Soprano wins €15,000 RDS Music Bursary

Ireland’s largest annual classical music prize, with total prize fund of €22,000 and valuable performance opportunities

Megan O’Neill (soprano) was today (Tuesday, 26 April) announced as the 2022 winner of the €15,000 RDS Music Bursary. The RDS Music Bursary is the single largest annual classical music award in Ireland and one of the largest in Europe. Megan qualified for the bursary by winning the Gervase Elwes Memorial Cup in this year’s Feis Ceoil.

“We are delighted to award Megan O’Neill this year’s RDS Music Bursary, she really impressed the judges and undoubtedly is a performer with a very exciting career ahead of her” said RDS Chief Executive Geraldine Ruane. “We wish her every success with her doctorate studies the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Classical music has a strong tradition in the RDS, and we are excited about supporting talented young artists to reach their full potential through this bursary, and our continuing support for Feis Ceoil, which is the qualifying competition for the RDS Music Bursary.”

RDS Music Bursary - Megan O’Neill

Megan O’Neill, from Co. Kerry, is in the second year of a Doctor in Music Performance Degree at the RIAM studying with Professor Mary Brennan and Dr Andrew Synott. She completed a Masters in the same college graduating with a first-class honour’s degree following her undergraduate studies in Maynooth. A multiple prize-winner in recent years at the Feis Ceoil, Megan has performed in many opera productions. She will play the lead role in the world premiere of the film ‘Dreamcatcher’ by Kevin O’Connell in May 2022 and will also be participating in Wexford Festival Opera in 2022 and 2023. Megan will use the €15,000 RDS Music Bursary money to pay for the third and fourth years of her degree before auditioning for opera studios in Europe.  An engagement with the National Symphony Orchestra and a recital at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris are part of this award.

RDS Jago Award – Mollie Wrafter

The RDS Jago Award of €5,000, the second prize in the RDS Music Bursary Programme, was awarded to 24-year-old violinist, Mollie Wrafter from Co. Offaly. She qualified for the RDS Music Bursary by winning the Aileen Gore Cup & RTÉ lyric FM Award at this year’s Feis Ceoil. Mollie will also receive a solo engagement with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra as part of this award. She completed her B(Mus) in the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester in 2020, graduating with a first-class honour’s degree. She plans to undertake a master’s at Codarts in Rotterdam studying with Vesna Gruppman starting in Seotember. She will use her bursary money to support her college expenses in Holland. Mollie is part of a Chamber Music Quarter, who are one of only six quartets, invited to attend a residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada in July 2022. The reminder of her RDS bursary money will be used to fund her travel expenses.

RDS Collins Memorial Performance Award - Phoebe White

Phoebe White (violinist) was also announced as this year’s recipient of the €2,000 RDS Collins Memorial Performance Award, which is awarded in association with the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival. A previous RDS Music Bursary Award winner is selected annually by the Artistic Director of the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival. Phoebe will perform at the Festival which takes place annually in Lismore, Co. Waterford. Phoebe won the RDS Music Bursary in 2021 and is currently undertaking her masters in Berlin at the University of Arts with Professor Laticia Honda-Rosenberg.

The 2022 RDS Music Bursary judging panel was Chaired by pianist, Finghin Collins, the other four members of the panel are: Anthony Long (General Manager of the National Symphony Orchestra), Richard Yarr, (BBC Northern Ireland), Rosemary Collier, (OPW) and Ursula Hough Gormley, (Feis Ceoil Board Member/Musician).

 

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