PRESS
LIMELIGHT - The beating heart of Orange
“The first event in 2025’s Cultured program was a world premiere program by harpist-composer Paul Nicolaou. Elemental Resonance, hosted in the Library, is an immersive, relaxed performance for audiences of all ages that offers a musical exploration of the four elements – earth, air, fire and water.
With his harp lined with lights that changed to evoke each element, Nicolaou packed a varied program, from Handel’s Air in A minor (apt), Australian works by Tristan Coelho and Nigel Westlake and a track from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Westlake’s Toward the Midnight Sun felt particularly beautiful in this arrangement.
Alongside an improvisation in duet with a video of flickering candles, Nicolaou also performed two original works. During the water section, Naiads and their Flowing Springs was a world premiere that bookended the performance – Nicolaou’s cascading, beautiful arpeggios a strong evocation of these fantastical springs.
The performance also made room for young children to interact with the works on a less formal, multi-sensory way. He encouraged children to play with blue fabric that lined the front of the performance space as he performed, and passed around a stuffed penguin for everyone to interact with while he spun his gold.
You form quite a funny relationship with those around you as you pass another adult, this little penguin; you can trace a line of community with the small, bashful laughs that follow it as it journeys across the room.”
classikON - Orange 2025 – Another Festival to Remember!
“Elemental Resonance by harpist Paul Nicolaou explored the natural elements through sound and colour, creating a sensory-rich experience.”
classikON - A concert for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, generously filled with musical delights
“the brilliant young harpist, Paul Nicolaou. His performances shed light on the subtle timbral possibilities of his instrument, climaxing in his finale, Ravel’s iridescent Introduction et Allegro.”
“Very impressive also was the premiere of Nicolaou’s own composition, Between Darkness and Light, commissioned by Dr Adele Stewart and dedicated to the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Here the harmonic interstices between major / minor, and modal / diatonic realms were scrutinised with a fascinated, and fascinating, attention.”
LIMELIGHT - Tchaikovsky, Smetana and Sibelius (Sydney Concert Orchestra)
“Topping off the Fantasy Overture is the exquisite harp playing of Paul Nicolaou, who almost emerges as a featured soloist. …This prominence of the harp segues beautifully into Smetana’s Vltava (Die Moldau).”
InReview - Illuminating: Bel Canto brings beauty to our lives
“Paul Nicolaou, the harpist in Regnava nel silenzio played with gravitas.”
CBR CityNews - Beauty reigns in young artists’ recital
“Composed for this musical format and for this concert series, Paul Nicolaou’s, Of Light, Divided, for viola, cello and harp ended the program. A conceptual work that explored light, colour and motion. It shimmered, and melted through gorgeous tonalities and reflected the sentiment of the whole concert, beauty.”
LIMELIGHT - Cultured: A love letter to Orange
“The shining gem of the Cultured program was a performance at the Orange Regional Gallery. With perhaps one of the most exciting permanent collections on offer, rich with stellar Australian work, the Gallery is an inspired home for a performance.
Next, near the front of the permanent collection… a trio performance of Nicolaou’s Of Light, Divided. A wash of harp arpeggios perfectly complemented the beautiful resilience of David Rose’s After the Fires at Kariong.”
ABC Classic - New music from emerging and diverse Australian voices tell the stories of our time
“Sydney based composer, Paul Nicolaou is writing a new work for Harp, Violin and Bassoon; a sonic exploration of the nature of progress — what is gained, and what must be left behind.”
"This work is both a personal and societal expression of the nature of forward-motion. It finds its roots in my experience growing up LGBTQIA+ in an Orthodox environment. Through growth as an individual and the embrace of my identity, I gained happiness, confidence, and individuality." - Paul Nicolaou.
CutCommon - How AYO is “democratising” classical music for Australian communities
“Paul Nicolaou has, incredibly, only being playing his instrument for four years. I have had the privilege of attending a number of his performances this year, and he always gets a visceral reaction from me in the audience. I suspect this performance of Elegy for String Orchestra will be equally powerful and moving.”
LIMELIGHT - 2024 ABC Composer Commissioning Fund artists announced
“The title of harpist and composer Paul Nicolaou’s work, προχωρώ (prochoró), translates as ‘progress’ or ‘proceed’. For the composer, the work is a “personal and societal expression” of growing up as a LGBTQIA+ individual raised Orthodox.”