Kiwi Music scholarship awarded to percussionist, pianist and a mezzo soprano

Kiwi Music Scholarships have been awarded to three young talented music students to assist them in pursuing their musical education after graduating from New Zealand universities.

The Kiwi Music Scholarship was established in 2009 by Mr Sven Stenbäck in memory of his wife Maida Stenbäck née Saunders, a New Zealander who loved classical music. Funding for the scholarship is made available through the Kiwi Music Scholarship Trust.

The scholarship is to assist New Zealand citizens who have demonstrated accomplishment in musical performance (including vocal performance) or conducting, to enable them to further their musical education.

In 2015 there were 24 eligible applications for the scholarship and three awards were made.

Bianca Andrew, a mezzo soprano from Victoria University of Wellington, has been awarded $20,000 to complete her Masters of Performance in vocal studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London.

Dorothy Raphael, a percussionist also from Victoria University, has been awarded $20,000 for continued study towards a Masters in Orchestral Artistry, also at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

Eddie Giffney, a pianist from Epsom in Auckland and a graduate of the University of Auckland has been awarded $20,000 to study for a Master of Music in Performance at the Royal College of Music in London.

Chair of the selection panel and trustee, Peter Walls, noted the quality of applications was again very high but that these three stood out.  He and the panel have high expectations for the awardees’ futures in music.

Universities New Zealand, also known as New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, administers these awards in addition to 40 other undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships each year.  Applications for the 2016 Kiwi Music Scholarships close on 1 March next year