Inspiration from Greek Myth to Super Mario, instrumentation including bass flutes and mezzo sopranos, and free improvisation weaved into intricate compositions. The Olivia Murphy Jazz Orchestra (OMJO) is heartfelt then silly, orderly then raucous but always astonishingly original, featuring some of the most impressive improvisers in the UK. Murphy’s compositions have been described as “an undoubted triumph” and “outstanding… fresh contemporary music”, while her distinct conducting style is “like expressive dancing”; she feels that leading her Orchestra is exactly what she was meant to do.

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Since its formation in early 2022, OMJO, directed by multi-award-winning composer Olivia Murphy, has performed sold out dates across the UK, including Birmingham Symphony Hall, Pizza Express Jazz Club, The Vortex Jazz Club, and Cheltenham Jazz Festival. Their debut EP Somewhere, Not So Far Away”, recorded live in Birmingham in 2022 was described as “brimming with emotion” and “highly accomplished music”. In 2024, the Orchestra recorded their debut studio album with support from the Help Musicians’ Next Level Award. The album (expected release in 2026) features Murphy’s 4-piece Sister Suite and her Eddie Harvey Award-winning arrangement of You Are There.