British/Irish conductor Olivia Clarke was born in London and is currently studying for a Masters in Conducting at the International Conducting Academy Berlin, Universität der Künste.
Before moving to Berlin, Olivia completed her Masters in singing at the Royal
Conservatoire of Scotland and read Music with an Organ Scholarship at the Queen's
College, University of Oxford.
Olivia has recently conducted orchestras such as Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester,
Neubrandenburger Philharmonie, Magdeburgische Philharmonie, Brandenburger
Symphoniker and Bochum Symphoniker as part of her studies at the UdK. From 2018-2019
Olivia held the position of principal conductor of Orchester Benjamin Franklin Berlin.
A budding opera conductor, Olivia assisted on the UdK productions of L’heure
espagnole/Ravel, Angélique/Ibert, La voix humaine/Poulenc. Olivia has also had the
opportunity to work with Theater Magdeburg and Staatstheater Cottbus as part of her
studies at UdK. While living in Scotland Olivia founded Fox Opera, a company for young
professionals, with whom she performed Der Schauspieldirekor/Mozart and
le docteur miracle/Bizet. A keen performer of contemporary opera, Olivia conducted the
Art of Venus/Lambert for the London new opera festival Tête à Tête, and was musical
director for The Beautiful Bridegroom/Shore performed at the Royal Conservatoire of
Scotland.
Olivia has studied conducting with Steven Sloane and Sian Edwards and has taken
part in masterclasses with Sir Roger Norrington, Alice Farnham, Jane Glover, Claire Gibault,
and Garry Walker.
Alongside conducting, Olivia works as a repetiteur, vocal coach, accompanist for singers, and continuo player and recently worked as a repetiteur for British Youth Opera's production of The Rake's Progress/Stravinsky. Olivia also enjoys a long-standing relationship with the Finchley Children's Music Group in London, a choir she was once a member of, and now teaches and conducts on their annual summer schools. Olivia is an Associate of the Royal College of Organists.
Still a keen singer, Olivia continues to sprinkle her diary with recitals and solo performances. Previous roles include Marzelline/Fidelio, Giunone/Calisto, Galatea/Acis and Galatea, Eurydice/Orpheus and Eurydice (Glück), Erste Dame/die Zauberflöte, Mme Silberklang/Der Schauspieldirektor, Annina/La Traviata, Diana/Orpheus and the Underworld. A lover of singing both contemporary and baroque music, Olivia has enjoyed performing as a concert soloist in for both Bach passions and his Weihnachtsoratorium, as well as taking part in new music festivals such as Tête à Tête Opera and Plug Opera.
