Richard Dowling

American pianist Richard Dowling has established a multifaceted career as a recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist, with interests in classical, ragtime, jazz, and other genres. A native of Houston, Texas, Dowling began taking music lessons at age five, and made his debut with the Fort Worth Chamber Symphony at 18. He graduated from the University of Houston summa cum laude, and continued his education at Yale University, where he earned his master’s degree. Honored with the Lockwood Award for best solo recital and the Simonds Award for outstanding solo and ensemble performances, Dowling earned his doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin and received a full graduate fellowship. Dowling has a broad repertoire that includes the music of George Gershwin and Zez Confrey, as well as the classical masters, with a special emphasis on French music. His dedication in performing the rags, waltzes, marches, and cakewalks of Scott Joplin resulted in more than 70 recitals and The Complete Piano Works of Scott Joplin, a three-CD set released on Rivermont in 2017. In consideration of his commitment to French music, Dowling was inducted as a Chevalier of the Company of Musketeers of Armagnac, one of only a handful of Americans so honored. Dowling is an editor for Ludwig/Masters Music Publications and Alfred Music Publishing, and he works for the nonprofit Piatigorsky Foundation, for which he has given many recitals since 1994. ~ Blair Sanderson