Olivia Moore is one of the UK’s most innovative and creative violinists. She works across a broad spectrum of genres, dedicating herself primarily to jazz and classical Indian music.
Background
After giving her first performance at the age of four, she spent her childhood and teen years mastering classical music before going on to explore the art of improvisation. She graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music in 1999; B.Mus (Hons) in Academic Studies (2.1). However, at 21, inspired by a jazz summer school at the Guildhall School of music, she discovered the art of improvisation. This propelled her into a postgraduate diploma at Leeds College of Music (Distinction in 2002). At Leeds, her curiosity drew her to many different styles of music.
After graduation she spent two years performing with the Indian fusion band Savateen, playing their own original works. Highlights were the Brno Street festival in the Czech Republic and at the Millennium Park and Birla Temple, in Calcutta. In 2005, she decided to follow her dream by going to India to study with violin maestro Kala Ramnath, which became the first of many visits to the country. Her most recent visit was in 2010.
Projects
Olivia has played twice at Glastonbury festival with flamenco guitarist Nick Wilkinson as well as collaborating with Graham Clark, Seaming To, Kirsty Almeida, Stuart McCallum, OdBod Collective, Matthew Bourne, Giuliano Modarelli, Glenn Sharp, Suns of Arqa.
However, it was always Olivia’s dream to compose music of her own. She has been the instigator and leader of a handful of groups over the years. Firstly Strung Out with Lamb’s bass player Jon Thorne. She also successfully played with ‘The Owl Ensemble’, featuring Simply Red’s bass player Sylvan Richardson, and John Ellis (keys) and Myke Wilson (Drums). The Owl Ensemble String Quartet appeared with Beautiful South’s Paul Heaton for his show “The 8th” at the Barbican Centre (London) and Lowry (Manchester).
Her ongoing band Unfurl is an innovative quintet who collaborate, drawing from their diverse influences of Jazz, Indian and Arabic rhythms. They have appeared at Manchester, Marsden, Marlborough and Brecon Jazz Festivals as well as at venues such as the Bridgewater Hall Foyer and the Birmingham Symphony Hall Foyer.
Olivia collaborated with Jason Singh, Sharma Rahman and Shirley Smart at Manchester Jazz Festival in 2016.
Awards
In 2009 Olivia was one of eight musicians in the country to be selected to be a participant of the Serious Take Five artist development scheme. Olivia has regularly since looked to the Arts Council England, for help with touring costs and to develop music.
Classical Indian Music
She has performed with Kousic Sen, Lisa Mallet, Jonathan Meyer, Jasdeep Singh and has given solo recitals in the UK. She most recently collaborated with Chitravina Maestro N. Ravikiran. She performs every few years internationally with Mukesh Jhadav
Multi-Media Work
Olivia has always been interested in combining with other art forms. In 2006 she composed the soundtrack to a documentary film for Religious Education in schools, ‘Buddhist Pilgrimage: An Indian Spiritual Journey’ (The Clear Vision Trust).
A particular highlight of her career was working with LaMachine, 2008 commissioned by Liverpool European Capital of Culture, described by The Observer as, ‘the biggest, most spectacular piece of street theatre ever seen in the UK’. She also completed Mask, a multi-media collaboration at The Contact Theatre, as part of Manchester Jazz Festival in 2009 with moving image artist Mark Cameron Minard and her band ‘Unfurl’.
Albums
Olivia has recorded with producer Tony Remy for saxophonist Jean Toussaint’s album ‘Nazaire’ (Alltone 2000). She features on Kirsty Almeida’s ‘Pure Blue Green’ (Decca 2010), Zoe Kyoti’s “Wishing Bone”, Jadid Ensemble’s “Sigh of the Moor”, Kefaya’s “Radio International”, “Seaming” by Seaming To and Fiona Nehama Abrahami’s ‘Random Excess’ (MusicWomb 2009). Olivia released her own album ‘Amoghasiddhi’ in 2008. Owl by the Owl Ensemble in 2011 and Arcadia by Unfurl in 2012.
Reviews
Nourished by Indian and jazz traditions, but with an elegance that comes from her classical training, Olivia Moore’s violin has an Eastern tang that is genuinely entrancing
As usual Moore’s compositions were exuberant and poignant affairs; each section of music acting like miniature vignettes. This is music that is intricate and yet capable of telling a universal story, what that story is, is probably very different to each listener, but it is this ability to conjure vivid imagery that makes it hugely accessible.
her obvious joy in playing swells through her impassioned but restrained violin and offers her audience both an emotional and a cerebral fulfilment.