Music Network Ireland has unveiled the first recipients of its new Music Capital Scheme Award, a prestigious initiative designed to lend outstanding young Irish string musicians access to premium instruments from the Music Network National Instrument Collection.
Each selected artist will benefit from a loan of a fine instrument for three years and, when necessary, receive a grant of up to €5,000 to purchase a new bow. Notably, the musicians will keep their bows even after the loan period concludes.
Meet the Inaugural Awardees
The five musicians were selected through a rigorous process including online interviews and in-person auditions. The recipients are:
- Aoibhín Keogh Daly: Awarded the O’Neill Cello & Bow, comprising a 2015 cello crafted by Conor Russell and a 2016 bow by Robert Pierce. Keogh Daly recently graduated from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, where she studied under Jan Ype Nota and Michel Strauss.
- Evan Lawrence: Recipient of an 1880 violin made by Gand & Bernardel Frères. Lawrence is in his final year at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama (GSMD), studying with Krysia Osostowicz. He also performs with the Florens String Quartet under the guidance of Levon Chilingirian.
- Anna Mitchell: Granted a 2007 violin by Stephan von Baehr. A Dublin native, Mitchell is based in London, performing with the Southbank Sinfonia and co-founding the Millbank Quartet.
- Kate O’Shea: Awarded a newly made 2024 violin by Alexandre Valois. O’Shea has showcased her talents at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival and was a finalist in the 2023 Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year competition.
- Eve Quigley: Loaned a 1930 viola crafted by Charles John Wilkinson. Quigley recently graduated from GSMD where she studied with Matthew Jones and is recognized as a Britten–Pears Young Artist.
About the Music Capital Scheme
Established in 2008, the Music Capital Scheme is supported by Ireland’s Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and managed by Music Network. To date, the program has awarded 652 individual and organizational grants, enabling over 59,000 people across Ireland to access musical instruments. This impact includes support for 227 performing groups—which have expanded their memberships and instrument collections—and aids for 258 professional musicians who have advanced their careers with new instruments.
Patrick O’Donovan, Ireland’s Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, remarked, “I’m delighted that we have been able to establish this wonderful new resource, which will support exceptional emerging classical string players at a crucial point in their careers. These new awards announced today are a positive step towards ensuring that our most talented graduates are well equipped to embark on a successful performance career and will benefit future generations of Irish musicians to come.”
Sharon Rollston, CEO of Music Network, added, “We would like to express our deep gratitude to the Department of Culture, Communications & Sport for its ongoing commitment to providing vital funding for musical instruments to both groups and individual musicians working in any genre. This investment is having a transformative effect on Ireland’s musical landscape.”
— The Violin Post Editorial Staff
