John Oliver, composer

News Archive before 2017

New revision of CREATIONS for 12 or 16 voices

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John Oliver has revised his seminal 1988 work for two 8-voice antiphonal choirs (16 voices). He has created two new versions: 1] the original work for 16 voices, and 2] a slightly reduced version for 12 voices.

CREATIONS is a choral composition about the creation myths of the world.
Composition Chorale sur la création du monde.
Composición coral sobre los mitos de la creación del mundo.
Composizione corale sui miti della creazione del mondo.
Chor Zusammensetzung über die Schöpfungsmythen der Welt.
关于世界的创世神话合唱作品
世界の創造の神話についての合唱組成

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"Our City Square" arranged for guitar trio

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Oliver has arranged his “Our City Square” for guitar trio. Originally written for the various plucked instruments of his Big World Band, Oliver realized after the first performance that the rather modernist approach to rhythm was more appropriately set for an all-guitar ensemble. Read More...

Nicole Ge Li / Corey Hamm Piano and Erhu project (PEP)

Erhu player Nicole Ge Li and pianist Corey Hamm have teamed up to commission a series of new works for erhu and piano. Go to Nicole’s web site to learn more. I am honoured to be among the composers she has commissioned. On November 24, Corey and Nicole invited me to perform with them (guitar) on their recital at the UBC Recital Hall where Vancouver audiences were treated to the first fruits of this collaboration, featuring World Premieres of three new works I wrote especially for this concert: a duo for piano and guitar, a duo for erhu and guitar, and a trio for erhu, guitar, and piano. Read More...

Résonances Mystérieuses for intermediate piano

My SOUND and MOTION studies for beginner to intermediate piano are little pieces that come to me once in a while when I’m contemplating the nature of…sound and motion (timbre/chord/note and rhythm/pulse/gesture). Read More...

Orchid Ensemble commission "Celestial Storehouse" completed

Last week I completed the commissioned work for the Orchid Ensemble, a work designed for concert and theatrical/multimedia presentation entitled Celestial Storehouse. Read More...