Aiding young Irish musicians for the past 11 years, the latest RDS Music Bursary will be awarded on Tuesday April 29 after a day of panel interviews.
The bursary is open to instrumentalists, singers and conductors and aims to make the financially tough early days of a career in the industry that bit easier.
Open to candidates born in Ireland and Irish residents, candidates become eligible by winning one of 10 senior competitions in the ESB Feis Ceoil classical music competition the same year. Winners of these competitions are invited to apply to the RDS and the bursary is awarded based on their plans and achievements and on the outcome of that panel interview.
The ten qualifying ESB Feis Ceoil competitions are: Clyde Twelvetrees Cup (Cello Concerto); Classical Guitar; Senior Harp; Orchestral Conducting; Morris Grant Cup; Gervase Elwes Cup; Yamaha Brass Bursary; Arthur Catterall Cup; McCullough Cup; Mabel Swainson Pianoforte Award.
Not only is there €10,000 on offer, but the winner will also benefit from key RDS partnerships in 2014.
A partnership with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra will offer a 2014/2015 season engagement, and a new partnership with Irish Heritage in London will offer a winning instrumentalist or singer a solo recital in London, with full travel costs that same season.