Organists
Joseph Nolan
Organist and Master of the Choristers
Joseph Nolan is an internationally renowned organist who was appointed to Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal, St James’s Palace, United Kingdom in 2004 where he played for the regular services. He broadcast with the choir on Radio 3 and Classic FM as well as playing at the Thanksgiving Service for Princess Diana at The Guards Chapel in August 2007, broadcast on BBC Television.
Joseph performed on numerous occasions at Buckingham Palace, most notably giving the inaugural recital of the refurbished Ballroom organ in November 2005 to a distinguished invited audience.
Joseph was the first ever organist to record a commercial CD of this instrument in November 2006 for the Signum label. This CD was lauded by Gramophone Magazine, UK: ‘Nolan uses the organ to amazing effect...such an astute musician.’
A scholarship holder at The Royal College of Music, London, Joseph won major organ prizes and was awarded First Class Honours for his B Mus Final Recital at The Temple Church, London. Joseph then studied in Paris with Marie Claire Alain and in London with Dame Gillian Weir supported by scholarships from The Countess of Munster Trust, The Hattori Foundation and The Royal Philharmonic Society.
Joseph’s career is being recognised internationally with his CD recordings on the Signum, Sanctuary, Herald and Priory labels being lauded by International Record Review, BBC Music Magazine, Diapason (France and USA), Klassik (Germany), Fanfare (USA), American Record Guide, Gramophone (UK), The Saturday Telegraph, Novita Gennaio (Italy), Luisata (Holland) and the Penguin Good CD Guide. They have also been broadcast in part on BBC Radio 3, Radio France and Radio New Zealand.
Joseph has toured extensively across Europe, North America, New Zealand and Australia, including giving concerts in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, London, St John’s College Cambridge and for various US conventions including the 2008 Year of the Organ.
Festival appearances include Cambridge, Thaxted, Oundle and Perth, where he conducted a performance of Part’s Passio with the legendary Hilliard Ensemble at Perth Concert Hall in February 2010.
Joseph has also performed organ and trumpet concerts with the world’s leading trumpeters, including Crispian Steele Perkins and Alison Balsom, and he will appear in concert with the King’s Singers at the Fugato Festival in Bad Homburg in September 2010.
Joseph’s latest disc from St Sulpice, Paris for Signum Records has been particularly well received, winning the Star Recording award from The Organ Magazine, and receiving rave reviews in Gramophone Magazine - ‘a brilliantly played recital’, Music Web International - ‘this disc should find a special place amongst organ collectors’, and American Record Guide - ‘the best Liszt Ad Nos on record’. The disc was also awarded ‘Disc of the Week’ on Swedish national radio.
Joseph took up the post of Organist and Master of the Choristers at St George’s Cathedral in March 2008, where he directs the professional Cathedral Choir of men and boys and the Cathedral Consort, and is responsible for the Cathedral Concert Series.
Stewart Smith
Assistant Organist
Stewart Smith has been the assistant organist at St George's Cathedral since late 2007, having previously been in this position from 2004-2007.
He studied at the Royal Academy of Music and at London University, graduating with first class honours and a masters degree, and winning many prizes and scholarships along the way.
In Australia, Stewart is in much demand as a soloist and accompanist, and has recently performed at international festivals in Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide as well as regional festivals throughout the country.
As a harpsichordist and as an organist, he has broadcast many times with the ABC, and regularly plays with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO) and early music groups in Western Australia and elsewhere.
Stewart is a senior lecturer and the coordinator of classical music at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, where - in addition to taking an active role in teaching and research - he has conducted a number of Baroque operas and has been the recipient of a number of important research grants.
Over the last few years, Stewart has made five CD recordings with the early-music group Ensemble Batistin for the ABC Classics label featuring little-known music of the French Baroque.
Elijah Lim
The dr geoffrey gates AM Organ Scholar
Elijah Lim is a year 10 student at Guildford Grammar School and currently studies organ with the Organist and Master of the Choristers, Joseph Nolan. He is working towards his Grade 8 ABRSM organ examination.
| Organists | |
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1875 -???? |
C Trotter |
| Assistant Organists | |
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1971 |
Ian Hardy |
