My piece performed live at UWA's Composer's Concert recently.

A Strange Beauty (Live). Performed by Yiannis Maxwell

This is the music I wrote for the first 8 minutes of the classic 1927 silent film Metropolis. It was for a uni project. I used prepared piano only. Meaning, I altered the sounds produced by the piano by sticking things like wooden pegs, pencils, screws etc between the strings. All the sounds you hear are from the piano alone, some have been altered in post (reversing the sound etc). I had a lot of fun doing this. Maybe I'll put up the video on YouTube at some point so you can see how it works with the image. :) 

Metropolis Film. Olivia Davies

'Murmuration' performed by WA Symphony Orchestra Chorus, conducted by Andrew Foote. World premiere 30 July 2023. Commissioned by WA Symphony Orchestra through the support of Prue Ashurst.

Based on Thuy On's poem, Murmuration, from her book 'Decadence'. Recording was made in rehearsal a couple of days prior to the premiere performance.

WASO Chorus - Olivia Davies - Murmuration

‘in Delta’ is an ambient work that explores the texture of sound in a non-linear form. My decision to use a broken guitar gave me not only the opportunity to record a variety of sounds without fear of damage, but it also set its own limitations on me. I was only ‘allowed’ to use the strings it had left and ‘accept’ the sound and tuning into which they had settled over time.

Olivia Davies's Album

'in Delta' (electroacoustic)

This is a live performance of my electroacoustic track 'in Delta'. The structure of the original work was interpreted by Sound of the Mountain musicians Eduardo Cossio and Be Gosper and performed in Perth on the 26th December 2017 at Spectrum Project Space.

'in Delta'_Acoustic

Commissioned as part of the inaugural Summers Night Project 2018. Written for Bass Flute, Tenor Sax, Cello, Piano and live electronics.

Audio Excerpt 3_DAVIES_The Shape of Breath

Electroacoustic track. All samples recorded from a prepared guitar.

Audio Excerpt 1_DAVIES_inDelta

This piece was commissioned and premiered by Intercurrent Ensemble. The commission was made possible by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

Intimate Distance (2019)—Bass Clarinet, Marimba, Piano and Tape

Electroacoustic track made for a video installation as part of a photographic-illustrative exhibition titled Femme in 2018. Image by Natasja Kremers, illustration by Angela Mitchell.

Audio Excerpt 3_DAVIES_Femme (three sections from piece)

Olivia Bettina Davies is an Australian composer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music that spans multiple genres including classical minimalism, experimental and ambient. Davies’ compositions often explore ideas of space, stasis and flow, resulting in soundworlds that are texturally-driven and nuanced. 
Davies is the current composer-in-residence with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra—her tenure of three years commenced in 2022 and is supported by Prue Ashurst.

Having been involved in a number of key musical events, including Perth Festival, the Canberra International Music Festival (2020), Sydney’s Extended Play Festival (2019) and TURA’s Totally Huge New Music Festival (2016, 2017), Davies has worked with leading Australian ensembles including the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Offspring, Decibel New Music and the Australian Chamber Orchestra Collective—with whom she recorded her piece Crystalline for the 2018 Hush Foundation album Collective Wisdom. 

Davies’ music has received awards including the University of Western Australia’s prestigious Dorothy Ellen Ransom Prize in Musical Composition and People’s Choice Award for her piece Observed for Wind Quartet, as well as Best Original Score at the 168 Film Festival in LA (2016), for her music on the short film The Voice in the Wilderness. Last year Davies was awarded the Art
Music Award: Large Ensemble for her piece Stratus (2021) which was conducted and performed by Asher Fisch and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

Davies has had three premieres this year including a 6-hour performance installation titled Gradient in collaboration with Callum G’Froerer and Nick Roux, a choral work titled Murmuration performed by WASO Chorus, and an orchestral work titled Oscillations for Orchestra conducted and performed by Asher Fisch and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

OLIVIA BETTINA DAVIES

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