Leaving Cert Student Wins 2019 RDS Music Bursary

Leaving cert student Kevin Jansson was announced as the 2019 RDS Music Bursary winner. Valued at €15,000, the RDS Music Bursary is the single largest annual classical music award in Ireland and one of the largest in Europe. The RDS Jago Award of €5,000, the second of the RDS Music Bursary prizes, was awarded to flautist Amy Gillen. Both musicians will also receive professional performance engagements with RTÉ Orchestras as part of their prizes.

Kevin will use the prize money to help fund his studies at the prestigious Julliard School, Manhattan, New York, where he has been accepted with a scholarship to study piano with Dr Veda Kaplinsky and Mr Julian Martin. Former General Manager of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Brian O’Rourke was chair of this year’s judging panel, who were so impressed with Kevin’s application form, performance and interview that he was awarded full marks and was described as ‘brilliant in all respects.’ The RDS Music Bursary comes with a professional performance engagement with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and a second performance in partnership with Irish Heritage in London.

Kevin was the winner of three prizes in the 2019 Feis Ceoil, including the Morris Grant Bursary. He is has already been the recipient of numerous international awards and accolades. He also has an impressive and extensive list of performances to his name, including performances with Camerata Ireland, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Ulster Orchestra and the New York Concerti Sinfonietta in Carnegie Hall. Kevin was the youngest ever member of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland and has given a private performance of Chopin and Rachmaninov for President Michael D. Higgins in Áras an Uachtaráin.

“We are delighted to award Kevin Jansson this year’s Bursary, he really impressed the judges and undoubtedly is a performer with a very exciting career ahead of him” said RDS Chief Executive Michael Duffy. “Studying under Veda Kaplinsky is a brilliant opportunity and we wish him every success with his move to New York. Classical music has a strong tradition within the RDS. By backing talents such as Kevin and Amy we are supporting classical music performance in Ireland and encouraging others to reach their musical potential.”

2019 RDS Jago Award Winner

The 2019 recipient of the Jago Award is Donegal born flautist Amy Gillen. A graduate of the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, she is currently studying for a master’s in music performance in Flute at the Royal College of Music in London. In the 2019 Feis Ceoil she won the McCullough Cup. She has performed extensively and regularly deputized as Principal Flute with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra. Amy plans to use the prize money from the RDS Jago Award, which also comes with a performance opportunity with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, towards the purchase of a new professional quality instrument.