Michael Oliva (born 18 April 1966) is a British
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
of
contemporary classical
New Classical architecture, New Classicism or the New Classical movement is a contemporary movement in architecture that continues the practice of Classical architecture. It is sometimes considered the modern continuation of Neoclassical architec ...
music, working mainly in
electroacoustics and
opera.
Early life
Oliva was born in
Edmonton, north London to a German mother and an Italian father. From early childhood, his mother regularly took him to the
English National Opera. He attended
The Latymer School, a local mixed grammar school known for musical excellence. Although Oliva had already begun composing at the age of 15, he studied
biochemistry (specialising in
neurochemistry) at
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located on the banks of the River Cherwell at Norham Gardens in north Oxford and adjacent to the University Parks. The college is more formall ...
. After obtaining his degree in 1988, he decided to concentrate on music.
Musical career
After university, in addition to concert works, Oliva began composing music for theatre. During the 1990s, he worked closely with
Erica Whyman at
Southwark Playhouse, the
Gate Theatre and
English Touring Theatre. In 1995, he co-founded the Mother Digital Studio in Shoreditch, east London. He began working at the
Royal College of Music in 1998, where he is now Area Leader for Electroacoustic Music teaching composition with electronics. Each term, Oliva curates and directs 'From the Soundhouse', public concerts of
electroacoustic music
Electroacoustic music is a genre of popular and Western art music in which composers use technology to manipulate the timbres of acoustic sounds, sometimes by using audio signal processing, such as reverb or harmonizing, on acoustical instrumen ...
(the title is taken from
Francis Bacon's
New Atlantis). These concerts present new works and rarely heard classics from the electroacoustic repertoire. In 2003, Oliva was a founding member of the contemporary music ensemble rarescale. He continues to work as electronics performer and composer in residence with the group. Between 2004 and 2011, Oliva was lecturer in Music Technology at
Imperial College London. He is published by Tetractys.
Musical style
Oliva’s music draws on a wide range of inspirations, from
Scriabin,
Stockhausen,
Takemitsu,
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...
,
Miles Davis to
spectralism. He has particular interests in working with microtonal harmony and creating new repertoire for low woodwind, especially the
alto flute
The alto flute is an instrument in the Western concert flute family, the second-highest member below the standard C flute after the uncommon flûte d'amour. It is the third most common member of its family after the standard C flute and the ...
and
bass flute
The bass flute is a member of the flute family. It is in the key of C, pitched one octave below the concert flute. Despite its name, its playing range makes it the tenor member of the flute family. Because of the length of its tube (approximate ...
. Since 2003, he has worked closely with the low flute specialist Carla Rees. In opera, his work is notable for its lyrical vocal style. Oliva makes extensive use of video and electronic sound as an integral part of the storytelling, expanding the form though the use of film and television techniques.
Major works
*More Bless'd than Living Lips (1995; chamber concerto for oboe)
*Ocean (1997; soprano, tenor, bass clarinet, oboe, electronics)
*Into the Light (1997; oboe/cor anglais, piano)
*The Speed of Metals (1999; chamber orchestra, electronics)
*Torso (2001; wind orchestra)
*Black and Blue (2004; opera)
*Apparition and Release (2005;
quartertone
A quarter tone is a pitch halfway between the usual notes of a chromatic scale or an interval about half as wide (aurally, or logarithmically) as a semitone, which itself is half a whole tone. Quarter tones divide the octave by 50 cents each ...
alto flute, electronics)
*Moss Garden (2006; bass flute, electronics)
*The Girl Who Liked to be Thrown Around (2006; chamber opera)
*Nocturne (2008; quartertone alto flute, piano, electronics)
*Dover Beach (2010; soprano, alto flute, bass clarinet, electronics)
*Requiem (2010; SATB choir, alto flute, organ, electronics)
*Les Heures Bleues (2013; solo Kingma system alto flute)
Discography
*New Ground (2002) Oboe Classics CC2003
*Apparition and Release – rarescale plays Michael Oliva (2008) rarescale records rr001
*Nocturne – rarescale plays Michael Oliva (2012) rarescale records rr005
References
External links
Carla ReesEva Kingma FlutesMichael Olivararescale
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oliva, Michael
1966 births
Living people
Alumni of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford