Oliver Nelson PhD FRSM CCAD was born in Glasgow and began learning the violin at the age of six, later gaining a music scholarship to study at Canford School and an exhibition to the Royal Academy of Music. At the latter, Oliver studied the violin with Xue-Wei and conducting with Denise Ham and Colin Metters, winning the Academy Concerto Competition, appearing as leader and soloist with the Academy String Orchestra, and building his concerto repertoire with numerous British orchestras. He graduated with distinctions in both the Fellowship diploma and a master’s degree, followed by a doctorate on the social engagement legacy of The Yehudi Menuhin School via City St George’s, University of London. Oliver has long been a busy recitalist with some of Britain’s finest pianists including Andrew Ball, Julian Jacobson, Bela Hartman, Nigel Hutchison, Richard Ormrod and Vasileios Rakitzis, with recent performances ranging from St Martin-in-the-Fields, London to Chichester Cathedral. Oliver’s chamber music activities have included appearances with Trio Damira and at ‘cellist Jamie Walton’s North York Moors Chamber Music Festival.
Oliver has appeared as soloist with orchestras in this country and abroad including the Dorset Chamber Orchestra, Waverley Ensemble, Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra, and Unley Symphony Orchestra of Adelaide. His concerto appearances range from performances of the Brahms Double Concerto with Rebecca Gilliver, Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1 at both the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow and Central Hall during the Edinburgh Festival, the Tchaikovsky Concerto in Adelaide, Australia, and Mozart Concertos 3 and 5 with the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra in Muscat, Oman. With the latter orchestra, Oliver was invited as soloist for a private performance for the Sultan of Oman in his palace.
Oliver’s violin playing features in film, as solo violinist in Bruce Webb’s multi-award-winning Rare Books and Manuscripts and Francois Girard’s The Song of Names. In the latter, he recorded with Howard Shore, Oscar-winning composer for The Lord of the Rings, and appeared as body double and violin coach for Clive Owen and Jonah-Hauer-King. Oliver also teaches at Hindhead Music Centre in Surrey and is regularly involved in adjudicating and string coaching.
