Oliver Webber

LONDON HANDEL PLAYERS

Oliver Webber has been exploring the world of historical violins since the early 1990s. He has been a passionate advocate for bringing research and performance together: his work in the field of string-making has been transformative, inspiring individuals and ensembles worldwide, and his study of historical bow-holds has played a role in several important recordings, including Gabrieli’s award-winning readings of Purcell in 2019. He has a particular passion for the music of the 17^th century: for the Taverner Consort's recording of L'Orfeo in 2012, Oliver led the string band, collaborating closely with Andrew Parrott on precisely modelling Monteverdi's own string band, including the elusive violini piccoli alla francese.

Oliver is a professor of baroque violin and viola at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he also teaches ornamentation for singers and instrumentalists. His 2021 Resonus Classics recording with Steven Devine of virtuoso Italian diminutions, Con Arte e Maestria, was described as ‘dazzling yet intelligent’ – Planet Hugill. He is regularly invited to give lectures and workshops on ornamentation internationally, most recently in Norway, Czechia and Germany.

He is the artistic director of the Monteverdi String Band, who have carved a niche exploring the wider culture of the era: performances have included sword fights, poetry, and live physics experiments. Their first recording, The Madrigal Reimagined, was released in summer 2024, and hailed as ‘an extraordinary CD’ (Early Music Review), ‘a great achievement and a model of creative programming and performance’ (Johann van Veen), and ‘a wonderfully satisfying recital’ (Planet Hugill).