Harold Oliver

Biography

Harold Oliver has composed music that  has received high praise from discerning musicians and listeners.  Oliver was born in 1942, studied music and performed at an early age.  He continued advanced studies at the Peabody Conservatory, the Yale School of Music, the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood, the Arnold Schoenberg Institute, and Princeton University and has studied with many distinguished American composers, including: Donald Martino, Mel Powell, Gunther Schuller and Milton Babbitt.

His works include chamber operas, cantatas, orchestral compositions, concertos, choral compositions, woodwind quintets, string quartets, works for percussion ensemble, and
numerous other chamber and vocal works which have been performed throughout
the United States and internationally.
Oliver is the recipient of over thirty fellowships, grants and awards, including: the Berkshire Music Center, the Vermont Composer's Conference, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Music Center, Arts Councils in New York and New Jersey and Meet The Composer, and the League/ISCM.

His music has been published by Music Sales Corporation/G.Schirmer, Inc. (BMI), Carl Fischer Facsimile Editions (ASCAP), the Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the Association for the Promotion of New Music (APNM-BMI).
Oliver has taught composition and theory at Duke University, Queens College CUNY, Geneseo College SUNY, Southern Methodist University and is Professor of Composition/Theory at Rowan University , where he
teaches composition, theory and directs the Contemporary Music Ensemble.

  • string quartet (alone or + inst or voc)
  • ACE Publications

    33 title(s)
    Composer Title SCORING/INSTRUMENTATION Year
    Harold Oliver SAHOS IOTA Alto flute and Bass Flute (one player)
    alternate version for solo viola also available
    Harold Oliver SHADOW GROUND
    Bar Sax, Guitar, Frame Drum (or Tom Tom), Piano
    Harold Oliver SINGULARITIES
    Violin, Cello, Piano
    Harold Oliver STRING QUARTET IV
    2 violin, vla, cello
    Harold Oliver SUCHNESS
    pno
    Harold Oliver UNWYIELDINGLY
    vn, vla, vcl, pno
    Harold Oliver WATER SONGS
    Sop or Mezzo Sop Voice, Flute(picc., alto fl., bass fl.) French horn
    Harold Oliver WITH RUE MY HEART IS LADEN
    Soprano and Baritone Solo Voices, SATB choir, Eng. Hn, Strings

    Additional Works