Oliver John Cameron
Artist Bio
Unafraid to tackle any genre, Oliver John Cameron’s compositions are informed by music theatre, pop and modern classical aesthetics. He completed a Bachelor of Music (Composition) with Honours at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2015 and was the composer-in-residence at Meriden School from 2017 to 2023. Oliver’s accolades include the Emerging Artist Award at Adelaide Fringe Festival for his musical, ‘The Colour Orange’, and his work ‘five lullabies for uncertain times’ won the Willgoss Choral Prize in 2021. Oliver is currently one of the composers-in-residence with Moorambilla Voices and has been selected for the 2024 ABC Classic Commissioning Fund. He is completing a masters of composition under the supervision of Paul Stanhope, and his new chamber opera, M.TH.R, will be performed as a collaboration between the Sydney Conservatorium and NIDA in October 2024.
Artists statement
I am a composer who specialises in writing music and words for the voice. I am interested in the way that singing connects people and creates an opportunity to combine sonic and literary meanings. I often let text lead the way in determining the patterns and musical shapes that I'll go on to use, and then these ideas generate further text and the cycle continues. At the intersection of text and music there is often tension–a disconnect–and this space is a wonderful place for exploration. I hope that my music and words create space for people to access and interpret, reflect and enjoy, and discover their own interpretations.
Upcoming shows
Sonant Traces
by Oliver John Cameron and Elizabeth Jigalin.
Sonant Traces is intended to be experienced while moving through the space and listening to the way the music interacts with White Bay Power Station’s Turbine Hall. We have been inspired by traces of the building’s former life that cannot be ignored when you walk around, transfixed by the cathedral-high ceilings and intriguing machinery. Furthermore, we have also drawn on the less apparent stories and the tiny details to be found across the site. We were able to visit the building in January this year, and were absolutely mesmerised by the space.
Curious listeners will encounter fifty singers and a sextet of rumbling cellists and double bassists as they navigate through three distinct phases. There is no right or wrong way to listen and experience the work: standing still, up close to the performers or far away - anything is possible!
EDGE Inner West x Biennale of Sydney: 6 April, 11:30am, 7 April, 3pm Turbine Hall, White Bay Power Station - more details and the full program here.
Website oliverjohncameron.com
Instagram @oliverjohncameron