Touring around Australia this September, Paul Nicolaou’s multi-sensory, all-Australian program Elemental Resonance aims to immerse audiences in a solo harp performance evoking earth, wind, fire and air. 

Speaking to Limelight, the Australian harpist and composer admits that the four elements were the first thing that came to mind, “because they’re very represented in music”.

Paul Nicolaou performing Elemental Resonance at the 2025 Orange Chamber Music Festival. Photo © Peter Hislop

“They’re extremely relatable for audiences. Audiences of any age and any background know what earth, air, fire, and water are, and how they work and how they differ.”

“There’s also a lot of opportunity in there to have different multi-sensory elements. So, my first task was thinking up a program that could kind of divide into those four elements, and then after that thinking about how I could maybe pair some of those pieces or some of the musical experiences with other sensory experiences.”

With two of his own pieces and two improvisations, Nicolaou engages the senses. His piece Pythia, Oracle...