NCH announces winners of Young Musician Award for Strings
The National Concert Hall has announced the two winners of the Young Musicians Award, which supports the development of talented young string musicians in Ireland. Violinist Kevin Jansson (14, Cork), and cellist Killian White (15, Dublin) will share the €10,000 bursary which may be used toward tuition, instrument upgrade, travel or other costs faced by student musicians as they develop their potential.
Judges Chi-chi Nwanoku, MBE (double bass) and Darragh Morgan (violin) commented that Jansson’s violin recital ‘demonstrated a wonderfully natural feel and understanding’ while White’s cello performance showed ‘extremely accomplished playing’.
Jansson is the youngest ever member of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland. Not only is he a violin player, but in 2014 he was one of 12 pianists worldwide who participated in the 2014 Lang Lang International Music Foundation Junior Camp in Barcelona. He will put his €6,000 bursary toward purchasing a new violin and attending masterclasses in Austria and Romania.
White is also a winner of the Terry O’Connor trophy for Junior Concerto at the Feis Ceoil and was invited to play in Farmleigh House at the Department of Justice & Equality Missing Person’s Day 2014. He will put his €4000 bursary towards the purchase of a new cello and to attending masterclasses.
The National Concert Hall Young Musician Award for Strings is made biennially in support of the development of talented young musicians in Ireland. The award was instigated following a benefit concert in 2007 by Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Trondheim Soloists Chamber Orchestra, who generously donated their fees in support of the Education, Community and Outreach Programme of the National Concert Hall.