Work TBA
Composed for Lili Stephens
Commissioned by the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) as part of the ANAM Set 2026 and written for Lili Stephens, to be premiered during ANAM’s 2026 recital season at the Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne.
The 2026 ANAM Set commissions are supported by the Anthony and Sharon Lee Foundation.
About the composer:
“Rapidly emerging as one of Australia’s most exciting young artists” (ABC Classic), Paul Nicolaou is a multi-award-winning harpist-composer based in Sydney. Praised as “brilliant” (classikON), he has quickly gained international recognition as a creative and virtuosic young artist, receiving numerous accolades including the 2026 Eva Pascoe Award, First Prize in the 2023 National Youth Music Arranging Competition, and the 2021 Monash University Emerging Composer Prize.
An Honours graduate from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Paul studied under internationally celebrated harpist Alice Giles AM. After commencing harp aged 16, he 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, among others.
A recipient of ABC Classic’s 2024 Commissioning Fund and selected composer for the Australian Music Centre’s 2025 MOMENTUM Plus project, Paul has participated in composition programs including the Australian Youth Orchestra’s 2022 Composition Program and 2023 Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Composer Workshop. He also has experience composing for the screen, being a finalist in the 2025 APRA Professional Development Awards and his original score to the short film Yannis receiving a nomination for Best Original Score at the Made in the West Film Festival 2023.
Paul’s works have been performed by notable emerging and established artists such as Sydney Youth Orchestras, the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra, Leichhardt Espresso Chorus, Caesura Ensemble, and musicians of the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Adelaide, and West Australian Symphony Orchestras.
With a strong interest in music for interactive media, Paul enjoys analysing, arranging, and performing music from video games. He was a recipient of Music Australia’s Export Development Fund, where he studied game composition with BAFTA-winning composer Austin Wintory. Paul is also a pianist, violinist, and an accredited music arranger with the Music Arrangers' Guild of Australia and Australian Music Centre Associate Artist.
Paul hails from Sydney, NSW / Eora on Gadigal and Bidjigal Country.
Instagram:@_paulnicolaou_
Facebook: @paulnicolaoumusic (Paul Nicolaou, musician)
Photo credit: Ammar Jamal, supplied by composer.