Additional Reviews / Testimonials
"Quality performances superbly recorded"…."transparent depiction of the contrapuntal textures"…"Fowler soon establishes himself as a tidy and focused player".
- Paul Fowles, Classical Guitar Magazine, London, England (February, 2012).
[From review of Fowler's latest CD Sonata]
"Fowler's playing was very clean and very much in control…providing a rich tone and a very strong internal sense of rhythm…not a single buzzed or muted note was perceivable throughout the entire concert"
- James Flood, Clevelandclassical.com (March 2012)
"In the second half, Francois Fowler performed his own solo composition, Meditation. This was a strong composition, somewhat dark and serious in tone, but very satisfying."
- James Flood, Clevelandclassical.com (March 2012)
"On April 10, 2003, Canadian guitar virtuoso François Fowler played the final concert of the Springfield Classical Guitar Society's 2002/2003 season…
Our final concert artist almost left us breathless with his fluidity of playing; never a hesitation or rush and clear feel for the piece at hand. He introduced each piece matter-of-factly without waxing loquacious or giddy and with commendable economy of words…Our only regret was that this wonderfully talented young artist had no CDs for sale. There is no doubt that he would have sold out, following his outstanding performance.
No one your earnest webmeister has heard, during the past eight SCGS concerts, has made a faster, almost stunning, first impression with his riveting virtuosity! I say this, fully appreciating the incredible talent of every performer to favor Springfield and SCGS by their appearance in our fair city."
- Job Conger, Springfield Classical Guitar Society, Illinois
[Newsletter]
"The most substantial of the evening's offerings was the 'Guitar Concerto, op.56' of Jacques Hétu. Although it is a work of great sophistication and technical difficulty, it is among the composer's more accessible works.
Guitarist François Fowler rendered the solo part with utter aplomb and Streatfeild and the orchestra supported the musicality of his interpretation in fine style.
Fowler says Hétu is the most frequently performed Canadian composer here and internationally. If this is so, it shows that there's some justice in the world of music."
- Richard Todd, The Ottawa Citizen, Canada
"Frank Fowler es un guitarrista con una técnica muy depurada, su dominio del instrumento lo evidenció al revisar obras de muy variados requerimientos técnicos, asimismo, Fowler demostró grandes cualidades como maestro, portándose con una gran disposición, ayudando a los estudiantes, interesándolos y motivándolos; percibo en Fowler una fina musicalidad que logra transmitir sensaciones y sentimientos a partir de las obras que interpreta..." [Opinión sobre la masterclass de Frank Fowler del 7 De Abril De 2003]
- Eduardo González, Secretario Académico de la Facultad de Música de La Universidad Autónoma de, Nuevo León, Mexico.
"Frank Fowler is a guitarist with a very refined technique, whose mastery of the instrument was made apparent as he reviewed numerous works of varied technical requirements, also, Fowler demonstrated great qualities as a teacher, behaving with a great disposition, helpful to the students, inspiring and motivating them. Fowler is a fine musician and teacher, managing to transmit sentiments and feelings of the works interpreted..."[Review of masterclass]
- Eduardo González, Academic Secretary of the Faculty of Music of La Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Mexico.
"François Fowler is one the finest guitarists it has ever been my pleasure to work with…his playing is characterized by a beautiful sense of polished and complete interpretations of everything that he plays…François has developed a great, effortless technique, the type you don't notice so much because it is there, first, to serve the music…always taking into account the stylistic elements of his repertoire."
- Bruce Holzman (Professor of Guitar, Florida State University), 2002
"…Friday night's concert was a great success…Frank played a lovely concert and was a charming performer!"
- Richard & Mary Long, Editors of Soundboard Magazine
[Recital in Tampa, Florida]
"Four of my students participated in a master class given by Mr. François Fowler in the Columbus Guitar Symposium 03. I find Mr. Fowler insightful, articulate and most of all, very sensitive to the individual student's need."
- Patrick Lui, Coordinator of Guitar Studies at Catawba College, North Carolina
"We were very pleased to have been able to present guitarist François Fowler on our series. He presented a very beautiful musical concert that displayed his wonderful technical ability, which was very well received by our audience."
- Brian Morris, Grand Rapids, Michigan
"…one of the finest guitar recitals which I had the pleasure to audit in the last 30 years…the selections superbly displayed the complete range of the classical guitar in a way which I have never heard before…But most important, the musicianship really stood out strikingly…[Fowler's] playing was so elegantly balanced that the concert enriched us with the fullest enjoyment…"
- Dr. Michael Kasha (Guitar maker, Institute of Molecular Biophysics-Florida State University, colleague of Andrés Segovia), 2001
"This was one of the strongest student recitals I have heard in over 25 years."
- Douglas Voice (former Chair, Professor of piano at the University of Ottawa Music Department)
"Ses enregistrements de mes deux oeuvres, la Suite pour guitare Opus 41 et le Concerto pour guitare et orchestre à cordes Opus 56 révèlent chez l'interprète un sens solide de la structure et du phrasé allié à une grande sensibilité musicale, le tout soutenu par une excellente technique instrumentale."
- Jacques Hétu, compositeur
"His recordings of my two works, the 'Suite pour guitare Opus 41' and the 'Concerto pour guitare et orchestre à cordes Opus 56' reveals in the performer a solid sense of structure and phrasing allied with a great musical sensitivity, all of this supported by an excellent instrumental technique…"
- Jacques Hétu, composer
"Even though François Fowler was a last-second replacement, the concert he gave Tuesday night was first-rate. Clearly in command of his instrument from the first note, Dr. Fowler demonstrated a keen sense of musicality that left the audience spellbound. From Bach to Barrios, and Rodrigo to Bellinati, Dr. Fowler's insight into the musical language of the composers on the program was translated from his guitar to our ears with what appeared to be relative ease. Relative indeed, as the works presented were "relatively" incredibly complex and difficult on the classical guitar. Bravo to Dr. Fowler, and Bravo to the Classical Guitar Society of Tallahassee and the Florida State University School of Music for presenting this wonderful young musician!"
- Tim Atkinson, President-Classical Guitar Society of Tallahassee
"The concert presented by François Fowler was certainly up to the high standards that we have come to expect from GFA winners and finalists. It was a pleasure to get to know François - a delightful young man."
- Jerry Snyder, San Jose, California, Guitarist and Author
"François' program was excellent due to his artistry, his choice of material and his rapport with the audience. He spoke about the pieces he played and that made it more enjoyable for the listeners...This beautiful music was played by a masterful guitarist…The first thing that came to my mind as the audience left was we must get him back again soon…I have the feeling this could be the start of something very big."
- Arnold Landsberg, Connecticut Classical Guitar Society, Newsletter