Oliver Pashley is a young London-based clarinettist and founding member of contemporary quartet The Hermes Experiment. He holds the position of Sub-Principal Clarinet with Britten Sinfonia and plays regularly with orchestras and ensembles at home and abroad, including the Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Southbank Sinfonia, The Riot Ensemble, Northern Ballet Sinfonia, and the Haffner Wind Octet. Highly in demand as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, he has played guest principal with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players, and English National Ballet.

Oliver has worked with many ensembles around the UK, including performances of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet with the Allegri Quartet at the Anghiari Festival and their Richmond concert series, Brahms’ Clarinet Trio with pianist Carole Presland and cellist Alasdair Tait, and unconducted performances of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with the Bristol Ensemble, with whom he returned in their 2017/18 season to perform Copland’s Clarinet Concerto.

Oliver gave a performance of Peter Maxwell Davies’ Hymnos on the Barbican main stage in an evening featuring the world première of the composer’s Tenth Symphony given by the London Symphony Orchestra. He has performed at the Schleswig-Holstein, City of London, Cambridge, Petworth, Cowbridge, and BBC Proms festivals, and recently performed onstage with fellow alumni of Southbank Sinfonia on the Olivier Theatre stage in an acclaimed revival of Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus at the National Theatre in a 6-month run.

Oliver studied at Cambridge University, and went on to obtain a Master’s Degree with distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Oliver was an Artist Fellow in residence at the Guildhall School in 2014-15, which culminated in a concert featuring an unconducted performance of John Adams’ Gnarly Buttons given with the School’s New Music Ensemble.

Oliver is a contributor to the Hong Kong-based online music journal Interlude.hk, having interviewed artists including Charlie Siem, Roxanna Panufnik, Menahem Pressler, Mahan Esfahani, the Emerson Quartet, and John Malkovich.

Oliver gratefully acknowledges the support he received from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and Help Musicians UK.

Web: oliverpashley.com / Twitter: @OJPashley