Biography

British-Algerian-German violinist Olivia Ziani lives in London and enjoys an extensive and varied freelance career across a multitude of different musical genres. 

As an orchestral violinist, Olivia currently performs with orchestras and ensembles including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, London Contemporary Orchestra, Chromatica Orchestra, Engines Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra, and the Orpheus Sinfonia. Olivia has toured with various orchestras around the UK, Europe and Russia, and in 2022, Olivia spent the summer in Berlin, Germany, performing as a principal player with the Berlin Opera Academy Orchestra. 

Olivia is the current violin chair-holder on the UK tour of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". Prior to this, she was the violin chair-holder and orchestra leader of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s "Love Never Dies" international tour in China. Alongside this, Olivia performs regularly as a deputy violinist on "Phantom of the Opera" at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Haymarket, and on the current UK tour of "Hamilton". 

Olivia has given solo and chamber music recitals at venues including the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Leeds International Concert Series, and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. She currently performs as lead violinist in both the 97 Ensemble and the Kalpadruma Collective. 

Olivia also works frequently in the pop industry as a television and music video violinist, and has appeared performing with artists on television shows including The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, The Jonathan Ross Show, The One Show, Starstruck, and Michael McIntyre’s Big Show. She has performed with artists such as Robbie Williams, Rita Ora, Adam Lambert and James Arthur. 

Olivia began playing the violin at the age of six. She attended the Purcell School for Young Musicians for sixth form before beginning studies as a violin scholar at the Royal College of Music, where she attained a first class honours degree and a postgraduate performance degree, studying with Professors Yossi Zivoni and Gabrielle Lester. During her time at the RCM, Olivia led both the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Opera Orchestra, and performed as principal second of the Symphony Orchestra. 

Olivia is a qualified violin teacher with a distinction in the ABRSM teaching diploma qualification. In 2021, she was an ambassador for the Benedetti Foundation, and was appointed violin teacher at the University of Reading in 2022.