Matt Nolan (born 1974) is an English drummer, bespoke

musical instrument A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make Music, musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person ...

maker and metal sculptor. Nolan works as an independent

cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sou ...

and

gong A gongFrom Indonesian language, Indonesian and ; ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ; ; ; ; is a percussion instrument originating from Southeast Asia, and used widely in Southeast Asian and East Asian musical traditions. Gongs are made of metal and ...

maker from his workshop in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

in the South-West of England. Nolan is part of a small community of one-man "artisan cymbalsmiths" and attracts the interest of professional drummers and musicians. Nolan was an electrical engineer before he became an instrument maker. According to ''The Drummer's Journal'', Nolan is "the only person in the UK independently making cymbals, alongside only a handful of other individuals worldwide." Nolan crafts by hand different metal percussion musical instruments, both repeated lines and bespoke commissions, including novel instruments and recreations of

period instruments In the historically informed performance movement, musicians perform classical music using restored or replicated versions of the instruments for which it was originally written. Often performances by such musicians are said to be "on authentic ...

. Nolan started experimenting with making metal percussion instruments in 2005. In 2008, he started a one-man artisan business. Nolan works with a range of materials, including bronze alloys,

stainless steel Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES), or rustless steel, is an iron-based alloy that contains chromium, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion comes from its chromi ...

and

titanium Titanium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resistant to corrosion in ...

. Nolan has consulted and worked collaboratively on various projects, including the

Stella Artois Stella Artois ( , ) is a pilsner beer, first brewed in 1926 by Brouwerij Artois in Leuven, Belgium. In its original form, the beer is 5.2 per cent Alcohol by volume, ABV, the country's standard for pilsners. The beer is sold in many EU countrie ...

's Chalice Symphony, the Gameleste for

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

(an experimental musical instrument used on the Biophilia album and tour and also displayed at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

in New York City), and underwater instruments for Danish group, Aquasonic. Nolan won the 2025 Creative Bath "Product Design and Creation" Award primarily for his work in 2024 with artist

Lawrence Abu Hamdan Lawrence Abu Hamdan (born 1985, Amman) is a contemporary artist based in Dubai. His work looks into the political effects of listening, using various kinds of audio to explore its effects on human rights and law. Because of his work with sound, ...

. Nolan designed and built a series of water-powered kinetic sound sculptures for Abu Hamdan's "Wsh wsh" exhibit at the inaugural Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial festival.

References

External links

Official websiteMuseum of Modern Art

Between Music: Aqua SonicMatt Nolan Video Review (NSMD Magazine)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nolan, Matt 1974 births Living people English musical instrument makers