Guitar Faculty

Born in Shanghai, China, Bowen is a classical guitarist and certified teacher by the Suzuki Association of the Americas Through his teaching and performances, he aspires to empower people to harness the transformative power of music playing, facilitating positive change and personal growth and discovering the myriad emotions conveyed through music. Bowen has performed at notable venues like An Die Musik in Baltimore and The Rosette in Austin as well as concert series like Aguado Guitar Concerts in Sterling, Virginia. He also collaborates with the South Bay Guitar Society for community outreach and serves as its event di- rector and a voting member on its board.

Selected as a winner of the 2023 Ex-Aequo Emerging Artists Initiative from guitarists worldwide, Bowen received the opportunity to premiere a commissioned piece by the renowned guitarist and composer Sergio Assad as well as perform a concert at The Rosette with the Austin Classical Guitar. He also recorded an upcoming album with Canadian guitarist Drew Henderson. Bowen has also played in numerous guitar master classes with renowned guitarists including David Russell, Manuel Barrueco, Judicaël Perroy, Sergio Assad, Marcin Dylla.

Bowen has extensive experience teaching both private lessons and group classes to students of all ages, from pre-twinkle (under 5 years old) to teenagers and adults. Fluent in various teaching methods, Bowen adapts his pedagogical approach to the unique needs of each student. He firmly believes that anyone can excel at music and classical guitar at their own pace. Bowen places great importance on character development through music education, striving to cultivate self-discipline, creative thinking, and other essential life skills that positively influence all areas of his students’ lives. With his background in computer science, he brings a unique perspective and way of thinking to his playing and teaching.

As a Deering Endowed Scholar, Bowen completed his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Classical Guitar Performance at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, studying under Dr. Thomas Viloteau. He was one of only four students in his year to accomplish this with the competitive 5-year program. During his Master’s study, Bowen also served as the Graduate Assistant to Dr. Viloteau, teaching lessons to undergraduate performance majors and managing the weekly performance studio class.