British-Polish recorder player Olivia Petryszak currently lives in London, UK.
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A graduate of bachelors from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where she received a 1st Class Honours Bachelors degree in 2022 with added Concert Recital Diploma award for outstanding performance, Olivia also spent 2 years studying at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, and subsequently completed a masters degree at the Akademia Muzyczna w Krakowie in Poland. Through her study she has been lucky to study under some of the best recorder players in the world, principally Erik Bosgraaf. But, somewhere deep-rooted was a secret distaste for all that conservatoire study entailed, and throughout those years of study was a secret exploration into the unknown, and a beginning of pushing the boundaries of the instrument which would turn out to become the fuel for all that came next...
Through a heavily creative musical upbringing, creativity and flexibility remains present and highly important in Olivia’s playing, and her musical spontaneity has helped to create a highly distinctive and unique style. Olivia is active as a performer of early music, but more often now works across across genres as an improviser, composer, arranger and collaborator, priding herself on a unique ability to mold the sound of the recorder to the situation, thus proving its place among other contemporary instruments in the new music scene today.
Olivia prides herself on making the music that inspires her. Collaborating with artists from around the world takes her on frequent travels, and she's lucky to have worked with (and continue to work with!) several amazing musicians in several amazing places! Recent projects include the recording of her debut EP, a 17th-century Italian album recording with Bellot Ensemble, a new album with (mostly) Gambian musicians, recording recorder lines on Thom Yorke's latest album, the list goes on... and looking forward to 2026, bigger and better!
Aside from her performance successes, Olivia is highly proactive in improving the reputation of the recorder worldwide. A growing online presence, published articles, commissioned works, talks, teaching... are all contributing to a larger cause, to prove what the recorder can ***ing do!
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Recent commissions:
When Sanity Visits (Adam Possener, 2019), Home Improvements (James Allen, 2021), Floodlines (Jay Richardson, 2022) and Assembling Strata (Cameron Scott, 2023).