ARCHIVAL NEWS FEATURES

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Nolan Williams, Jr. is best described as a creative force. An award-winning producer, artistic director, composer/lyricist, and cultural curator, the multi-hyphenate Williams has dedicated his professional career to the curation of works that illuminate issues of civil rights, social justice, and cultural curiosities.

A self-avowed citizen artist, Nolan believes in the fundamental power of music and the arts to effect positive change. This belief is reflected in his extensive body of creative work that includes: theatrical productions at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Ford's Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Play House, and The Clarice; curatorial festivals produced in partnership with the Kennedy Center, Philadelphia’s Mann Center, and a host of arts and civic organizations from Atlanta to Los Angeles; cultural programming developed in collaboration with The Smithsonian, U.S. State Department, and the Embassies of India and South Africa; video and documentary projects, including the 2022 Telly Awards Gold Prize winner, "Becoming Douglass Commonwealth"; choral/orchestral works performed by the Philadelphia, National Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Atlanta Youth Symphony, Philadelphia Youth, Kennedy Center Opera House, and NEWorks Philharmonic Orchestras; numerous choral commissions; songwriting credits on two Grammy®-nominated projects; music for television; and, collaborations with an impressive roster of artists, including Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Natalie Cole, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Vanessa Williams, Smokie Robinson, Raul Esparza, and Denyce Graves. 

There is little wonder why Nolan’s work has garnered the 2019 Award for Arts Advocacy from The Kennedy Center's National Committee for the Performing Arts and a staggering 10 Telly Awards for global excellence in television and video in just the past two years. His award-winning projects include: 

Those who follow Nolan’s flourishing career closely have undoubtedly heard about his critically-acclaimed new musical, GRACE—with music and lyrics by WIlliams and book by Williams and Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Nikkole Salter. Hailed by The Washington Post as “a rousing, boisterously melodic new musical,” GRACE just completed its world premiere run at the historic Ford’s Theatre. 

They have also heard of the African American Heritage Hymnal, a bestselling compendium released in 2001—over 500,000 books sold worldwide—spearheaded by Nolan as its chief music editor.  

A resident of Washington, D.C., Nolan is CEO of NEWorks Productions. He is also the inaugural Social Practice Resident at The Kennedy Center REACH.