The €10,000 RDS Music Bursary is the largest single music bursary on offer to a young musician in Ireland. It is unique in that it is open to all singers and instrumentalists. Since its foundation in 1731, the RDS has promoted and developed the Arts. Music is a cornerstone of the RDS’s foundation activity.

The RDS Music Bursary was first awarded in 2003 and was initiated to support the professional development of young musicians. The Bursary is intended to assist a young professional musician develop their career through further study at home or abroad or through the purchase of a suitable musical instrument or sheet music.

There have been three very worthy winners of the Bursary since its inception: Redmond O’Toole, Cello Guitar; Mairead Buicke, Soprano; and, Aisling Seery, Recorder.

The RDS Music Bursary is open to winners from the senior competition categories at the Dublin Feis Ceoil. The Feis Ceoil has also made a significant contribution to supporting Music in Ireland and the RDS is delighted to continue its association with this body.

The Feis Ceoil winners are invited to apply for the Bursary in April of each year and must submit a detailed application form. Short listed candidates are invited to interview with a panel of judges. This year’s judges are Colman Pearce, Maurice Flynn, Maeve Madden, Richard Stokes and Anne Marie Stynes.

The RDS’s support of music does not end with the RDS Music Bursary. The RDS foundation music programme has an exciting list of events planned for the RDS Concert Hall in 2006 including a production of Maritana by William Wallace on June 24 and 25, an Alternative Careers in Music Seminar on October 7 and the return of the highly-regarded Chamber Music Weekend on November 18 & 19, 2006.

For further information, please contact: Katie Finnegan, Press & Marketing at 01 240 7269. Email: katie.finnegan@rds.ie