Joseph Nolan

Joseph Nolan, an APRA award-winning British Australian organist, has been described by ABC Radio National as “one of the great organists of our time” and by Limelight (Australia) as “indisputably one of the world’s finest organists.” Critics have consistently praised his artistry, with BBC Radio 3 Record Review admiring his “miraculous playing,” Gramophone (UK) celebrating his “towering technique, vivid virtuosity, and inspired interpretive insight,” and Fanfare (USA) comparing him to Cameron Carpenter, noting Nolan’s “jaw-dropping virtuosity, with both finger-work and footwork that leave one astonished at his dexterity.”

Renowned for his interpretations of Widor’s complete organ works, Nolan’s recordings are widely considered the benchmark, earning two Gramophone Critics’ Choice awards and numerous five-star reviews from leading publications such as The Criterion (New York), MusicWeb International, and ClassicalSource. His performances reach audiences worldwide via broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, Pipedreams USA, Radio France, Radio Sweden, and ABC Classic.

One of Nolan’s standout achievements is his recording of Widor’s Symphony No. 5 at La Madeleine in Paris, released on Signum Classics and honoured with Apple Classical’s Editor’s Choice award, surpassing 169 other recordings on the platform. In a remarkable display of musical endurance, he recorded the complete organ works of Charles-Valentin Alkan over just four nights in January 2025, at Eglise St Martin in Dudelange, Luxembourg, with release scheduled for 2026.

As an exclusive artist with Signum Classics—Gramophone’s Label of the Year—Nolan’s discography is a testament to his reputation, featuring performances on some of the world’s most celebrated organs in iconic venues such as St Sulpice, La Madeleine, and St Etienne du Mont in Paris; St Sernin, Toulouse; St François de Sales, Lyon; St Bavo, Haarlem; St Ouen, Rouen; Buckingham Palace, London; and Eglise St Martin, Dudelange.

Nolan is in high demand as a soloist with major orchestras. His Sydney Opera House debut with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, alongside acclaimed US mezzo-soprano Susan Graham and conductor David Robertson, was lauded by Limelight and The Sydney Morning Herald, who remarked, “I have never heard the Sydney Opera House organ sound better.” His world premiere performance of Mary Finsterer’s Stabat Mater with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at St Patrick’s Cathedral won Performance of the Year and Work of the Year at the 2024 Arts (APRA) awards under conductor Ben Northey.

Joseph Nolan has also appeared as a concerto soloist with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at St Peter’s Cathedral, Canberra Symphony Orchestra at Llewellyn Hall, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Queensland Symphony Orchestra at QPAC, West Australian Symphony Orchestra at Perth Concert Hall, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, where he performed with Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero and conductor Alexander Shelley on a national tour of New Zealand.