Oliver Davis

Oliver Reynolds Davis (born January 1972) is an English composer, pianist and singer. and British classical harpsichordist Virginia Black.

Davis studied at the Royal Academy of Music, graduating in 1994. He has since composed and produced albums, soundtracks, concertos and television scores working with London orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra.

Career After graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in 1994, he initially worked in television and animation scoring, composing music for numerous series and productions before transitioning more prominently into orchestral and ballet composition. Over time, he established collaborations with major ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and his works have been widely broadcast and commercially successful, frequently appearing in UK classical charts and on radio stations such as Classic FM. His music has also become successful in international ballet, with performances by leading companies including the Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. His early major concert work Flight (2013), a violin concerto for solo violin and strings, marked a turning point in his concert career and later formed the basis of his debut album. This was followed by a sequence of concept albums—Seasons (2015), featuring Anno, a modern reinterpretation of The Four Seasons; Dance (2016), which incorporates rhythmically driven orchestral pieces influenced by ballet; and Liberty (2018), whose material was later adapted into choreographic works such as Bacchus. Subsequent albums expanded his catalogue further, including Arcadia (2019), Solace (2021), Air (2022), the latter comprising works such as Life Cycle, Biorhythms, Mortal, and Afterlife, written for combinations of violin, piano, strings, harp, and orchestra. The Elements for mixed ensemble, Eros and Psyche for soprano and strings, and This Mortal Man for soprano, harp, and strings.

His choral writing includes pieces such as At That Hour, while his chamber and instrumental works span solo piano pieces (e.g., Reflection) and small ensemble compositions. His compositional style is generally tonal and accessible, often built around lyrical violin writing and repetitive minimalist textures, which has contributed to his appeal in both concert and dance settings. The Cramp Twins, and Humf, reflecting the breadth of his early career in media composition. Eaton Music Benjamin Baker, Huw Watkins, Kerenza Peacock, Hanke Brohers 2018 Solace Signum Records Eaton Music Kerenza Peacock, Jonathan Hill, Grace Davidson, Oliver Wass, Sam Brophy, Benedict Moriarty, Sergio Puccini, Henry Hanssen, Beth & Flo, Katherine Jenkinson, Nicholas Holland, Huw Watkins, Budapest Scoring Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Péter Illényi 2021 Air Signum Records Eaton Music Ben Baker, Kerenza Peacock & the Hanke Brothers 2022 Blue Signum Records Eaton Music Beth & Flo, Grace Davidson, Julia Doyle, Paul Bateman. 2023 Life Signum Records Eaton Music Huw Watkins, Kerenza Peacock, Benjamin Baker, Katherine Jenkinson. Accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Julian Kershaw 2025

Films and animation

Television series

Ballet

Instrumental works

Orchestra

Soloist(s) and orchestra

Soloist(s) and large ensemble (7 or more players) WorkInstrumentationYearEpilogueSolo violin and strings2014

Works for 2–6 players

Solo keyboard(s)

Chorus a cappella / chorus plus 1 instrument WorkInstrumentationYearA Song for MalalaMale Voice Choir and Piano2013

Chorus and orchestra/ensemble

Solo voice(s) and up to 6 players WorkInstrumentationYearLondon Song CycleSoprano, 2 flutes, 2 marimba, and cello2011

Sound design

Musicals