The bursary
One singer per year will be awarded the bursary of €5,000 by the National Concert Hall, in honour of Irish mezzo-soprano Dr Bernadette Greevy.
The National Concert Hall wishes to acknowledge the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for its kind support of the Bernadette Greevy Bursary for Singers.
About Dr. Bernadette Greevy
Dubliner Bernadette Greevy was the first Irish winner of Harriet Cohen International Music Award for Outstanding Artistry.
Further honours included:
– The Order of Merit of Malta;
– Honorary Doctorate of Music, National University of Ireland;
– Honorary Doctorate of Music, Trinity College, Dublin;
– The Holy Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice.
She was the founder and artistic director of the Anna Livia Dublin International Opera Festival, and further supported student singers through her masterclasses and work as Artist in Residence at the Dublin Institute of Technology.
She is remembered for wonderful performances and recordings of oratorio and song; her recordings include Handel, Haydn, Bach and she was acclaimed in particular for her interpretation of Mahler. She also championed new Irish music, premiering works by Irish composers.
entry requirements
Check what you will need to apply for the Bernadette Greevy Bursary:
Entrants may be from all classical voice types. They must be Irish or living in Ireland, and in third-level education or equivalent, or in the very early stages of their careers.
Each entrant will submit:
– Programme of their choice of not more than 15 minutes’ length, recorded in the last 12 months, in mp3 format and shared via wetransfer.com to education@nch.ie. Please include your name in the email text, but not in the audio file.
– An application form with personal details and the details of their programme.
– A letter of recommendation from their teacher.
Application guidelines
Finalist audition process:
First-round entries will be judged anonymously and finalists will be called back for a live audition in June 2023.
For this audition, each finalist will be asked to prepare three pieces:
– A Mahler song;
– A Handel aria;
– A piece by a living Irish composer.
The winner of the bursary will receive €5,000, and return to The National Concert Hall at the end of the following year for the Bernadette Greevy Bursary Recital.
Deadline for 2023 Bursary: 5pm, 10th May 2023
Please note that previous winners are ineligible to re-enter.
Past Winners
Previous Bernadette Greevy Bursary beneficiaries are the following:
– 2021 Sarah Richmond
– 2019 Susie Gibbons
– 2018 Sinéad O'Kelly
– 2017 Sarah Brady
– 2016 Padraic Rowan
– 2015 Roisín Walsh
– 2014 Gemma Ní Bhriain
– 2013 Jennifer Davis
– 2012 Rachel Kelly
– 2011 Aoife Miskelly
– 2010 Gavan Ring