Blackwater Valley Opera Festival established the annual €10,000 bursary award in 2020 to celebrate exceptional talent, thanks to the support of a generous private donor
With thanks to the generous support of Conor and Mareta Doyle, we are delighted to announce that the annual BVOF Bursary Award will now continue until 2027.
Frasier Hickland, pianist and répétiteur extraordinaire, is a recipient of the BVOF Bursary 2024, which awards €5,000 towards his studies. He tells us about his involvement with the festival to date, and how this award will impact his development as a rising star in the field of collaborative piano performance.
Commenting on his BVOF award, Frasier said “I am both honoured and grateful to be the 2024 recipient of the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival Bursary Award. This award has come at a crucial time in my development, as I have just completed my studies at the Royal College of Music in London. It will enable me to continue my musical training, produce professional quality recordings, and participate in festivals and masterclasses. In turn, this will enable me to raise my profile and expand my network. There is a lack of funding available in my specific field of collaborative piano, so I would like to extend a personal thanks to my sponsors Conor and Mareta Doyle for this generous bursary, which opens up many new possibilities. I would also like to thank the entire team at Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, who have provided me with numerous performance and répétiteur opportunities since 2022, and I very much look forward to continuing the relationship as one of their ambassadors.”
Frasier has lent his extraordinary talents to BVOF as a répétiteur and performer since 2022. We are delighted that as a bursary recipient he will be acting as an ambassador for the festival, and we wish him the very best of luck with all that the future holds.
Mezzo-soprano Anna-Helena Maclachlan is a recipient of the BVOF Bursary 2024, which awards €5,000 towards her studies. She tells us about her performances with the festival to date, and how this award will help support her artistic development.
In response to the award, she commented: “I am honoured to have been chosen as a bursary recipient and ambassador by BVOF after having enjoyed my time at the festival so much last year. I felt so warmly welcomed by the festival and was impressed with BVOF’s innovation and willingness to platform young artists. The value of opportunities such as the Yeats in Music and BVOF Bursary recitals which I partook in, cannot be overstated in a young artists career. BVOF gave me the chance to further develop my craft and collaborate with other artists. I am so grateful for their generosity, which will support me as I begin my studies in London with Royal Academy Opera.”
Anna-Helena has performed at BVOF in numerous recitals since 2023, including the Yeats in Music Recital, Handel and Haydn Recital and the BVOF Bursary Recital. We are delighted that as a bursary recipient she will be acting as an ambassador for the festival, and can’t wait to see where her voice takes her next!
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Dates for next year’s festival 26 May – 2 June 2025. Priority booking opens at the end of January 2025 for BVOF members. Become BVOF Friends and enjoy priority booking at blackwatervalleyopera.ie
