Two of Australia's most outstanding young performers have created an innovative program that includes works by several Australian composers and an original composition by Paul.

Meditations by Nightfall - Wednesday, May 3 at 1: 15 pm

Debussy, Westlake, Edwards, Salzedo, Tournier, Ibert, Nicolaou, Ysaÿe, Ravel, and Bach / Gounod

Paul Nicolaou | harp & Robert Smith | violin

A PROGRAM OF MEDITATIVE WORKS FOR HARP AND VIOLIN INSPIRED BY THE NIGHT

PERFORMERS: PAUL NICOLAOU (HARP) AND ROBERT SMITH (VIOLIN)

PROGRAM

Claude Debussy. Beau Soir (Beautiful Evening). Violin & Harp

Nigel Westlake Beneath the Midnight Sun. Violin & Harp

Ross Edwards The harp and the moon (No. 1) Harp Solo

Carlos Salzedo Chanson dans la Nuit (Song in the Night) Solo Harp

Marcel Tournier Promenade à l'automne (Autumn Walk) Violn & Harp

Jacques Ibert Entr'acte Violin & Harp

Paul Nicolaou Nocturne for a Southern Cross Solo Violin World Premier

Eugène Ysaÿe Violin Sonata No. 3 'Ballade'. Solo Violin

Maurice Ravel. Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess) Violin & Harp

Robert Smith has completed his undergraduate studies with distinction at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, where he studied with Michele Walsh. He is the recipient of the Richard Pollett Memorial Award, the German Violin Travel Bursary and the Gold Coast Friends of the Arts Award. An avid performer, Robert has competed in and won major prizes in competitions across Australia, including the Kendall National Violin Competition, the Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition, the Ronald Clifford Davis Prize, the Basil Jones Sonata Prize and the Vada Jefferies Bach Prize. He has also performed as a soloist with various orchestras, including the Queensland Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Divertimenti Ensemble, and the Redland Sinfonia. Since 2019, Robert has been an active member of the Australian Youth Orchestra, previously participating as concertmaster and associate concertmaster in various programs. Robert has a passion for chamber music and has worked professionally and been mentored by Ensemble Q, Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra and Southern Cross Soloists.

Paul Nicolaou is an emerging harpist and composer based in Sydney, Australia. He has quickly gained international recognition as a creative and virtuosic young artist, receiving the 2021 Monash University Emerging Composer Prize, Most Outstanding Performer Award at the 2022 Sydney Harp Eisteddfod, Highly Commended Award in Willoughby Symphony Orchestra’s 2023 Young Composer Competition, and was a winner of the 2022 Artology ‘Fanfare’ Competition. He was also shortlisted for numerous accolades including the Kendall National Violin Competition 2023 Watermark Composition and ABC Classic’s 2022 Composer Commissioning Fund.

Additionally, Paul was one of four emerging composers from around Australia between ages 16 and 30 to be selected to participate in the Australian Youth Orchestra’s 2022 Composition Program in Melbourne under the tutelage of Anne Cawrse, being the youngest participant that year. He was also one of three composers to be selected for the 2023 Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra Composer Workshop. Paul’s work has been widely acclaimed, the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance, Monash University, noting it “stood out as an exceptional example of both compositional craft and musicality”. Paul also has experience composing for the screen, with his original score for the short film ‘Yannis’ receiving a nomination for Best Original Score (Made in the West Film Festival).

Paul’s works have been performed by both notable emerging and established artists such as Sydney Youth Orchestras, musicians of the Sydney Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, Queensland Symphony, Adelaide Symphony, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras; and in 2023, the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra.

Paul studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under the tutelage of internationally celebrated harpist Alice Giles AM. He has quickly established himself as an accomplished, versatile and sought-after performer, appearing as Principal Harpist of the Australian Youth Orchestra, Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, Bishop Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Fellowship Ensemble, Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra and The Sydney Youth Orchestra.

Paul’s artistry has been widely acknowledged, Mark Walton expressing “[Paul] plays with a profound musicality… This skill usually takes years to develop, and he understands it already. Every single note he played fitted into this glorious soundscape…”.

Paul has performed at prestigious venues as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician, including the Sydney Opera House, St Peter’s Basilica (Vatican City), Hamer Hall Melbourne, the Sydney Town Hall and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). He has given world premieres of internationally recognised composers such as Elena Kats-Chernin, Andrew Ford, Alice Chance, and in 2023, Nigel Westlake.

Paul is also an experienced pianist, harpsichordist and violinist.