Let’s create something meaningful together.

About

Oleta Haffner, a biracial female composer based in London, UK, channels her deep passion for storytelling into her musical compositions. Her collaborative spirit has led her to work across a spectrum of mediums, including films, animations, video games, theater productions, dance productions, and the concert hall.

Black and white portrait of a woman with curly voluminous hair, wearing glasses and a casual shirt, smiling at the camera.

During her Film Music Composition studies at the London College of Music, Oleta forged a partnership with Questors Theatre in Ealing. Together, they brought to life a series of memorable productions, including an adaptation of George Orwell’s "1984" (2019), "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (2023), "Things I Know to be True" (2020), "The Children" (2021), and "Not About Heroes" (2018).

Following her graduation, Oleta's creative journey expanded to encompass a wide range of projects. She contributed her musical talents to a variety of animated shorts featured on Mashed, a Channel 4 YouTube channel. Her portfolio also includes music for Oscar and Bafta-qualifying short documentary Note of Defiance and stop-motion short film Stumbling Blocks. More recently, Oleta has completed the music for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s adaptation of The BFG and the dance production Meet the Hatter by Joss Arnott Dance Company.

In 2022, Oleta won the inaugural Jonas Gwangwa Composition Initiative Award which was presented by The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at Abbey Road Studios. The initiative aims to foster broader representation in film music composition, with an emphasis on Black British talent. 

Oleta conducted her piece “Chemy” for string orchestra, harp, and drumkit at the Royal Festival Hall in September 2023.

She was also commissioned to write four pieces for the J.A.M String Collective as part of their debut album She Looks Up at the Trees (2025).

Oleta served on the film music jury for the Ivor Novello Awards 2023 and was a panelist on Abbey Road Equalise 2023. She also moderated a panel at the Watersprite Film Festival and gave Best Film Score at the awards ceremony alongside composer Natalie Holt in 2024.

Oleta conducted the Flames Collective choir at the Royal Albert Hall and the London O2 Arena with RAYE and the Heritage Orchestra.

Represented by

  • "She's going to be big news and she’s only in her twenties.”

    —Daniel Evans

    Co-Artistic Director - Royal Shakespeare Comany

  • "She’s going to take over the world."

    - Toby Olié

    Puppetry Designer & Director

  • "I trusted her from day one to go away and come back with a score that not only represented, accentuated and drove the narrative forward, it also encapsulated the resolution and new beginnings. She is truly wonderful."

    Donovan Swart - Director/ Writer

An orchestra group performing on stage, conducted by a person with curly hair wearing glasses and a blue jacket, with musicians playing string instruments.
Two people, a woman and a man, standing on either side of a large gold award statue resembling an Oscar, inside a room with dark curtains in the background.
A female singer with dark hair performs passionately on stage, holding a microphone with her right hand and raising her left hand. She wears a strapless, shiny, checkered dress. Behind her, a band and singers perform in front of a large illuminated s
Panel discussion at a movie theater with three people on stage, one woman and two men, seated in chairs and talking into microphones, with a large screen behind them displaying the Mercury Studios logo.
Conductor leading an orchestra with musicians playing string instruments on stage in a dark theater.
Four people on stage celebrating, with one holding a trophy, at an event titled 'International FFH'.
Four women sitting on a bench, engaged in conversation, with three playing musical instruments: a violin, a cello, and a viola.
Orchestra rehearsal with musicians playing string instruments, led by a conductor in a large room with white brick walls.
A woman with curly black hair and glasses sitting alone in an empty theater, resting her chin on her hand, looking thoughtful.
Three people posing together in front of a backdrop with 'The Ivors' and 'Amazon Music' logos. Two women and one man, all dressed in formal attire, smiling and with arms around each other.
A diverse group of singers and musicians performing on stage, with some holding sheet music, in an orchestral concert setting.
Five women standing together on a stage with purple and yellow 'tweetchest' banners in the background, smiling at the camera.