Sarah Brady Wins 2017 Bernadette Greevy Award

Sarah Brady

Sarah Brady Wins 2017 Bernadette Greevy Award

Bursary of €5,000 awarded to soprano following final in June.

Soprano Sarah Brady, a Master’s degree student at the Royal Irish Academy of Music – and who recently starred in Siobhán Cleary’s opera Vampirella – was announced the winner of this year’s Bernadette Greevy Bursary earlier this month.

Brady’s winning performance in the final of the Bernadette Greevy Bursary took place on 20 June at the National Concert Hall and was adjudicated by Celine Byrne and Ian Caddy. She performed a programme of works by Handel, Mahler and Philip Martin. The bursary is worth €5,000.

Previous winners of the prize include bass-baritone Padraic Rowan (2016), soprano Roisin Walsh (2015), soprano Jennifer Davis (2013), mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly (2012), Aoife Miskelly (2011) and baritone Gavan Ring (2010).

Established in 2010 by the NCH and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Bursary was created to support and provide performance opportunities for young Irish singers. The prize honours the late Irish mezzo-soprano and opera festival director Dr Bernadette Greevy.

An additional award of €500 was presented by Celine Byrne to Rory Dunne for an outstanding performance of a Mahler song.

Young Musician’s Award
The NCH also announced 
Fiachra De hÓra (viola), age 18 from Dublin, and Callum Owens (cello), age 16 from Cork, as joint winners of the NCH Young Musician’s Award for String Players 2017. Both winners receive €5,000 each which may be used for to pursue further musical studies or towards an instrument upgrade.

De hÓra performed an arrangement of Prokofiev’s Introduction to Romeo and Juliet, followed by Vieuxtemp’s Capriccio in C minor for solo viola and the second movement of Franck’s Violin Sonata, arranged for viola. Owens performed the first movement of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C, followed by Valentini’s Cello Sonata (first and second movement), Ravel’s Habanera and Cassado’s Dance of the Green Devil.

Both performances were adjudicated by leader of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Helena Wood and Principal Bass player with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra David Daly. The award, presented every two years, is made possible through the support of Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Trondheim Soloists Chamber Orchestra.

Simon Taylor, CEO of the National Concert Hall, commented

It is encouraging to see the wealth of musical talent that exists in Ireland. We are delighted to support that talent with these awards and to play a part in the future of the next generation of classical musicians. We wish Sarah, Callum and Fiachra the very best in their musical careers and look forward to hearing them perform in the near future.

For more, visit https://goo.gl/ob1af3 

 

Published on 10 July 2017

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