Oliver Leith

Oliver Leith (born 1990) is a British composer of classical and electronic music.

Education and career Leith studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2009–2015), where his teachers included Julian Philips and Paul Newland.

His music has been performed at music venues including the Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican Centre, Wigmore Hall, Kings Place and Snape Maltings.

Recordings His work has been commissioned and performed by international ensembles including Explore Ensemble, Apartment House, BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Ives Ensemble, EXAUDI, 12 Ensemble, GBSR Duo, The Hermes Experiment, Plus Minus and Philharmonia Orchestra. The album was chosen as a pick of the week by The Guardian, who described it as having "moments of unexpected grandeur alongside sheer banality, yet somehow the mixture is curiously addictive." The album was also chosen as a highlight of 2020 by BBC Radio 3's New Music Show.

Other releases of Leith's music include Medusa, released by Accidental Records in 2020, and Balloon, released by the label SN Variations, again in 2020.

In January 2020, 12 Ensemble performed "Honey Siren - II. (Full like drips)" by Leith. British Composer Award in 2016, and Ivor Novello Award in 2020. His work "Hallelujah Amen" for mixed voices was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award at The Ivors Classical Awards 2024 in the Best Choral Composition category.

Personal life

Leith lives in Islington. In 2020, he joined a crowd of protestors and posted a photo of himself brandishing an obscene gesture outside the family home of Dominic Cummings, following revelations that the latter had breached COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.