Paul Nicolaou

harpist, composer, arranger

  • “[Paul] plays with a profound musicality; and what was particularly impressive was his command of the silences. This skill usually takes years to develop, and he understands it already. Every single note he played fitted into this glorious soundscape…”

    – Mark Walton; performer, composer, arranger, musical educator

  • “There was some very high quality work… but [Paul’s] stood out as an exceptional example of both compositional craft and musicality.”

    – Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance, Monash University

  • “the brilliant young harpist, Paul Nicolaou. His performances shed light on the subtle timbral possibilities of his instrument, climaxing in his finale... Very impressive also was the premiere of Nicolaou’s own composition, Between Darkness and Light,"

    - David Vance, classikON

  • “Topping off the Fantasy Overture is the exquisite harp playing of Paul Nicolaou, who almost emerges as a featured soloist."

    Jansson J. Antmann, LIMELIGHT

  • "Paul Nicolaou’s, Of Light, Divided... shimmered, and melted through gorgeous tonalities and reflected the sentiment of the whole concert, beauty.”

    Rob Kennedy, CBR CityNews

“I felt as though I was listening to a professional colleague, rather than a school student.”

- Mark Walton

  • Paul Nicolaou is a harpist and composer based in Sydney, Australia. He has quickly gained international recognition as a creative and virtuosic young artist, receiving numerous accolades including First Prize in the 2023 National Youth Music Arranging Competition, the 2024 ABC Classic Composer Commissioning Fund, 2021 Monash University Emerging Composer Prize, Most Outstanding Performer Award at the 2022 Sydney Harp Eisteddfod and the Highly Commended Award in Willoughby Symphony Orchestra’s 2023 Young Composer Competition.

  • Paul has quickly established himself as an accomplished, versatile and sought-after performer, appearing as Guest Principal Harp with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Auckland Philharmonia, as well as Omega Ensemble, Ensemble Apex and more.

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