Photography by Helena Cooke

Upcoming events

Choral workshop, The Sixteen

12th October, Exeter

Tickets: https://thesixteen.com/book-online/70401/

‘Messiah’, Merry Opera

22nd-23rd November, Armagh and Lisburn NI

Tickets: https://www.merryopera.co.uk/messiah

Competitor, London International Choral Conducting Competition

2nd-3rd November, London

Tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/corochamberchoir/1408215

Biography

Olivia studied Choral Conducting under Patrick Russill at the Royal Academy of Music, London, graduating with distinction. She received a DipRam award for outstanding performance in her final recital, in addition to the Sir Thomas Armstrong Choral Leadership Prize. Whilst studying, she conducted in several high-profile masterclasses, including with the BBC Singers, Paul Brough and David Hill. Following on from her studies, Olivia was appointed as the 2021-2022 Meaker Fellow at the Academy, where she conducted a series of concerts of Renaissance and Baroque music by women from the Italian convents. Working with vocal students at the Academy, she founded the ensemble The CONVENTional Project to showcase this music. This professional ensemble now performs regularly, and more information on upcoming concerts can be found on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Olivia conducts several student, semi-professional and professional ensembles in London. Her previous engagements include her role as Assistant Conductor for ‘La Bohème’ (Longborough Festival Opera), Conductor for ‘Dido and Aeneas’ (University of London), Assistant Chorus Master for Mahler ‘Symphony no. 3’ (Royal Academy of Music), Assistant Musical Director for ‘Hansel and Gretel’ (British Youth Opera), and semi-finalist in the DIMA International Choral Conducting Competition (18th Edition). This year, she has been shortlisted to compete in the London International Choral Conducting Competition, and will be conducting several performances of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ in Belfast (Merry Opera). Olivia is the current Conductor of the University of London Chamber Choir, the University of Greenwich Choir and London Youth Choir West, and Assistant Conductor at Ealing Symphony Orchestra.

Olivia is in high demand as a workshop leader, and has led workshops on behalf of The Sixteen, VOCES8 Foundation, Tenebrae, The Bach Choir and London Youth Choirs. She regularly deputises as conductor with choirs including Junior Trinity, Thomas Tallis Society, The Fourth Choir and Imperial College Chamber Choir. She was formerly the Conductor of Victoria Children’s Choir (at Westminster Cathedral), Horsham Chamber Choir, Assistant to the Musical Director at The Hythe Singers, and Conducing Scholar at Milton Keynes Chorale.

Since graduating, Olivia has continued to develop her conducting through the RPS Women Conductors ‘Advance’ course (2023), Glover-Edwards Conducting Programme (2023), Genesis Sixteen Conducting Scholarship (2022), Dartington International Summer School Advanced Conductor programme (2022), and as a Fellow of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain (2022).

Olivia completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Sheffield, reading music, and was awarded the Jessop Voices conducting award. During this time, Olivia sang firstly as an alto Choral Scholar, then as the first female Lay Clerk at Sheffield Cathedral, where she also led the visiting schools singing workshops. Whilst living in Sheffield, Olivia was the Musical Director of Belper Singers (Derby), Lyrical Songbirds (Nottingham), YorChoir (York), Dronfield Parish Young Voices, and she was Assistant Conductor with Neighbourhood Voices (Sheffield). From 2017-2018, she held a Young Conducting Scholarship with Sing for Pleasure, with whom she conducted in the premiere of Thomas Hewitt Jones’ Greater Love for choir and orchestra.

As a singer, Olivia is an Associate Artist with Tenebrae, and holds a regular position with the professional choir at the Chapel of St. Peter Ad Vincula in the Tower of London. She deputises at many professional London church and chamber choirs, including London Voices. Some of her favourite performances include providing backing vocals for live performances with The Rolling Stones and Ellie Goulding.

Olivia enjoys composing and arranging for her choirs, and has previously had several works performed in concert.