***Top Security/ Frank Maher Classical Music Awards 2020***

Deadline for submissions: Friday 11 September 2020, 5pm
Competition: 2 October 2020

Top Security is delighted to announce that the Frank Maher Classical Music Awards WILL be taking place this year. It will be run subject to prevailing Covid-19 protocols and this means some necessary changes from previous years. 

The Awards have been running for almost 20 years and are now the largest classical music competition for secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland.  Many winners have continued their studies at internationally acclaimed academies and gone on to perform at high profile venues all over the world. Open to sixth year students only, the €5,000 prize must be used by the winner to attend a recognised place of tuition, a course of study in Ireland or abroad or on any purchase necessary for the development of their career. The finalists will each receive a €300 bursary.

The Top Security Frank Maher Classical Music Awards were created in 2001 by Emmet O’Rafferty, chairman of the Top Security Group, to honour the memory of his late teacher, Fr Frank Maher, a pioneer in the nurturing of musical talent in secondary schools. 

Commenting on the awards, O’Rafferty said:

Life must go on and we believe it is important to keep supporting young musical talent, now more than ever. From feedback we’ve received, the Frank Maher Awards are not only a vital financial boost to the winner, but also securing a place in the finals itself is an important achievement to have when applying to music colleges and institutions. It’s for these reasons that we decided to go ahead in 2020. There will be changes to the competition night format to comply with all prevailing Covid-19 protocols and ensure a safe environment for our finalists.

Past winners have received national and international recognition for their achievements and used their prize money as a springboard towards a professional career by funding their studies at some of the world’s most renowned music colleges and institutions, including the Juilliard School, Barenboim-Said Akademie, Royal College of Music, Conservatoire Nationale Superieur de Musique et de Danse, Kronberg Academy and the Meadows School of the Arts to name a few.

The closing date for entries is Friday 11th September at 5pm. The competition will be held on the night of Friday 2 October 2020. 

More details on www.frankmaherclassicalmusicawards.com