Matt Nolan

{{other uses|Matthew Nolan (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}

File:MattNolanBronzeGong.jpg. The characters are in the ancient Irish writing system Ogham. The text is read from top in the clockwise direction: ᚛ᚗᚂᚂᚘᚋ ᚗᚅᚐᚅᚈ᚜. Transcription: UILLIAM UINANT (William Winant).]]

Matt Nolan (born 1974) is an English drummer, bespoke musical instrument maker and metal sculptor. Nolan works as an independent cymbal and gong maker from his workshop in Bath 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.{{cite news |title=5,000 Years in 3,000 Words: Cymbal History |url=http://www.drummagazine.com/gear/post/5000-years-in-3000-words-cymbal-history/P5/ |first=Hugo |last=Pinksterboer |work=drummagazine.com |date=March 2013 |accessdate=2015-08-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923220859/http://www.drummagazine.com/gear/post/5000-years-in-3000-words-cymbal-history/P5/ |archivedate=23 September 2015 |df=dmy-all }}{{cite news|title= Matt Nolan: Custom Cymbals |url= http://www.drummagazine.com/gear/post/matt-nolan-custom-cymbals/ |work=drummagazine.com |first=Andrew |last=Lentz |date= 11 September 2009 |accessdate=2015-08-25 }} 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."{{cite journal|title= A Model Citizen: Matt Nolan: Cymbalsmith |url=http://www.thedrummersjournal.com/issue-3 |work=thedrummersjournal.com |first=Tom |last=Hoare |format=PDF |issue=3|pages=26–36 |date=May 2013 |accessdate=2015-08-25 }}

Nolan crafts by hand different metal percussion musical instruments, both repeated lines and bespoke commissions, including novel instruments and recreations of period instruments. Nolan started experimenting with making metal percussion instruments in 2005.{{cn|date=August 2015}} In 2008, he started a one-man artisan business.{{cite news | url=http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/business/8635973.East_Lancashire_man_creating_status_cymbals/ | title=East Lancashire man creating status cymbals | work=Lancashire Telegraph | date=14 November 2010 | accessdate=28 August 2015 | first=Anna | last=Mansell | quote=Two years ago, Matt left electronics behind to embark on a full-time career as a cymbal and gongsmith ... "I started to get more fascinated in cymbals about six years ago," the self-taught artisan said.}} Nolan works with a range of materials, including bronze alloys, stainless steel and titanium.{{cite news|title= Matt Nolan: Custom Cymbals (Update) |url=http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2012/01/matt-nolan-custom-cymbals/ |work=moderndrummer.com |first=Michael |last=Dawson |date=March 2012 |accessdate=2015-08-25 }}

Nolan has consulted and worked collaboratively on various projects, including the Stella Artois's Chalice Symphony,{{cite news|title= Stella Artois: Chalice Symphony |url= http://creativity-online.com/work/stella-artois-the-chalice-symphony/34156 |work=creativity-online.com |date=6 March 2014 |accessdate=2015-08-25 }} the Gameleste for Björk (an experimental musical instrument used on the Biophilia album and tour and also displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City),{{cite news |title= How Björk broke the sound barrier |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/feb/15/bjork-delta-archives-alex-ross |work=theguardian.com |first=Alex |last=Ross |date=14 February 2015 |accessdate=2015-08-25 }}{{cite news |title= New instrument alert: Björk's gameleste |url=http://www.therestisnoise.com/2011/09/gameleste.html |work=therestisnoise.com |first=Alex |last=Ross |date=14 September 2011 |accessdate=2015-08-25 }}

and underwater instruments for Danish group, Aquasonic.{{cite web|url=http://spotfestival.dk/program/between-music-aqua-sonic-en/?lang=en|title=Between Music: Aqua Sonic – Friday Show 2 – Spot Festival|first=|last=|work=spotfestival.dk|year=2015|accessdate=27 August 2015}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Nolan won the 2025 Creative Bath "Product Design and Creation" Award primarily for his work in 2024 with artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan. 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.{{cite web|url=https://creativebathawards.org/winners|title=The award winners : Creative Bath Awards}}