Benjamin Oliver lives in London and is working as the AHRC Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Composition for Cochlear Implant Users and as a lecturer in composition at the University of Southampton; and as a freelance composer, electronic musician, pianist and educator.

Ben 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. He recently completed his DPhil in Composition at the University of Sussex (graduation in January 2011) under the supervision of Sam Hayden where he was also an associate tutor in composition. He received financial support from the AHRC and a 2006 PRS Foundation Scholarship for his doctoral 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), Musarc (London Festival of Architecture 2010), 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.

In December 2010 Ben was chosen as one of two winners of the International Composer Pyramid 2010, set-up by the Sounds New Contemporary Music Festival, UK, with Coups de Vents, France.  As a result his piece, Smash and Grab, was performed by the Aarhus Ensemble iat the Sounds New Festival 2011, where it was recorded by BBC Radio 3. Ben is now taking part in the second stage of the International Composer Pyramid Scheme, and is currently composing a new work for the ICP ensemble to be performed in December 2011.

Ben conducts The Workers Union, an ensemble of young professional musicians from London who share a passion for contemporary music. He wrote Ripped Up for the ensemble and live electronics, which was premiered in March 2011 at the University of Leeds.