Olivia Castle is a Jazz vocalist and session artist, currently based in East Anglia. She has performed to sold out audiences across the UK, and at many prestigious venues including The Royal Albert Hall and St Paul’s Cathedral. Despite the Great American Songbook holding a special place in her heart, Olivia enjoys performing music of a variety of genres.
She was praised as ‘a genuine talent’ by the late Sir Michael Parkinson and has been fortunate to work alongside many musical greats, including Daniel Barenboim, Gustavo Dudamel, Laurie Holloway MBE and Denis King of The King Brothers.
Olivia has had a love of Jazz standards since growing up watching her mother perform with a Jazz trio. It was only recently that Olivia discovered the full extent of her family’s history of Jazz performance, learning that her Romanian great-grandfather put together a Jazz band that toured around Europe during the 1920’s. The Padureano Jazz band performed regularly in Madrid and Paris, frequently entertaining the aristocracy and the Spanish Royal family. This Jazz heritage within her family has cemented her love for this kind of music.
Olivia was runner-up in the BBC Radio 2 Chorister of the Year final, held at St Paul’s Cathedral in 2008, performing to a panel of judges which included Carrie Grant and Hayley Westenra, and an audience of 1500 in addition to the radio listeners. As part of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain she was privileged to perform at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall with conductors Daniel Barenboim and Gustavo Dudamel for two consecutive years, in 2011 and 2012. In 2011 she was also awarded the Diploma in Musical Theatre (dipGSA) from the Guildford School of Acting and completed her Grade 8 Singing, achieving a high distinction.
Olivia graduated with a first class honours degree in Drama and Theatre from Royal Holloway, University of London, in 2014. Whilst at university her musical activities involved being a Choral Scholar in the much-acclaimed Chapel Choir, taking on multiple theatrical roles such as Mabel in ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ and singing with the university Big Band.
After her years at University she was fortunate to perform with the legendary Laurie Holloway and his trio, and the Malcolm Edmonstone trio through the Montgomery Holloway Trust, a summer school which trains up-and-coming young Jazz musicians. She also performed regularly with the celebrated composer Denis King, whom Olivia met whilst performing as Dorothy in a production of ‘Wizard of Oz’, where Denis was the musical director. This production was particularly special to her and it is for this reason that the Judy Garland classic ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ features on her album, ‘Siren Song’.
Since getting married and becoming a mother, Olivia has enjoyed sharing her love of music with her family. She continues to perform in and around East Anglia and can also be booked for private events.
Discography
Siren Song- Olivia Castle
The Music Trust- Sounds Good Records- Students of the Montgomery Holloway Jazz Trust
Hymns to St Cecilia- Hyperion Records- Royal Holloway Chapel Choir
Cantiones sacrae octonis vocibus- Hyperion Records- Royal Holloway Chapel Choir
Kreeks Notebook- Hyperion Records- Royal Holloway Chapel Choir
Gorecki: Totus Tuus- Delphian Records- National Youth Choir of Great Britain
Songs of the Baltic Sea- Delphian Records- National Youth Choir of Great Britain