Olivia Bennett (b. 2002) is an award-winning composer and performer from Southwest Missouri. Her music has been performed in many festivals and events including the Tanglewood Institute (‘19), Mizzou’s Creating Original Music Program (‘11,’16,’17,’18,’19,’20), Interlochen Arts Camp (‘18), and American Composers Forum’s NextNotes (‘19). She was also invited to compose for the National Youth Orchestra (as an apprentice composer), YoungArts Program (LA), and Kaufman Music Center’s Luna Lab Program in 2020. Olivia has been fortunate enough to study with many well-known composers including but not limited to Missy Mazzoli, Ellen Reid, Nico Muhly, Kristin Kuster, Jennifer Jolley, Stefan Freund, and her current teacher, Carlyle Sharpe. She has had her works played by the Columbia Civic Orchestra, Tanglewood Young Artists Orchestra, Interlochen Philharmonic, Springfield Youth Symphony, and many chamber ensembles around the nation. Along with her composition studies, she loves to perform as both a soloist and in chamber and orchestra settings as a pianist and cellist. Olivia has played with the Missouri Philharmonic Orchestra in 2019-20 and Springfield Youth Symphony in 2018-19. She is extremely excited to attend Rice University in the fall of 2020. Olivia is pursuing a PhD in music composition and is looking forward to the many collaborations and opportunities to come.

Awards and Recognition in Composition

2020

• National Youth Orchestra Composer Apprentice
• National YoungArts Foundation (merit) 

2019

• American Composers Forum NextNotes (winner)
• Luna Composition Labs Fellow (2019-2020 winner)
• National Federation of Music Clubs composition competition (state & regional winner)
• National Federation of Music Clubs composition competition (5th nationally)
• Missouri Composers Project (winner)
• University of Missouri Creating Original Music Project composition competition (2nd place)
• Springfield Youth Symphony Composition Competition (winner)

2018

• University of Missouri Creating Original Music Project composition competition (2nd place)
• National Federation of Music Clubs composition competition (state & regional winner)
• National Federation of Music Clubs composition competition (2nd nationally)
• Tribeca New Music Young Composer Competition (Emerging Composer)
• Luna Composition Labs (honorable mention)

2017

• Missouri Composers Project (winner)
• University of Missouri Creating Original Music Project composition competition (2nd place)
• National Federation of Music Clubs composition competition (state & regional winner)
• National Federation of Music Clubs composition competition (7th nationally)

2016

• University of Missouri Creating Original Music Project composition competition (winner)

2011

• University of Missouri Creating Original Music Project composition competition (3rd place)

Works

2019

• Dialogue and Delusion—fixed media and classical guitar
• Psalm 55—mezzo-soprano and piano
• 1939—string quartet
• Three Cryptics—saxophone quartet
• Festival of the Fairies—full orchestra
• Dead Mammoth—fixed media, bass singer, bass clarinet, percussion, piano, cello
• Mayhem—brass quintet
• Sharp Edges—woodwind quintet
• 3 Miniatures for Orchestra—full orchestra
• Baboon—percussion quintet
• Xavier Sebastian Blackwell–Lipkind—electronic music

2018

• Four Hands—piano four hands
• Imagination—full orchestra
• L’éveil de la Nature—woodwind quintet 

2017

• Nefarious—cello and piano
• Chirpy—woodwind choir
• The Royal Scandal—string quartet
• The Hare—full orchestra
• The Hare (chamber version)—flute, clarinet, vibraphone, harp, piano, violin, viola, cello
• Until Dawn—full orchestra
• OLIVIA—solo piano

2016

• Wistful Fog—solo piano
• A Dark Path—woodwind trio

2015

• Eavesdropping—electronic music
• Lure— electronic music
• Takeoff— electronic music

2011

• Count Olaf—solo piano