Olivia is a professional harpist based in London.
She has played at all of London’s major concert venues including the Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall and the O2 Arena.
After studying at the University of Manchester, Olivia graduated with a Masters degree from the Royal Academy of Music in 2013 and was a recipient of a Martin Musical Scholarship from the Philharmonia Orchestra. Olivia studied the harp with Gabriella Dall’Olio, Marie Leenhardt and Cathy White.
Following the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s competitive Foyle Future Firsts scheme, she has gone on to play with the UK’s major orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Sinfonia Cymru, Ballet Rambert and The Hallé.
Olivia has recorded for artists such as Jacob Collier for Universal, Steven Isserlis for Hyperion and saxophonist Jess Gillam and VOCES8 on Decca Classics. Larger scale orchestral recordings range from film scores with London Contemporary Orchestra to albums such as Little Simz’s No Thank You. Recent recital collaborators include tenors Allan Clayton and Mark Padmore, baritones Benjamin Appl and Julien Van Mellearts and sopranos Olivia Warburton and Eleanor Janes.
She has worked in the West End, playing in Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds at the Dominion Theatre. She also played in the last three UK arena tours with the show in 2014, 2018 and 2022. She has played at Glastonbury Festival in an orchestral tribute to David Bowie and at Montreux Festival with Max Richter and the 12 Ensemble.
In 2017, Olivia’s harp-writing resource 15 second harp was shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award. The RPS awards, presented in association with BBC Radio 3, are the highest recognition for live classical music in the UK. She works regularly with composers of all ages and abilities. In 2017, Olivia also founded Bach’n Eggs, London’s first series of classical music brunch concerts, which is regularly listed as one of London’s top pop-up events. In 2018 Olivia co-founded the podcast Musicians' Weekend: conversations and interviews about life in the classical music world.
Olivia has played live on BBC Radio 3 a number of times including for the launch of BBC Sounds in 2018, where she played in a pod on the London Eye!
From 2013 - 2019, Olivia has played at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships: entertaining the guests of the Royal Box before and after the women’s and men’s finals. She regularly performs at events for clients such as Louis Vuitton, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Patek Philippe.
In the first week of the first UK lockdown Olivia started Harpy Hour - an (almost) weekly online request concert series. The concerts have continued ever since with a regular audience tuning in on Zoom from around the world. It was the 100th Harpy Hour on Friday 2nd September 2022. Olivia was recently awarded a Trailblazer prize from the Royal Philharmonic Society (in association with Harriet’s Trust) Enterprise Fund.
Olivia records remote sessions regularly from her home studio for composers and producers. She also teaches privately in Surrey and through Bromley Youth Music Trust.
Photo credit Maximilian Van London