:0710Three Miniatures, op. 44: No. 1. Prelude. Andante cantabile3:0511Three Miniatures, op. 44: No. 2. Intermezzo. Allegretto grazioso2:0612Three Miniatures, op. 44: No. 3. Scherzo. Allegro scherzando1:5113Three Serious Dances, op. 51: I. Allegretto2:1914Three Serious Dances, op. 51: II. Poco lento3:3115Three Serious Dances, op. 51: III. Allegro molto pomposo1:3616Toccata, op. 1554:2817Three Pieces, op. 20: No. 1. Arabesque5:0018Three Pieces, op. 20: No. 2. Rêverie d’amour6:3319Three Pieces, op. 20: No. 3. Bells (An Impression)6:422009 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 19 tracks · 1:58:31
Disc 11Piano Sonata no. 1 in B minor, op. 6: I. Allegro con fuoco8:092Piano Sonata no. 1 in B minor, op. 6: II. Larghetto5:313Piano Sonata no. 1 in B minor, op. 6: III. Tempo di Minuetto2:074Piano Sonata no. 1 in B minor, op. 6: IV. Allegro con brio (con bravura)9:425Piano Sonata no. 2 in C-sharp minor, op. 9: I. Allegro10:006Piano Sonata no. 2 in C-sharp minor, op. 9: II. Andante sostenuto5:327Piano Sonata no. 2 in C-sharp minor, op. 9: III. Allegro molto7:318Piano Sonata no. 3 in D minor, op. 12: I. Allegro ma non troppo6:009Piano Sonata no. 3 in D minor, op. 12: II. Andante cantabile8:1410Piano Sonata no. 3 in D minor, op. 12: III. Allegro molto con fuoco5:55Disc 21Short Sonata in in C-sharp minor, op. 35 no. 1: I. Andante con moto4:552Short Sonata in in C-sharp minor, op. 35 no. 1: II. Lento espressivo4:343Short Sonata in in C-sharp minor, op. 35 no. 1: III. Presto scherzando3:524Piano Sonata no. 5 in F minor, op. 72: I. Moderato8:115Piano Sonata no. 5 in F minor, op. 72: II. Andante semplice4:386Piano Sonata no. 5 in F minor, op. 72: III. Allegro con fuoco — Più lento — Più mosso e con fuoco9:007Piano Sonata no. 6 in B-flat minor, op. 160: I. Moderato e serioso — Allegro risoluto e con fuoco —7:478Piano Sonata no. 6 in B-flat minor, op. 160: II. Intermezzo: Poco lento e tranquillo —3:499Piano Sonata no. 6 in B-flat minor, op. 160: III. Finale alla toccata: Allegro molto e con spirito3:04Joop Celis plays York Bowen, Volume 4: Partita / Third Suite / Three Novelettes
2010 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 24 tracks · 1:18:43
1Partita, op. 156: Prelude1:422Partita, op. 156: Gavotte1:393Partita, op. 156: Sarabande2:484Partita, op. 156: Minuet1:165Partita, op. 156: Gigue2:086Suite mignonne, op. 39: I. Prelude3:157Suite mignonne, op. 39: II. Valse2:358Suite mignonne, op. 39: III. Moto perpetuo (Finale)2:459Third Suite, op. 38: I. Allegro3:3110Third Suite, op. 38: II. Intermezzo3:1111Third Suite, op. 38: III. Scherzo3:3112Third Suite, op. 38: IV. Valse-rêverie2:2413Third Suite, op. 38: V. Toccata (Finale)3:5114Three Sketches, op. 43: I. Andante con moto2:5215Three Sketches, op. 43: II. Andantino grazioso3:1516Three Sketches, op. 43: III. Andante semplice3:5517Sonatina, op. 144: I. Allegro e semplice4:0618Sonatina, op. 144: II. Andante espressivo3:1219Sonatina, op. 144: III. Finale. Allegro assai e giocoso2:5820Three Novelettes, op. 124: No. 1. Andantino grazioso4:1421Three Novelettes, op. 124: No. 2. Allegro maestoso - Largamente - Animato3:2722Three Novelettes, op. 124: No. 3. Andantino espressivo - Ben sostenuto - A tempo3:3823Polonaise in F-sharp major, op. 26 no. 210:0324A Whim, op. 19 no. 22:272011 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:13:21
1Symphony no. 1 in G major, op. 4: I. Allegro assai12:082Symphony no. 1 in G major, op. 4: II. Larghetto8:003Symphony no. 1 in G major, op. 4: III. Finale. Allegro con brio10:004Symphony no. 2 in E minor, op. 31: I. Moderato13:145Symphony no. 2 in E minor, op. 31: II. Lento. Tranquillo12:216Symphony no. 2 in E minor, op. 31: III. Allegro scherzando, ma moderato6:137Symphony no. 2 in E minor, op. 31: IV. Finale. Grave - Allegro molto, con fuoco11:25Dale: Piano Sonata / Prunella / Night Fancies / Bowen: Miniature Suite
2011 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 16 tracks · 1:05:17
1Piano Sonata in D minor: I. Allegro deciso12:182Piano Sonata in D minor: II. Slow Movement, Scherzo and Finale: Molto adagio1:133Piano Sonata in D minor: II. Slow Movement, Scherzo and Finale: Variation I1:244Piano Sonata in D minor: II. Slow Movement, Scherzo and Finale: Variation II. Molto adagio2:485Piano Sonata in D minor: II. Slow Movement, Scherzo and Finale: Variation III. Allegretto con grazia1:016Piano Sonata in D minor: II. Slow Movement, Scherzo and Finale: Variation IV. Adagio maestoso3:017Piano Sonata in D minor: II. Slow Movement, Scherzo and Finale: Scherzo. Variation V. Presto1:428Piano Sonata in D minor: II. Slow Movement, Scherzo and Finale: Variation VI. Tempo di Mazurka2:249Piano Sonata in D minor: II. Slow Movement, Scherzo and Finale: Variation VII. Prestissimo —1:2910Piano Sonata in D minor: II. Slow Movement, Scherzo and Finale: Andante4:4411Piano Sonata in D minor: II. Slow Movement, Scherzo and Finale: Finale. Molto allegro — Lento10:0312Prunella2:4513Night Fancies9:0214Miniature Suite in C major, op. 14: I. Humoresque3:0415Miniature Suite in C major, op. 14: II. Nocturne5:2116Miniature Suite in C major, op. 14: III. Scherzo (Finale)2:58The Complete Works for Violin and Piano
2013 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 19 tracks · 1:56:46
Disc 11Violin Sonata in E minor, op. 112: Maestoso con fuoco8:422Violin Sonata in E minor, op. 112: Lento5:253Violin Sonata in E minor, op. 112: Finale: Allegro con fuoco5:174Allegretto, op. 1055:105Suite in D minor, op. 28: Mouvement de sonate: Allegro moderato7:386Suite in D minor, op. 28: Barcarolle: Andantino7:377Suite in D minor, op. 28: Humoresque: Allegro scherzando3:488Suite in D minor, op. 28: Finale: Allegro con spirito9:109Melody for the G String, op. 475:12Disc 21Phantasie in E minor, op. 3414:522Song5:153Bolero3:474Melody3:355Albumleaf1:506Violin Sonata in B minor, op. 7: Largo – Andante con moto6:077Violin Sonata in B minor, op. 7: Allegro assai9:318Romance in D-flat major6:069Serenade4:1310Valse harmonique3:3124 Preludes / Suite Mignonne / Berceuse
2014 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 29 tracks · 1:09:24
124 Preludes, op. 102: No. 1 in C major: Moderato appassionato1:14224 Preludes, op. 102: No. 2 in C minor: Andante tranquillo2:26324 Preludes, op. 102: No. 3 in D-flat major: Andante grazioso2:04424 Preludes, op. 102: No. 4 in C-sharp minor: Allegro con fuoco1:35524 Preludes, op. 102: No. 5 in D major: Allegro risoluto1:35624 Preludes, op. 102: No. 6 in D minor: Andante con moto2:55724 Preludes, op. 102: No. 7 in E-flat major: Andantino amabile2:05824 Preludes, op. 102: No. 8 in E-flat minor: Poco lento, serioso2:20924 Preludes, op. 102: No. 9 in E major: Allegro risoluto e ritmico1:481024 Preludes, op. 102: No. 10 in E minor: Moderato, a capriccio1:311124 Preludes, op. 102: No. 11 in F major: Andante con moto e grazioso2:281224 Preludes, op. 102: No. 12 in F minor: Allegro con fuoco1:421324 Preludes, op. 102: No. 13 in G-flat major: Andante tranquillo2:371424 Preludes, op. 102: No. 14 in F-sharp minor: Allegretto scherzando1:231524 Preludes, op. 102: No. 15 in G major: Allegretto grazioso2:091624 Preludes, op. 102: No. 16 in G minor: Moderato semplice2:291724 Preludes, op. 102: No. 17 in A-flat major: Andante molto espressivo2:091824 Preludes, op. 102: No. 18 in G-sharp minor: Allegro con fuoco2:331924 Preludes, op. 102: No. 19 in A major: Andantino con moto2:092024 Preludes, op. 102: No. 20 in A minor: Allegro con fuoco1:332124 Preludes, op. 102: No. 21 in B-flat major: Andante piacevole2:212224 Preludes, op. 102: No. 22 in B-flat minor: Allegro molto e con fuoco1:322324 Preludes, op. 102: No. 23 in B major: Andante con moto1:562424 Preludes, op. 102: No. 24 in B minor: Moderato serioso e tragico5:0425Berceuse in D major, op. 834:0626Suite for Piano no. 2, op. 30: III. Barcarolle4:4427Suite for Piano no. 4, op. 39, “Suite Mignonne”: I. Prelude: Moderato3:0328Suite for Piano no. 4, op. 39, “Suite Mignonne”: II. Valse: Un poco sostenuto2:4129Suite for Piano no. 4, op. 39, “Suite Mignonne”: III. Finale: Moto perpetuo - Veloce e leggiero3:12Fragments from Hans Andersen, op. 58 & 61 / 12 Studies, op. 46 / 2 Concert Studies
2021 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 24 tracks · 1:06:36
1Fragments from Hans Andersen, op. 58: The Snowdrop, or Summer-Geck2:452Fragments from Hans Andersen, op. 58: Thumbelina1:323Fragments from Hans Andersen, op. 58: The Metal Pig2:234Fragments from Hans Andersen, op. 58: The Golden Treasure2:515Fragments from Hans Andersen, op. 58: The Bird of Popular Song4:236Fragments from Hans Andersen, op. 58: The Marsh-King's Daughter1:267Fragments from Hans Andersen, op. 58: The Windmill2:018Fragments from Hans Andersen, op. 61: The Hardy Tin Soldier2:359Fragments from Hans Andersen, op. 61: A Leaf from the Sky3:0510Fragments from Hans Andersen, op. 61: A Picture from the Fortress Wall4:1811Concert Study for Piano no. 1 in G-flat major, op. 9 no. 24:4112Concert Study for Piano no. 2 in F major, op. 323:071312 Studies for Piano, op. 46: No. 1. Chords of Heavy Quality1:361412 Studies for Piano, op. 46: No. 2. Light Staccato Chords1:351512 Studies for Piano, op. 46: No. 3. For the 'Five Fingers'2:121612 Studies for Piano, op. 46: No. 4. For Forearm Rotation2:311712 Studies for Piano, op. 46: No. 5. For the Glissando2:141812 Studies for Piano, op. 46: No. 6. For Pianissimo Legato Playing and Melody2:371912 Studies for Piano, op. 46: No. 7. To Induce Lateral Freedom of Hand and Arm1:302012 Studies for Piano, op. 46: No. 8. For Finger Staccato2:482112 Studies for Piano, op. 46: No. 9. For Various Pedal Effects4:552212 Studies for Piano, op. 46: No. 10. For Octave Playing2:262312 Studies for Piano, op. 46: No. 11. For Brilliancy in Passagework2:322412 Studies for Piano, op. 46: No. 12. For Trills and Tremolos4:332022 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 17 tracks · 1:14:05
1Melody for the C String, op. 51 no. 24:512Allegro de Concerto, op. 21 no. 28:583Four Easy Pieces: No. 1. Timothy's Trot0:424Four Easy Pieces: No. 2. A Farewell1:445Four Easy Pieces: No. 3. Mill-Field2:226Four Easy Pieces: No. 4. Jenny Is Dancing1:047Suite for Violin and Piano, op. 6: V. Waltz: Alla valse, vivace e rubato5:218Three Duos for Violin and Viola: No. 1. Poco lento3:379Three Duos for Violin and Viola: No. 2. Allegro vigoroso1:3710Three Duos for Violin and Viola: No. 3. Presto leggiero1:0011Romance in A major, op. 21 no. 16:2012Duo for Viola and Piano: I. Allegro molto2:2813Duo for Viola and Piano: II. Poco lento3:4314Duo for Viola and Piano: III. Vivace3:4715Romance in D-flat major6:0316Melody for the G String, op. 474:5917Rhapsody in G minor, op. 14915:29Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in C minor, op. 25
2024 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 3 tracks · 36:37
1Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in C minor, op. 25: I. Allegro assai13:152Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in C minor, op. 25: II. Andante cantabile10:413Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in C minor, op. 25: III. Allegro scherzando12:41Violin Concerto, op. 33 / Piano Concerto no. 1, op. 11
— · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 6 tracks · 1:04:06
1Violin Concerto, op. 33: I. Allegro maestoso - Allegro ma non troppo14:092Violin Concerto, op. 33: II. Andante con moto10:373Violin Concerto, op. 33: III. Allegro assai13:084Piano Concerto no. 1, op. 11: I. Moderato - Andante con moto - Appassionato8:415Piano Concerto no. 1, op. 11: II. Scherzo (Allegro molto)4:126Piano Concerto no. 1, op. 11: III. Finale (Allegro molto)13:19
Album · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Piano WorksSearch SpotifySearch YouTube Music | Compilation | 20 May 2013 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put York Bowen head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 15 | 72.5th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 15 | 85th |
| Studio albums | 14 | 94th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 16 | 91.8th |
| Recording span (years) | -44 | 6.9th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Awards & honours
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:York_Bowen.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/bed50ca7-386d-43bb-abc4-f9f397feb708discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/bed50ca7-386d-43bb-abc4-f9f397feb708core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1365582seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Bowenbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Bowen
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Herber Hughes · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q1365582 · MusicBrainz: bed50ca7-386d-43bb-abc4-f9f397feb708
Similar artists
Browse every Tier 3 artist →Ranked from this record's own data: shared genre tags (rarer tags weigh more), era, home country and comparable fame. Every card lists the signals that placed it — no editorial picks.
The Beatles
United Kingdom · Group
from United Kingdom
35.2M listeners · 245 wikis
Queen
United Kingdom · Group
from United Kingdom
51.6M listeners · 190 wikis
Adele
United Kingdom · Person
debut 2005, same year · from United Kingdom
59.5M listeners · 136 wikis
Elton John
United Kingdom · Person
from United Kingdom
52.3M listeners · 117 wikis
The Rolling Stones
United Kingdom · Group
from United Kingdom
28.8M listeners · 139 wikis
Pink Floyd
United Kingdom · Group
from United Kingdom
27.5M listeners · 126 wikis
Paul McCartney
United Kingdom · Person
from United Kingdom
13.4M listeners · 149 wikis
John Lennon
United Kingdom · Person
from United Kingdom
14.1M listeners · 185 wikis