The award-winning British-Australian Organist, Joseph Nolan, has been hailed “as one of the great organists of our time” (ABC Radio National), “indisputably one of the world’s finest organists” (Limelight, Australia), “for his miraculous playing” (BBC Radio 3 Record Review), “for his towering technique, vivid virtuosity, and inspired interpretive insight’’ (Gramophone, UK), and “as the Australian counterpart of Cameron Carpenter here in the USA—an organist with absolutely phenomenal keyboard technique’’ (Fanfare, USA).
Apple Classical have recently awarded Joseph’s recording of Widor’s Symphony No 5 from La Madeleine Paris, for Signum Classics, their Editor’s Choice award ahead of 169 other available recordings on the platform.
Joseph recently undertook the monumental challenge of recording the complete organ works of Parisian recluse and virtuoso, Charles-Valentin Alkan, on the famous Stahlhuth/Jann organ housed in the Eglise St Martin, Dudelange, Luxembourg. The first album will be released in mid-2025.
Arguably best known for his recordings of the complete organ works of Widor, Joseph’s Widor cycle has been awarded two Gramophone Critics Choice, innumerable five-star reviews in the major music magazines, and benchmark status in Gramophone, New York’s The Criterion, MusicWeb International and ClassicalSource. The disks have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Pipedreams USA, Radio France, Radio Sweden, and ABC Classic, amongst others.
Joseph is an exclusive artist for Gramophone Label of the Year, Signum Classics. Joseph’s discography for Signum reads as a Who’s Who of some of the world’s greatest organs and buildings, including St Sulpice, Paris, La Madeleine, Paris, St Etienne Du Mont, Paris, St Sernin, Toulouse, St Francois de Sales, Lyon, St Bavo Haarlem, St Ouen Rouen, Buckingham Palace and Eglise, St Martin, Dudelange, Luxembourg.
A much sought-after soloist with major orchestras, Joseph Nolan made his debut as soloist at Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (alongside star US mezzo-soprano Susan Graham) under their former chief conductor, David Robertson. The concerts received rave reviews in Limelight and The Sydney Morning Herald, who stated that “Nolan has an unequivocally refined ear and sensitivity to French repertoire... I have never heard the Sydney Opera House organ sound better”.
Joseph’s debut as organ soloist in the world premiere of Mary Finsterer’s Stabat Mater with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne recently won Performance of the Year and Work of the Year in the 2024 Arts (APRA) awards. The performance was conducted by Principal Conductor of the MSO, Ben Northey.
Joseph has also performed as a soloist with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at St. Peter’s Cathedral, the Canberra Symphony Orchestra at Llewellyn Hall, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra at Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra at QPAC, and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra at Perth Concert Hall. He has also appeared as a featured soloist on a national tour with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra alongside famed Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero and conductor Alexander Shelley.
An organ student of Professor Richard Popplewell at The Royal College of Music, London, Joseph won multiple prizes, including for most promising organ student. Awarded First Class Honours for his BMus final recital at the Temple Church, London, Joseph continued his postgraduate study with Marie Claire Alain in Paris, winning scholarships from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Hattori Foundation.
Upon returning to London, Joseph was appointed to Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace, in 2004. Joseph has performed on numerous occasions at Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace, most notably giving the opening concert of the refurbished Grand Ballroom organ to a distinguished invited audience. Joseph is the first solo artist to be featured on a commercial disk performing on the Grand Ballroom organ in Buckingham Palace.
Joseph was recruited as Master of Music at St George’s Cathedral, Perth, Western Australia by Dean Emeritus, Dr John Shepherd, in 2008. Founded by Joseph in 2009, the Cathedral Consort and Cathedral Concert Series are now firmly established as cultural jewels of Western Australia. The Australian and West Australian newspapers have described the Cathedral Consort’s performances as ‘‘elite and world class”.
Under Joseph’s leadership, The Cathedral Consort has performed at Perth Festival, for Musica Viva and collaborated with The Hilliard Ensemble, The Academy of Ancient Music and The King's Singers. Gloria, a collaboration between WASO, St George’s Cathedral Consort, and contemporary dance group, Co3, conducted by Joseph, was awarded an Australian Performing Arts Mainstage award.
Joseph conducted WASO and St George’s Cathedral Consort at Perth Concert Hall in April 2024 in a concert titled Gloria featuring Vivaldi’s Gloria and Handel’s Dixit Dominus. Gloria was voted as one of the best concerts across Australia by national arts magazine, Limelight.
The Government of France awarded Joseph the medal of Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres for services to French music in 2016. An Honorary Fellow of the University of Western Australia, Joseph was awarded the university’s prestigious higher doctorate, the Doctor of Letters, in 2018. Joseph’s career has also been the subject of substantial interviews on Radio National (Australia) and in features within Gramophone, Choir and Organ, The Organ, The Age (Sydney), Classical Music, and The Australian.
Joseph recently opened the 2025 International Organ Festival from St James’ Church, Sydney, featuring their new Dobson organ from the USA. Limelight awarded the concert five stars hailing Joseph’s playing as ‘A Triumph’.
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