Oliver Cope
Conductor: UCL String Orchestra
Oliver Cope is a 25-year-old British conductor, and most recent winner of the International Athens Conducting Competition. He graduated with First Class Honours from the University of Cambridge and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and has studied with prominent teachers including Martyn Brabbins, Sian Edwards, and Johannes Schlaefli.
During his Master’s at RCS, Oliver received the ABRSM Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award and the Hugh S Robertson Prize for Conducting. He completed his studies in June 2024 and was subsequently invited to conduct the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Concert. Elsewhere in the UK, he has worked with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Opera, and the National Symphony Orchestra Dublin, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and many others in Europe as well.
Alongside Oliver’s success in the Athens competition, he was a finalist in both the Mitropoulos Conducting Competition and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Calleva Competition. Currently, Oliver is pursuing a Professional Diploma at the Royal Academy of Music while continuing professional engagements. In 2025, he will become the Temporary Musical Director of the Tonbridge Philharmonic, alongside upcoming engagements with the Athens Philharmonia and the Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias.
