The Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI), in collaboration with BBC Northern Ireland (BBC NI), offers awards for young, exceptionally talented solo musicians/singers/singer-songwriters in Classical, Jazz, Contemporary and Traditional Music who are ready to enter the professional world as artists.

The financial award associated with this scheme will allow applicants to spend a sizeable amount of time learning from a master musician/ teacher/composer etc. abroad. The BBC will facilitate this scheme by offering two professional broadcast performances to six successful applicants, in the period January 2021 – December 2022.

The Young Musicians’ Platform Scheme is a biennial scheme offering a maximum of six individual awards of £5,000 plus two professional engagements arranged by BBC Northern Ireland for a broadcast chamber music/ solo recital and/or concerto performance with the Ulster Orchestra where appropriate.

Who can apply?
• Individual classical, jazz, traditional and contemporary singer-songwriters, musicians who reside in or originate from Northern Ireland;
• Lower age limit of 18 and up to an age limit of 26 for instrumental players, and 29 for singers;
• Classical, jazz and traditional musicians who have made a meaningful contribution to artistic activities in Northern Ireland;
• Applicants must have reached a high standard of public performance as indicated within the references and as demonstrated with a solo recording of two (2) contrasting works of no more than eight (8) minutes each.

The following are not eligible:
• Applications for prolonged study at centres of further or higher education. However, applications involving short-term attendance at centres of further education will be considered if the proposed master/artist is accessible only through this route.
• Applications from previous recipients of a Young Musicians’ Platform award.
• Materials/equipment

See link below for further details.