Benjamin Oliver was born in 1981 and grew up in Chatham, Kent, in the UK. He left home for Yorkshire and in 2005 graduated from the University of Leeds with distinction in his MMus in Composition. Ben is completing his DPhil in Composition at the University of Sussex under the supervision of Sam Hayden where he is also an associate tutor in composition. He received financial support from the AHRC and a 2006 PRS Foundation Scholarship for this doctorate work.

Ben’s music has been performed internationally and in the UK by ensembles including: Orkest de Ereprijs (International Young Composers Meeting 2010, The Netherlands), Ostrava Banda (Ostrava Days Festival 2009, Czech Republic), Leeds University Union Symphony Orchestra, Black Dyke and Rothwell Temperance Brass Bands, LIMA Orchestra, Dan Stern’s Woodwork (London Jazz Festival 2008), The Mobius Ensemble with Hackney CYM Children’s Choir (Spitalfields Festival 2010), Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir, Labyrinth, Retorica Duo (Odessa Festival 2008, Ukraine), Kosmos, EMFEB Chamber Orchestra, NYX trio and Leeds Sinfonia. His fifty minute work Fasten Your Seatbelts, which aligned his own quartet with electronics, was premiered to critical acclaim at the 2007 Soundwaves Festival in Brighton.  Groups including Orkest de Ereprijs, Gemini Ensemble and the Royal Academy of Music Manson Ensemble have performed his music in workshops.

Ben has been recently selected to take part in the International Composer Pyramid Scheme set-up by the Sounds New Contemporary Music Festival, UK, with Coups de Vents, France, for which he is composing a new piece for the ICP ensemble.  He has also been commissioned by the ‘Worker’s Union Ensemble’ to compose a new twenty minute work  for the ensemble and live electronics to be performed in March 2011 at the University of Leeds.

Ben is also active as a conductor, pianist and electronic musician.