Biography
One of the most popular performers and composers in modern Jewish music, Josh Nelson brings an extraordinary message of hope, unity, and spirituality to concert stages and worship services across the globe. Josh is a gifted multi-instrumentalist and songwriter whose work is celebrated and integrated into the repertoire of congregations, camps, and communities around the world.​​
A classically trained musician who is equally versed in rock, jazz, and world music, Josh combines a broad range of influences into a breathtaking musical style that is accessible to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Josh previously served as Director of Jazz Programs and an adjunct professor at Boston University. While he performs professionally on as many as thirteen different instruments (though not at the same time), he is most widely considered an extraordinary guitarist, pianist, and vocalist.
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Hailed by Time Magazine as a “Star of the New Jewish Music,” Josh has served as the music director for the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) Biennial Convention, faculty for the Hava Nashira Music Institute, and a musical artist in residence for the JCC Maccabi Artsfest. He has also served as a member of the URJ Faculty of Expert Practitioners, is the recipient of a PresentenseNYC Fellowship, and remains an active member of the Schusterman ROI Community. From 2009-2019, Josh revitalized and reimagined high holiday services at New York’s historic 92nd St. Y. In 2015, Josh starred in the New York Off-Broadway Revival of Soul Doctor at the historic Actor's Temple Theater. Josh is also the founder and creative director of THEWAREHOUSE, an alternative Shabbat experience for unaffiliated young Jews in major metropolitan areas.
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Josh's work has been featured on PBS, Sirius XM, and other major media outlets in the USA, Europe, Asia, and Israel.
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Performance highlights include: International Symphony of Peace Prayers, Mt. Fuji, Japan; Burning Man, Black Rock City, NV; March of the Living, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland; South by Southwest (SXSW), Austin, TX; Limmud Conferences, Warwick, UK and Istanbul, Turkey; international conventions for each of the major youth movements in the USA (NFTY, USY, BBYO, etc.); URJ Biennial Conventions; the USCJ Centennial Convention; JCCA National Conventions; JCC Maccabi Games; CAJE Conferences; Apple Corp.; Google NYC; & Jewish music festivals, synagogues, and concert halls around the world.