01 Aug 2018
Five talented composers and musicians will pursue international professional development opportunities thanks to scholarships from Creative New Zealand.
“It’s fantastic to see that with the help of our generous private donors, we are able to support several talented young musicians to further their study overseas. I’m sure their careers will blossom as a result, like those who’ve gone before them,” says Cath Cardiff, Creative New Zealand Senior Manager – Arts Development Services.
Edwin Carr Foundation Scholarship
The Edwin Carr Foundation was established in 2004 with support from the estate of New Zealand composer the late Edwin Carr. It enables young composers to further their studies overseas.
Salina Fisher
Salina Fisher has been awarded $30,000 towards towards her second year of a Master of Music (Composition) at the Manhattan School of Music, New York. She has featured both as a performer (violin) and composer at public Manhattan School of Music Composers Concerts, and learnt to play the koto (traditional Japanese Instrument) at Colombia University, where she also performed. Salina recently completed Tupaia, an orchestral composition co-commissioned by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Albany Symphony Orchestra (New York), which was performed in New Zealand and New York.
Tony Carr, Advisory Trustee of the Edwin Carr Foundation and Edwin Carr’s brother, said he was delighted the Foundation was able to help support the career development of such a talented young musician.
“Salina has already demonstrated she is an innovator when it comes to both composition and performance by embracing both the western and eastern music traditions. I look forward to following her career progress as she composes exciting new works that will I’m sure be enjoyed by many around the world,” he said.
Mr Carr will meet with Salina Fisher in New York in August.
New Zealand/Aotearoa Music Scholarship recipients
The New Zealand/Aotearoa Music Scholarships help young musicians further their music studies in New Zealand or overseas at a recognised tertiary institution. They were established in 2011 with a bequest from the estate of the late Brent Lewis.
Vincent Hardaker
Orchestral conductor Vincent Hardaker has been awarded $8,000 to complete the Advanced Postgraduate Programme in orchestra conducting at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Vincent has shown great promise as an orchestral conductor, having already conducted several New Zealand orchestras and won several awards.
Benson Wilson
Benson Wilson will receive $8,000 towards his second year of postgraduate study in drama opera at the Guildhall School of Music in London – one of the world’s top performing arts institutes. He has already made his mark on the international scene, and has performed with luminaries such as Sir Simon Rattle and Joan Dornemann.
Jack McGill Music Scholarship
Established in 1985 with a bequest from the estate of the late Jack Wynnegate McGill, the Jack McGill Music Scholarship enables young music practitioners to undertake advanced studies or investigations into music overseas.
Liam Wooding
Liam Wooding will receive $10,000 to support a second year of study at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) under the guidance of respected musician and teacher, Timothy Young and the Ensemble Evolution programme at Banff Centre. In 2017 he was a semi-finalist in the ANAM Chamber Music Competition (Australia), received the Encouragement Award for Most Promising Pianist at the Wallace National Piano Competition (New Zealand) and was runner-up on a live competition for emerging musicians on Melbourne radio station 3MBS.
Butland Music Scholarship
This scholarship is funded by a bequest from Jack Malfroy Butland through the Butland Music Foundation that was established in 1994. It enables talented young musicians to further their performance studies overseas.
Lauren Bennett
Lauren Bennett will receive $4,000 towards her final year of study for a Masters of Music in violin at Yale School of Music. In 2017 she studied with respected violinist and teacher Syoko Aki and was the recipient of the AIMES Bellingham Wallace Emerging Talent Award. This year she will attend the Bowdoin Music Festival in Maine and study with world renowned Russian-Israeli violinist Itzhak Rashkovsky.
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