[2] Bowen was educated at William Ellis School, London, and King's College, Cambridge, where he was a choral scholar (1985–88).
[7] In 2017, Quarto Books/Wide Eyed Editions published The School of Music, a children's book they commissioned him to co-wrote with his wife Rachel, illustrated by Daniel Frost.
[8][9] The English language edition was followed in 2018 by translations in Brazil, Bulgaria, China, France, Korea and Russia.
In August 2020, Bowen was appointed as Chief Executive and Artistic Director of the Britten Sinfonia, a chamber orchestra based in Cambridge,[10] where he remains as of 2023.
[11] At times, Bowen has been active as a music journalist and commentator,[12] writing for the national press[13] and for CD liner notes, notably on the Hyperion label.