Originally trained as a biochemist, Michael Oliva is now a composer, with a fondness for writing operas and music for electronics and woodwind.

He performs regularly with the contemporary music ensemble rarescale in the UK and the States, and also runs madestrange opera, a company dedicated to producing new forms of the genre for modern audiences. With madestrange he has premiered his multimedia operas Black & Blue at BAC in 2004 and Midsummer in 2005, and is currently working on his next two operas, The Girl Who Liked to be Thrown Around, presented as a work in progress in Scotland in 2006 and in full production in London in 2007, and Mary Barnes, due in 2008.

As well as over 40 theatre scores, works include Xas-Orion for oboe/cor and electronics, Into the Light for oboe/cor and piano (both recorded by Paul Goodey on his CD 'New Ground'), Torso for wind orchestra, Cyclone for wind quintet with piano, a piece for large ensemble and electronics The Speed of Metals, Night Crossing for wind trio with computer and Apparition and Release for quartertone alto flute and electronics.

Michael also teaches composition with electronics at the Royal College of Music, where he is 'Area Leader for Electroacoustic Music', lectures in music technology at Imperial College, London and researches and publishes on the use of interactive video systems in opera.