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[[File:Stephen Oliver.jpg|thumb|Stephen Oliver]]'''Stephen Oliver''' (1950&ndash;1992) was a composer, best known for his operas.

He was born in [[Chester]] and educated at St Paul's Cathedral, and [[Ardingly]] College. While still a schoolboy, he wrote a trumpet concerto, a film score, three major cantatas, a number of ensemble and choral works, and three operas.<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/features/stephen-oliver--in-memory-of-a-brief-but-brilliant-career-1958276.html [[Simon Callow]], "Stephen Oliver - In memory of a brief but brilliant career" ''The Independent'' 17 October 2013</ref> He wrote his opera, ''The Duchess of Malfi'' while studying music at [[Worcester College, Oxford]]. During this time he was one of the first people to make contact with the [[Oxford CHE Group]], which was then being set up.<ref>''[[Amiable Warriors]]'' Volume One, page 283.</ref>

He wrote many other operas, a musical based on the life of [[Blondel]], and the score for the BBC Radio series ''The Lord of the Rings''. He was a frequent guest on Radio 4's ''Stop the week''. He died of [[AIDS]]-related complications aged 42.

:"His early death was a tragedy, and a particularly intense one since he did not live to see either the widespread acceptance of homosexuality or the rapidly improved treatments for Aids, which came in the next decade."<ref>http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/nov/04/stephen-oliver-composer-tribute-book Hilary Wetton, "So much, yet not enough: A tribute to composer Stephen Oliver" ''The Guardian'', 4 November 2010</ref>

==Further reading==

''Friendships in Constant Repair'', by Ruth and James Oliver, Matador, 2010. ISBN 978-1-84876-534-4

==External links==

http://www.stephenoliver.org/ The Stephen Oliver website.

==References==
<references>

[[Category:Composers]]
[[Category:AIDS-related deaths]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:1950 births]]