Oliver Bahr Shermacher

Australian Hometown(s): Sydney & Melbourne
Education: Sydney Conservatorium of Music; Freiburg Hochschule für Musik

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Since winning the Freedman Fellowship in 2018 and reaching the Grand Finals of the 2018 Young Performers Award, Oliver Shermacher has established himself as a sought after chamber musician, soloist and orchestral player in Australia and Europe. He completed his Bachelor in 2017 at the Sydney Conservatorium with Frank Celata and is currently studying his Masters at the Freiburg Hochschule für Musik with Kilian Herold.

Oliver has performed as Principal Clarinet with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia Orchestra, Apex Ensemble and Momentum Ensemble, and as guest clarinetist with professional ensembles in Australia, Germany and New Zealand including Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Offspring, Ensemble Recherche and Oldenburger Kammerorchester.

Oliver has featured as soloist in many of Australia’s prominent music festivals, including Extended Play and the Canberra International Music Festival, and has performed as soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Apex Ensemble and is the Artist in Residence with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra for their 2021/2022 Season. Oliver has commissioned and premiered several new works for clarinet by Australian composers, often with acting, movement and audience participation. He has worked closely with composer Alice Chance, and will be premiering her Clarinet Concerto in October 2022 with the Willoughby Symphony. Oliver has been working for several years as an Animateur with the Australian Youth Orchestra Momentum Ensemble, devising workshops and collaborative performances with special needs students around Australia and works currently as guest lecturer in clarinet at the Freiburg Hochschule für Musik.

Last updated 2022