Scholarship for royal colleges
Posted on 19 December 2013
Late last year the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation (UK) announced its intention to offer an annual scholarship to students attending the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. The 3-year arrangement offered scholarships of £10,000 to be awarded to a singer at both colleges. In consultation with Dame Kiri both colleges would establish and manage the scholarship selection process and agree on the necessary criteria. The Foundation suggested the criteria might include demonstrated financial need and evidence of progress, achievement and potential as a singer.
The first winners of the Kiri Te Kanawa Scholarship are:- Royal College of Music British soprano Louise Alder studied music at Edinburgh University and graduated with First Class Honours in 2010. Louise completed her Masters of Performance in Vocal Performance at the RCM and 2013 is her penultimate year, undertaking an Artist Diploma in Opera, at the RCM International Opera School.
In nominating Louise for the inaugural scholarship Michael Rosewell, Director of Opera at the RCM noted “Louise is among the most vocally gifted singers currently studying at the RCM. She combines some already well developed stage skills with acute musical awareness and as a result, is beginning to attract serious interest from a number of British opera companies. I believe she has many of the qualities necessary to succeed for a future career in opera”
Royal Academy of Music Stuart Jackson is a 26 year-old British tenor who is in his final year in the Royal Academy Opera Programme. He previously had two years of Vocal Studies and then two years of Opera School. He enjoyed many successes at RAM – winning the RAM Pavarotti Prize, Flora Neilsen Song Prize, Elena Gerhardt Lieder Prize, Oxford Lieder Scholarship and Chelsea Schubert Song Prize.
Stuart has extensive oratorio experience and has performed with the Academy Choir at Chapel Royal, St James’ Palace, and as part of the acclaimed Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation