Glen Waverley VIC, Australia Melbourne VIC, Australia
Clarinet Lessons | Artist development, Aural Lessons, Ensemble Coaching, Theory Lessons, VCE Music Exam Preparation, Skype Lessons
Bio
Oliver Crofts is an emerging Clarinettist based in Melbourne (Australia). Oliver has been accepted into the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Academy for 2023, involving performance opportunities with the orchestra throughout the year. Oliver is also a casual musician with Orchestra Victoria/Australian Ballet Company. He is an alumnus of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) and the University of Western Australia Conservatorium of Music, where he holds a Bachelor of Arts in performance. He has featured in masterclasses with international artists such as Andreas Ottensamer, Sabine Meyer, Jose-French Ballester, Nicola Boud and Frank Celata. He has performed extensively on live radio for ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 3MBS Radio, The Music Show and The Friday Revue (ABC Radio National). During his time at ANAM (2020-2022), Oliver trained under the guidance of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Principal Clarinet, David Thomas. Oliver has a strong passion for orchestral performance, as well as chamber music and solo opportunities. In 2022, Oliver was recipient of the Ursula Hoff Performance Award for an outstanding performance of Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. He was also the recipient of the ANAM Chamber Music Prize in 2021, for his performance of the Brahms Clarinet Trio with the O Trio, as well as Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Winds.
Throughout 2022, Oliver has been fortunate to perform with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Symphony Orchestra’s, as part of ANAM’s Side by Side collaborative projects. Oliver was also thrilled to perform as part of the ANAM Set Festival, where he gave the premiere performance of Elena Kats Chernin ‘Grand Rag’. Oliver is very passionate about the clarinet concerto repertoire and was semi-finalist in the 2022 ANAM Concerto Competition, where he performed the Jean Francaix’ Clarinet Concerto. Throughout his time at ANAM, Oliver has also performed Elena Kats Chernin Ornamental Air (2021) and Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto (2020). Further highlights from the 2022 ANAM year have included performing Oliver Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, Thomas Ades Catch, Strauss Happy Workshop with Diana Doherty, Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue with Tim Young, Hindemith Der Schwanendreher with Lawrence Power, Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 with Paavali Jumppanen and Mozarts’ Clarinet Quintet.
Oliver is currently a member of the Australian Youth Orchestra, having performed across the 2021/22 seasons. His most recent activity with the orchestra was a national performance tour of Strauss Alpine Symphony conducted by Sir Mark Elder, as well as Stravinsky’s Firebird conducted by Matthew Coorey. In 2023, Oliver looks forward to performing in AYO’s Chamber programs, as well as touring to Perth for Shostakovich Symphony 10 with Eivind Aadland. He will also be involved in a collaborative project with Nigel Westlake and Lior. In 2022, Oliver was fortunate to perform with Andrea Bocelli and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra on tour across Sydney and Melbourne. Having grown up in Perth Western Australia, Oliver graduated from the University of Western Australia Conservatorium of Music in 2019. His study at the UWA Conservatorium was supported by a Delano Music Scholarship, where he studied with West Australian Symphony Orchestra Principal Clarinet, Allan Meyer and UWA Head of Woodwinds Dr. Ashely William Smith.
Oliver was Principal Clarinet of the West Australian Youth Orchestra in 2018/19, where he performed Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in collaboration with The Orchestra of the Music Makers (Singapore). Oliver has performed extensively across Australia and overseas, in venues such as Hamer Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre, Rod Laver Arena, National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), City Recital Hall, Sydney Town Hall, Sydney Olympic Stadium, Hunter Valley, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Beleura House and Gardens, Perth Concert Hall, Yong Siew Toh Conservatorium of Music (Singapore) and in Indonesia. He has performed under renowned conductors such as Jaime Martin, Benjamin Northey, Sir Mark Elder, Tze Law Chan, Nicholas Carter, Asher Fisch, Brad Cohen, Fabian Russell and Matthew Coorey.
Teaching Info
Able to teach privately at studio located in Glen Waverley, or on request can travel to students in Melbourne. I offer a minimum lesson duration of 1 hour and my hourly rate is $90. I believe it is very important that the teacher spends at least an hour a week helping beginner students to develop the correct technique, instrument/reed setup and practice routines/goals. This is difficult to achieve within a 30 minute lesson.
If you would like to book an initial first lesson, I would be very excited to hear from you with any questions you might have. I am also very happy to teach Eb Clarinet and Bass Clarinet.