Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Hector Olivera’s first musical studies began with his father. He started (aged three) playing the pipe organ, was appointed organist for the Church of  the Immaculate Conception two years later and, at six, entered the Buenos Aires Conservatory to study harmony, counterpoint and fugue. It was here that he began to develop the art of improvisation and, by the age of nine, had composed a suite for oboe and string orchestra that was performed by the Buenos Aires SymphonyOrchestra.

He entered the University of Buenos Aires at age 12. By 18, he had performed  over 300 concerts throughout Latin America and had appeared frequently on national  radio and television. During this time, he also served for three years as the senior improvisational accompanist for the Collegium Musicum in Buenos Aires, a role credited as being a major building block in his noted improvisational abilities.

In 1965, he was offered a scholarship to the prestigious Juilliard School of  Music in New York and moved to the United States. Three years later he won the National Improvisation Contest sponsored by the American Guild of Organists and  began a concert career that spans decades. Throughout his musical studies, Hector Olivera was taught by the late Hector Zeoli,  the distinguished Mr. Vernon de Tar, and the notable Juan Francisco Giaccobe.

In addition to concerts in the United States, Hector has also performed in Australia,
France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland,
Taiwan, Mexico and throughout Latin America.

Notable venues include the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, the Crystal Cathedral, Spivey Hall, Constitution Hall, Balboa Park, and the Myerson Concert Hall in Dallas, Texas. He was the featured organist in the  1978, 1980 and 1984 International Organ Festivals in Manchester, UK.

As a tribute to Virgil Fox, Hector Olivera performed a solo concert at St. Paul’s Cathedral in New York City in conjunction with the Lincoln Center of Performing Arts.

In 1988, after years of performing and residing in the United States, Hector was invited to play once again in Argentina. Upon his arrival, he was treated as a national hero with standing room only concerts that were attended by heads of state and celebrities, and was featured in numerous radio shows and television appearances.

Hector has also performed as guest soloist with orchestras throughout the world, including the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Fort Wayne Symphony, the Dover-New Philadelphia Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Amsterdam Baroque Ensemble, the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Jahja Ling and the Pasadena Symphony conducted by Jorge Mester. In collaboration with the Pasadena Symphony a numbered and limited Gold CD edition was released, featuring Hector as soloist performing the Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 on the five manual Möller pipe organ.

In the Times Reporter, famed composer Robert Vandall described Hector Olivera's
performance with the Tuscarawas Philharmonic as "an opportunity to hear and see greatness." In 1992, Hector had the unique experience of being the featured performer at the American Guild of Organists' (AGO) convention held at the fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. This event included the world premiere of a commissioned composition written by William Albright. Later, from this same famed theatre, Hector was a guest on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion” and, according to Keillor himself, "literally stopped the show." In 1996, Hector was the artiste of choice to perform at Spivey Hall in Atlanta for the 1996 Olympic games cultural event, for which he received multiple standing ovations and rave reviews.

In 2002, Hector was invited once again to perform for the AGO, where his
transcription of Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" resulted in spontaneous standing
ovations by his peers.

In addition to performing at concert halls throughout the world and dedication recitals in churches and symphony halls, Hector is a consultant for the design of both new and refurbished pipe organs. He presently works with the world's renowned electronic organ manufacturers, the prestigious Roland Corporation and Rodgers Instruments, both endorsing their products and contributing to the development of their organs.

High School music directors often invite Hector to help encourage future generations to share his love for the organ.

Hector has released more than 20 recordings from classical to contemporary and film score transcriptions and has also just released his first DVD, recorded live in Japan.  He continues to thrill audiences with both solo classical literature and his own orchestral transcriptions. Although he is known for his technical proficiency, the true connection he makes with audiences results from the fact that he plays from his soul and creates a mood or emotion with every piece. Hector Olivera is a passionate, gifted and unique musician whose very personal interpretations of both classical and popular music literature continue to leave his worldwide audiences in awe.

  
Above photographs copyright Margaret Falkner
source interview: Alan Ashton, UK