For 28 years James Bowman has been one of the world's foremost and most influential coutertenors. His career spans opera, oratorio, contemporary music and recitals. After education at Oxford, he made his debut with Benjamin Britten in 1967 and was soon in demand on the opera stage and on the concert platform. He appeared at Glyndebourne in 1970, at the English National Opera in 1971 and at Covent Garden in 1972. Among his many opera engagements abroad, mention should be made of the Paris Opera, La Scala, Milan, La Fenice, Venice, and the Festival of Aix-en-Provence. His concert career is equally wide-ranging; in Europe he is particularly well-known as a recitalist. He was recently awarded 'La Medaille de la Ville de Paris' in recognition of his long-standing contribution to the musical life of Paris.

James Bowman has made over 130 recordings with all the major record labels and with such directors as Harnoncourt, Leonhardt, Hogwood, Pinnock and Frans BrŸggen. His recorded repertoire covers not only the usual Baroque works but also embraces such works as Orff's Carmina Burana, Jacques Loussier's Lumieres and Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, a work with which he has a particularly long association. Many of his most recent recordings have been for Hyperion in collaboration with The King's Consort.

James Bowman has given the world premieres of many important contemporary compositions, including works by Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, Peter Maxwell Davies, Richard Rodney Bennett, Robin Holloway and Michael Nyman. In 1992 James Bowman celebrated the 25th anniversary of his career with a sold-out concert at the Palais Garnier in Paris and a similarly successful concert at St John's, Smith Square, in London. In July 1992 the French Government honoured him with the nomination of 'Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'.

Composer Ari Frankel (b. 1960) travels from opera (Lot's Daughters And Their Father) through new-age (Suzanne Ciani's Neverland) to contemporary solo piano (SHATTERED, hymns for mortal creatures). His film, electronic and orchestral scores have gained kudos in Europe and America, including The Bourges International Electroacoustic Festival and The International Film & TV Festival of New York.

Since his move to New York City in 1987, he has explored themes from The Tibetan Book Of The Dead, T.S. Eliot's (The Waste Land), Anne Sexton and many others. Collaborators have included Muna Tseng, John Kelly, Susan Batson and William H. Macy. Among Mr. Frankel's film compositions are Robert Redford and Michael Apted's documentary Incident At Oglala, the features Crows and Tel Aviv Stories, and several Rebo Studio/NHK High-Definition TV productions, including Passage To Vietnam, Doctors Without Frontiers and The White House: Inside With The President's Photographers. The Village Voice described his "emotionally charged original music" as "wonderfully poignant and plangent", The Glasgow Herald felt "true passion" and The London Times marveled at "light seeming materials build[ing] an overwhelming effect".

Frankel's the ocean of love album was awarded a 1996 Parents' Choice honor and selected by Parent Council as outstanding. He is currently exploring a Shakespeare text/music project with Fiona Shaw, is completing a triptych for soprano, countertenor and ancient instrument ensemble and is sketching a Francis Bacon opera, in further exploration of what he calls "The Arts Of Violence". His music has been heard in Chicago, Houston, Princeton, Los Angeles, England, France, Italy, Germany, Israel, Sweden, Holland, Japan and Poland. New York performances have included The Kitchen, Dia Center For The Arts, SummerStage at Central Park & Washington Square Church.