Welcome to the website of  the British composer 
Matthew Olyver

Email
matthewolyver@hotmail.co.uk
​Soundcloud 
​https://soundcloud.com/matthew-olyver
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NEWS ​

PRS Accelerate Scheme
As part of the PRS Accelerate Scheme, I have been selected to write a piece for the Berkeley Ensemble. The scheme, which will include musical and career based workshops, will culminate in a concert on the 22nd November in London (on my 25th Birthday!). 

Premiere and Recording of My Last Breath for 4 Paetzold Recorders
Have a listen to the recording, live from the premiere in Amsterdam, of my piece 'My Last Breath'. Thank you to the amazing Block4 www.block4.co.uk for being such great artists and collaborators. 
soundcloud.com/matthew-olyver/my-last-breath-for-paetzold-bass-recorder-quartet

Premiere and Recording of Music Box for Violin and Piano
My piece for violin and piano 'Music Box' was premiered at the Luton Music club on the 29th of January. 'Music Box' was commissioned by the violinist Marianne Olyver and pianist Nigel Yandell for a concert for the Luton Music Club in honour of Holocaust Memorial day on the 27th of January 2018. This concert is part of an ongoing project that brings to the public the suppressed voices of musicians deemed by the Third Reich to be 'entartete' (degenerate). The piece takes much influence from the rich melodic tradition of the Jewish composers who were systematically denied work from 1933 onwards.
soundcloud.com/matthew-olyver/music-box-for-violin-and-piano

Premiere and Recording of On the Sea of Heaven for Sinfonietta 
My piece On the sea of heaven ​was premiered by the Manson Ensemble in the Duke's Hall (London) under the baton of Timothy Weiss. The piece opened Andrew Norman's Composer in Residence Concert at the Royal Academy of Music on the 29th of November. Have a listen to the recording here: soundcloud.com/matthew-olyver/on-the-sea-of-heaven-for-orchestra




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Upcoming Events
20th March - The U.K. Premiere of my piece 'In the Hills of Nara' for Solo Cello performed by Sarah Gait. This concert will be hosted by one of London's most exciting new music concert series, IKLECTIK:
iklectikartlab.com/ram_composer_platform/
Find out more about Sarah here: 
​royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/gait

​22nd April - Performance of 'On the Sea of Heaven' for Sinfonietta by the Bristol Ensemble under the baton of John Pickard at the Victoria Rooms (Bristol). Find out more about Bristol's foremost and highly acclaimed professional ensemble here: www.bristolensemble.com
 
22nd April - The Premiere of my piece Purest White for Soprano and Flute at the Courtauld Gallery in London, hosted by the 2021 concert series. Find out more here: :www.2021concerts.co.uk/calendar

1st June - Performance of 'Altair' for viola and piano by Timothy Ridout and Jams Coleman at St. Clement Danes Church, London. Find out more about Timothy Ridout, one of the finest Viola players in the world, here:
​ www.timothyridout.com

13th June - Premiere of a 'Protest Song' by Matthew at the Waterloo Festival as part of Paul Morley's Caberet/Conscience project.
​ www.theguardian.com/profile/paulmorley 

14th June - Premiere of my 2nd String Quartet by the Czigány String Quartet at the New Recital Hall of the Royal Academy of Music. Find out more about this exciting Quartet here: www.cziganyquartet.com

21st June -  Performance of 'Altair' for viola and piano by Timothy Ridout and Jams Coleman at the Uckfield Music Society. 
www.timothyridout.com

1st September -​ Release of Iris Warriors, the international feature film Matthew wrote the score for. 
​www.imdb.com/title/tt5787290/?ref_=nm_knf_t1

22nd November - The Premiere of 'The Waves Being Still' for Octet by the Berkeley Ensemble at St. James' Piccardilly, London. Find out more about this world acclaimed Ensemble here: www.berkeleyensemble.co.uk

Recent Events
29th January - The Premiere of my piece 'Music Box' for Marianne Olyver and Nigel Yandell took place at the Luton Music Club.
Have a listen to the recording and read about the piece here: soundcloud.com/matthew-olyver/music-box-for-violin-and-piano

4th February - The Premiere​ of my piece My Last Breath for 4 Paetzold Bass Recorders will take place in Amsterdam by the internationally renowned Recorder Quartet Block 4. soundcloud.com/matthew-olyver/my-last-breath-for-paetzold-bass-recorder-quartet

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Throughout 2018
I collaborating closely with Cellists Sarah Gait and Joanna Gutowska. I am writing especially for these two top young cellists. I will be working extensively with them both over the course of the year with the idea of producing multiple movements of a Cello Suite. The movements will be performed separately and together in a variety of recitals.   joannagutowska.eu/collaboration-with-matthew-olyver/

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2017 Highlights
29th November - Premiere​ of my piece for Sinfonietta On the sea of heaven was performed by the Manson Ensemble under the baton of Timothy Weiss at the Duke's Hall (London).

29th November - Premiere​ of my piece for Chamber Orchestra Clare  was performed by the Hornton Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Jacky Wong at St Peter's Church (London)
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9th September - Premiere of my song for Four Voices, Clarinet, Piano and Strings In the Moonlight was performed in a charity concert for 'Compassion'. Compassion is a charity that addresses domestic violence in my local area. 

3rd August - Recording of my Haiku for Viola Ensemble 'The Scent of the Wisteria' by Martin Outram's Viola Class at the Benslow Summer School.
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16th July - U.K Premiere of my first String Quartet by the Ligeti String Quartet at the Cheltenham International Music Festival. 

27th June - Premiere of my Sextet Haiku by musicians from the Royal Academy of Music at St Ethelburga's Bishopsgate, London.

13th May - Premiere of my piece for viola and piano Altair by Timothy Ridout and John Reid at the Gasteig Concert Hall, Munich

24th April - Premiere of my Horn Trio Kepler 186f  by Huw Watkins, Michael Foyle and Alexei Watkins at the David Josefowitz Recital Hall, London  

22nd Feb - Premiere of my mixed quintet Stoke by Clare by members of CHROMA ensemble  at the David Josefowitz Recital Hall, London

24th Jan - Premiere of my duet Don Quixote ​for two paetzold recorders by Tabea Debus and Olwen Foulkes at the David Josefowitz Recital Hall, London​



2016 Highlights 
Jul - Slovak National Symphony Orchestra record 76 mins Balletic Film-Score Iris Warriors  in the Radio Station Concert Hall, Bratislava 

Nov - My piece for solo cello Hypergestures was performed by Joanna Gutowska at the Royal Academy of Music in a masterclass led by Magnus Lindberg and Anssi Karttunen 

Aug​ -   I was awarded one of six places to study with Judith Weir (Master of the Queen's Music),  at the Dartington International Summer School.

Throughout the year ensembles and individuals such as CoMA London Ensemble, Ensemble Mirage, the Royal Academy of Music Horn Quartet, the Heath Quartet, Joseph Havlat (Piano), Joanna Gutowska (Cello) Rebecca Cuddy  (Mezzo-Soprano) and Iñigo Mikeleiz Berrade (Accordion) performed my music in concert. My music was performed and recorded in venues and festivals such as the David Josefowitz Recital Hall (Royal Academy of Music), the Camden Forge, the Radio Station Concert Hall in Bratislava and the Spitalfields and Dartington International Summer Music Festivals.
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