Oliver Mears is The Royal Opera's Director of Opera. Mears studied English and history at Oxford University and began his career assisting playwright Howard Barker. In 2004 he co-founded London-based opera company Second Movement and directed numerous site-specific productions for the company, including several UK stage premieres. He was Artistic Director of Northern Ireland Opera from the company's foundation in 2010 until 2017. In 2012 Mears was nominated for the UK TMA Achievement in Opera Award for his leadership of Northern Ireland Opera, and in 2013 was nominated for the International Opera Award for Best Newcomer (Director). He joined The Royal Opera in March 2017.