Welcome to the Frank Maher Classical Music Awards, Ireland’s largest music competition for secondary schools.
The Frank Maher Classical Music Awards were established in 2001 to honour the late Frank Maher, a dedicated music teacher at Castleknock College from 1959 -1998. Proudly supported by the Top Security Group since their inception, the Awards now enter a new chapter with Topsec Cloud Solutions as their principal sponsor, continuing the Group’s longstanding commitment to nurturing Ireland’s young musical talent.
The Awards aim to enrich musical life, encourage cultural exchange and, above all, support exceptionally talented young musicians as they take the next steps in their musical development.
With a Winner’s Bursary of €5,000, the Frank Maher Classical Music Award is one of Ireland’s most significant awards for young classical musicians and has become a distinguished part of the country’s classical music tradition. Since its establishment, exceptional young musicians from across Ireland have performed before invited audiences each year, competing for the Award and the opportunities it can help unlock.
Past winners have used their bursaries to further their studies at some of the world’s most renowned music institutions, including the Juilliard School in New York, Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin, Royal College of Music in London, MUK Vienna, Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, Kronberg Academy in Germany, Royal Academy of Music in London, and Harvard University in Massachusetts, among others.
Competition
The Competition is open to sixth-year students attending any post-primary school in Ireland. Following the application process, an independent Board of Adjudicators reviews the entries and selects the musicians who will progress to the Final.
Bursary
The Winner receives a bursary of €5,000 (Five Thousand Euro).
Each of the other Finalists receives a bursary of €300 (Three Hundred Euro).