Caitlin Shaughnessy, 2011 Winner of the Young Musicians' Bursary

2012 Canterbury Festival Foundation Bursary for Young Musicians

Launch date: Monday 23 January 2012

Canterbury Festival Foundation is looking for talented young musicians from East Kent to apply for its next annual Bursary Award. The Canterbury Festival Foundation supports young musicians in East Kent who show exceptional talent and wish to pursue their musical training, but who would require financial support to achieve their ambitions.

An award is presented to the winning musician to support them in their music training and to pursue their ambitions.  The young musician will also become an ambassador for Canterbury Festival.

Violinlist, Caitlin Shaughnessy, won the 2011 competition and a bursary of £2,000.  She is a pupil of Berent Korfker, violin professor at the Royal College of Music. Caitlin is also a music scholar at Kent College Canterbury where she is studying for her A levels.  Caitlin will be encouraging other local young musicians to follow her example through Kent College's Music Outreach programme and her own teaching and other music activities.

This year the competition is to expand to be open to two age groups to include young musicians aged 12-14 years (Juniors) and 15-18 years (Seniors).

The finalists' concert will be held during the Canterbury Festival 2012 where the shortlisted Senior musicians will perform and the winner will be selected by an expert panel of judges.

Application forms and full competition details are available to download here  or available to collect from the Festival Office, 8 Orange Street, Canterbury CT1 2JA.

The deadline for entries will be 27 April.  All entries will be considered by a judging panel and shortlisted musicians in each age group will be invited to audition in June, where judges will select a winning Junior Young Musician and pick the finalists for the Senior age group.

For more information please contact Sarah Passfield by email SPassfield@canterburyfestival.co.uk or phone the Festival office on 01227 452853.

For Caitlin's A-Level music concert photos and details, please click here.
Caitlin is also blogging about her experience since winning the bursary. Read the latest here.