NOLAN WILLIAMS, JR.

NOLAN WILLIAMS, JR.NOLAN WILLIAMS, JR.NOLAN WILLIAMS, JR.

NOLAN WILLIAMS, JR.

NOLAN WILLIAMS, JR.NOLAN WILLIAMS, JR.NOLAN WILLIAMS, JR.
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Award-winning Producer ▪ Composer ▪ Cultural Curator

Award-winning Producer ▪ Composer ▪ Cultural Curator

"Williams has a musical language all his own. It brims with vernacular American optimism..." 

- Peter Dobrin

The Philadelphia Inquirer


"[Williams] is able to compose convincingly in every popular genre..." 

- Peter Marks

The Washington Post

"One of my favorite musicians. 

Incredibly talented"

- Brian Stokes Mitchell

Tony Award-winning actor 

and Broadway legend

"Nolan is BRILLIANT... 

a musical genius!"

- Denyce Graves-Montgomery

Internationally acclaimed opera star

"[His] work is beautiful. 

[His] message is even more beautiful." 

- Audra McDonald

 Tony Award-winning actress 

and Broadway legend

nolan'S LATEST PROJECT

On Saturday, July 9, Nolan hosted The Kennedy Center's first-ever colloquium celebrating African American foodways, headlined by the incomparable chef Carla Hall, with tastings curated by Hall, celebrity chef Rock Harper, and more. A highlight of the occasion was the presentation of the inaugural Grace Awards honoring extraordinary leadership and exceptional works that celebrate and elevate African American culinary traditions in the spirit of GRACE, the musical. The inaugural recipients are: Virginia Ali, owner of Ben's Chili Bowl; Dr. Lance London, owner of Carolina Kitchen; and Dr. Erinn Tucker Oluwole and Furard Tate, co-founders of DMV Black Restaurant Week.


Check out the compelling images below and click the link to access the event program.


And, in case you missed the Broadway World feature story, here's the link.

Find out more

Marc Bamuthi Joseph & Nolan w/ Grace Awardees Dr. Erinn Tucker-Oluwole, Virginia Ali, Furard Tate, & Dr. Lance London (Credit: Jermoni Dowd/ NEWorks) 

    THIS JUST IN...

    Nolan & NEWORKS HAVE won SEVEN 2022 TELLY AWARDS!

    "Becoming Douglass Commonwealth," the documentary Nolan produced and directed last year, has swept every category bringing home a staggering SEVEN 2022 TELLY AWARDS! 


    Presented by Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and produced by NEWorks Productions, "Becoming..." was released in April 2021 and has aired, to date, in five CBS east coast markets and on DCTV.


    With over 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents, the Telly Awards are the global gold standard for excellence in video and television across all platforms. 


    Here's a full list of the awarded prize categories.

    GOLD PRIZE

    Best Documentary for Television

    SILVER PRIZES

    Best News Feature for Television

    Best Direction for Television

    Best Editing for Television

    Best Writing for Television

    Best Political/Commentary for Television

    Best Government Relations for Television

    Altogether, Nolan's artistic work has earned 10 TELLY AWARDS in the past 2 years!

    Find out more

    Recent PROJECTS

    NBC4-Washington recently released this news feature on Nolan

    DAMIEN GETER'S 'AN AFRICAN AMERICAN REQUIEM'

    Nolan's NEWorks Philharmonic Orchestra and NEWorks Voices of America joined forces with the Choral Arts Society of Washington to perform a critically-acclaimed, east coast premiere of Portland composer Damien Geter’s Requiem. 


    Photo credit: Shannon Finney courtesy of Choral Arts

    CLICK HERE TO READ THE WASHINGTON POST REVIEW

    KENNEDY CENTER World Premiere of Commissioned SONG

    Nolan recently premiered "We are the ones to heal our land," a justice-themed pop anthem commissioned by Choral Arts Society of Washington and Washington Performing Arts for their annual "Living the Dream, Singing the Dream" MLK concert. 

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

    GRACE @ FORD'S THEATRE

    Nolan's musical GRACE had its world premiere at the historic Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. from March 19 to May 14, 2022. 


    Watch this WETA Arts/PBS feature story to learn more about the show.


    Click here to view Playbill's first look images of the show!


    Photo credit: André Chung


    And check out these GRACE reviews...

    "soulful and heart-filled..."

    "soulful and heart-filled..."

    "soulful and heart-filled..."

    David Friscic, BroadwayWorld

    READ REVIEW

    "...a knockout of a musical"

    "soulful and heart-filled..."

    "soulful and heart-filled..."

    Andre Hereford, MetroWeekly

    READ REVIEW

    "unstoppably entertaining..."

    "soulful and heart-filled..."

    "unstoppably entertaining..."

    Gregory Ford, D.C. Metro Theatre Arts

    READ REVIEW

    CULTURAL CURATION

    A creative innovator, Nolan has a long history of developing multifaceted programming that pairs performance, educational and visual arts projects with social impact initiatives. Click below to learn more about his curations from 2010 to present day. 

    learn more

    AND MORE...

    Social Practice Residency

    Social Practice Residency

    Social Practice Residency

    In 2019, Nolan was named the inaugural Social Practice Resident at The Kennedy Center REACH. His focal project has been the development of STIRRING THE WATERS ACROSS AMERICA, his theatrical concert production that highlights seminal moments of the modern Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968. Click here to view the gallery of images that chronicle year one of his residency.

    Music Publications

    Social Practice Residency

    Social Practice Residency

    Nolan is chief music editor of the bestselling African American Heritage Hymnal. Released by GIA Publications in 2001, this landmark compilation has sold over 500K copies worldwide. Nolan is also associate editor of Total Praise, the 2012 hymnal developed for the eight-million-member National Baptist Convention, USA, and third-most contri

    Nolan is chief music editor of the bestselling African American Heritage Hymnal. Released by GIA Publications in 2001, this landmark compilation has sold over 500K copies worldwide. Nolan is also associate editor of Total Praise, the 2012 hymnal developed for the eight-million-member National Baptist Convention, USA, and third-most contributing arranger for Lead Me, Guide Me - Second Edition, an African American Catholic hymnal (2012).  

    Special Recognitions

    Social Practice Residency

    Special Recognitions

    Nolan's honors include: seven 2022 Telly Awards for his television special advocating for D.C. statehood, including the coveted Gold Prize for Best TV Documentary; three 2021 Telly Awards Bronze Prizes for his live chat series co-hosted with celebrity Chef Carla Hall and his voting rights anthem; 2019 Arts Advocacy Award, Kennedy Center N

    Nolan's honors include: seven 2022 Telly Awards for his television special advocating for D.C. statehood, including the coveted Gold Prize for Best TV Documentary; three 2021 Telly Awards Bronze Prizes for his live chat series co-hosted with celebrity Chef Carla Hall and his voting rights anthem; 2019 Arts Advocacy Award, Kennedy Center National Committee for the Performing Arts; 2017 W.E.B. Du Bois Arts & Education Award; 2013 honorary Doctor of Music, Richmond Virginia Seminary; 2012 American Cancer Society Award; 2012 Genius4Men Award. 

    Social MEDIA

    Copyright © 2021, Nolan Williams, Jr. 

    All Rights Reserved.

    COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Marvin Joseph 

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