Bowling Music Studios

Studio Updates

About Dr. Bowling

Pianist Irene Bowling, director of Bowling Music Studios, Inc. has been a resident of Kitsap County since 1981, and is well known to Washington state audiences as concert artist, teacher, lecturer, and adjudicator. Dr. Bowling’s performances have been given in several cities across the U.S., England, Germany, and Mexico. Featured in England as the American representative of the prestigious International Brighton Festival, she has continued to champion contemporary piano works, especially those of Britain. Dr. Bowling has been a concerto soloist with the Bremerton West Sound Symphony several times in the last 4 decades and has also performed with the Port Townsend and Bainbridge orchestras. Solo concert appearances have been an annual event across the state. Dr. Bowling has been featured on the Seattle classical radio station King FM 98.1, cable TV, and radio in eastern Washington.

Dr. Bowling received her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Arizona State University, Master of Music from the University of Maryland and Doctorate from the University of Washington in 1989. Her illustrious teachers include Eugene Pridonoff, Thomas Schumacher, Santiago Rodriquez, Neal O’Doan, John T. Moore, and most recently, Craig Sheppard.  Dr. Bowling has participated in many masterclasses and performed for concert artists such as Leon Fleisher, and several others of world-wide repute. A recipient of numerous scholarships and awards, she traveled twice on separate grants to England where she researched British contemporary piano music, lectured and performed. Dr. Bowling studied composition under acclaimed British composers Anthony Milner, Jonathan Harvey, and Michael Finnissy. Additional studies include the University of the Pacific, Stockton, California; Royal College of Music, London; and the University of Sussex, Brighton, England. Dr. Bowling is affiliated with the Kitsap Music Teachers Association and has been a nationally certified member of the Music Teacher’s National Association since 1981. She has taught studio piano and class piano at both the University of Maryland and Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington.

Acclaimed as one of the most outstanding teachers in the state, her students have garnered prestigious awards and scholarships and have gained admission into Eastman School of Music, Juilliard, San Francisco Conservatory of Music and major music departments throughout the country. Dr. Bowling has also developed an exciting class piano program and conducts several multiple piano ensemble performance groups. Additional pedagogical studies have included music and technology seminars sponsored by Yamaha Corporation at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY. Bowling Music Studios’ headquarters has been located in Silverdale, Washington for the last 42 years.

Bowling Music Studios launched a new musical project, SeattleSoundFX a mobile music studio, in the fall of 2007 in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Bowling was awarded the 2012 “Woman of Achievement” award by the YWCA of Kitsap County for outstanding contribution to her community. In 2020-2021 she celebrated her 40th year teaching In Kitsap County, Washington. She is married to William Pontius (also for 42 years!), has three wonderful grown children, a westie named McDuff, an old cat named Oscar, and three bedraggled canaries!