Photography by Helena Cooke

Upcoming performances

The CONVENTional Project at Wimbledon International Music Festival

Tickets here!

Biography

Olivia is a conductor based in London. She studied Choral Conducting under Patrick Russill at the Royal Academy of Music, where she received a distinction and was awarded a DipRam for outstanding performance in her final recital, in addition to the Sir Thomas Armstrong Choral Leadership Prize. She has conducted in several high-profile masterclasses whilst studying at the Academy, including with the BBC Singers, Paul Brough and David Hill.

Olivia is committed to producing high-quality performances, and championing the music of women. 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 from the Italian convents. Working with undergraduate and postgraduate vocal students at the Academy, she founded the ensemble The CONVENTional Project to showcase this music. The group now performs regularly, and more information on upcoming concerts can be found on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Olivia is the current Conductor of the University of London Chamber Choir, the University of Greenwich Choir and London Youth Choir West, Assistant Conductor at Ealing Symphony Orchestra and she is currently participating in the Glover-Edwards Conducting Programme (2023-24).

Her recent conducting engagements include working with Genesis Sixteen as the 2022-23 Conducting Scholar, Assistant Chorus Master to Simon Halsey, preparing the Academy Chorus for a performance of Mahler Symphony 3 under Semyon Bychkov (2022), Dartington International Summer School Advanced Conductor programme (2022), Fellow with the National Youth Choir of Great Britain (2022), Assistant Musical Director with the British Youth Opera production of Hansel and Gretel (2021), semi-finalist in the DIMA International Choral Conducting Competition (2021).

Olivia is in high demand as a workshop leader, and has led workshops on behalf of The Sixteen, VOCES8 Foundation, 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.

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 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.