Oliver Coates

Oliver Coates is widely in demand as a solo cellist, chamber musician, principal cellist with orchestras (Aurora Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Britten Sinfonia) and as a producer and collaborator in new music. He has played in and developed projects with Seb Rochford, Micachu and the Shapes, Massive Attack, Ben Frost, and Mara Carlyle amongst others. He works closely with the songwriter Emily Hall. He attained the highest degree result in the Royal Academy of Music's history before going on to complete an MPhil with distinction at New College, Oxford. He studied the cello with Colin Carr, Lionel Handy and Heather Harrison and is now an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

Oliver curates Harmonic Series at Southbank Centre, a cross genre exploration of new and old music, which sold out in its first season and featured work by Emily Hall and James Blake, among others. The Seafarer, his installation with Netia Jones and David Sheppard in the boiler room and dark utility corridors of the Royal Festival Hall, opens in July and runs through the summer, as part of the Festival of Britain anniversary celebrations.

Oliver has performed concertos and recitals across Europe and the Far East, including a tour of performances of the Dvořák Concerto in the composer's centenary year. He regularly plays the major concertos as well as the core classical repertoire of Beethoven, Brahms and Bach works for cello. He made a Wigmore Hall solo debut in 2009, playing the world premiere of a childhood Cello Sonata by Benjamin Britten. He is proud to have worked closely with the most important new composers including Chris Mayo, Larry Goves, Anna Meredith, Matt Rogers, Charlie Piper, Mark Bowden, David Fennessy, Martin Suckling, Nico Muhly, Mica Levi and many more. He has worked with composers such as Crane, Ades, Birtwistle, Saariaho, Lindberg, Lachenmann, Gubaidulina and Jonathan Harvey on their music. He regularly plays at the major classical music festivals as well as festivals such as Latitude, Ether, and In the Woods.

Olly makes his concerto debut with BBC National Orchestra of Wales in September with Mark Bowden’s Concerto, and his Barbican Concerto debut with the Britten Sinfonia in March 2012, with the world premiere of Nico Muhly’s Cello Concerto.

Website: www.olivercoates.com