British/Irish conductor, BBC Music Magazine Rising Star and “name to watch” (Observer) Olivia Clarke is increasingly sought after across the UK and Europe for both opera and symphony concerts. Clarke was English National Opera’s Mackerras Conducting Fellow (2020-2023) and Assistant Conductor to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (2022-2023).

Olivia Clarke has recently made debuts with the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Welsh National Opera and Royal Opera as well as returned to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, Sinfonia Smith Square, and Glyndebourne. Recently Clarke conducted ‘die Zauberflöte’ for the Opera department of the Royal Academy of Music earning top reviews, “Olivia Clarke conducted a lyrical yet zesty account of this adorable score… a big cheer to the valiant Royal Academy Sinfonia who played so beautifully under Clarke’s baton that we probably took their excellence for granted.” (Bachtrack). Clarke also recently conducted a new production of a bilingual (Welsh/English) youth opera for Welsh National Opera, and made her Aldeburgh Festival debut conducting ‘Savitri’ with Britten Sinfonia.

In the 24/25 season Clarke made her Glyndebourne production debut with Mariame Clément’s ‘il turco in Italia’ for their Autumn season to critical acclaim, “Musically this performance was top-class…lively and in the best Italian tradition, the Glyndebourne Sinfonia under the sovereign baton of Olivia Clarke” (Klassik begeistert). Clarke first worked at Glyndebourne in 2021 conducting a performance of their new production of ‘Fidelio’ whilst assisting Ben Glassberg. In 2023 Clarke was invited back to conduct multiple performances of ‘La bohème’ on tour. Last year Clarke returned again to Glyndebourne to assist Constantin Trinks on Barbe & Doucet’s ‘die Zauberflöte’ with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in the main festival. During her time at ENO Clarke conducted main stage performances of Calixto Bieito’s ‘Carmen’ (2023) and Jamie Manton’s ‘Cunning Little Vixen’ (2022), assisted on eight productions, and conducted several orchestral concerts and education projects. Clarke also jumped in at Cadogan Hall to conduct ENO Orchestra in concert with the National Opera Studio.

Clarke has held Music Director titles with Norfolk Into Opera Festival, Sinfonie Orchester Steglitz in Berlin and the Kelvin Choir in Glasgow. She has guest conducted with Britten Sinfonia, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Hallé, IF Opera, Bridges Kammerorchester, National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, Opéra de Rouen Normandie, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Sinfonia Smith Square, Sinfonia Viva, and Welsh National Opera. Clarke has worked as assistant conductor to Martyn Brabbins, Justin Brown, Joana Carniero, Kevin John Edusei, Ben Glassberg, Kerem Hasan, Karen Kamensek, Rory Macdonald, Ludovic Morlot, Anthony Negus, Evelino Pidò, Robert Treviño, Constantin Trinks, Kazuki Yamada, and Lidiya Yankovskaya.

A recipient of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst scholarship for her conducting studies, Clarke trained at the International Conducting Academy Berlin, Universität der Künste, graduating in 2020. Before Berlin, Clarke completed her Masters in singing at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Clarke is an Associate of the Royal College of Organists and completed her Bachelors in Music with an Organ Scholarship at the Queen's College, University of Oxford.