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11 November 2016
Kildare Teen hits Top note for €5,000 prize
Young pianist Aidan Chan (17) from Kilcock, Co. Kildare, a sixth year student
at Scoil Dara in Kilcock, is the winner of the €5,000 prize at the Top Security Fr
Frank Maher Classical Music Awards for 2016. It is Ireland’s largest classical
music competition for secondary schools and seven teenage finalists from Cork,
Derry, Dublin, Kerry and Kildare competed at the Royal College of Physicians in
Dublin on the night of Friday 11th November 2016 to win the top prize of €5,000.
Aidan performed two pieces, ‘Isoldens Liebestod’ from Tristan und Isolde by
composers Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt and ‘Etude in D-sharp minor, Op.8,
No.12’ by composer Alexander Scriabin. A delighted Aidan said “I hope to study for
a BA in Music at either the Royal College of Music or the Royal Academy of Music in
London or, the Lausanne Conservatoire in Switzerland. If I am successful, I will use
the prize money to go towards my fees.”
The Awards were created in 2001 by Top Security chairman Emmet O’Rafferty to
honour the memory of the late teacher, who taught music at his old school,
Castleknock College. Their aim is to showcase outstanding young musical talent in
Ireland and are open to sixth year post-primary students of strings, woodwind, brass
and piano. The €5,000 top prize must be used to attend a recognised place of tuition,
a course of study in Ireland or abroad or on a purchase necessary for the
development of their talent.
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Previous winners have gone on to attend some of the world’s most prominent music
colleges, which includes Shenandoah University of Virginia, Conservatoire Nationale
Superieur de Musique et de Danse Paris, Kronberg Academy in Germany, the
Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, Texas, and the Royal Academy of Music in
London to name a few.
Emmet O’Rafferty, chairman of Top Security, said “Aidan Chan, our winner this year,
joins a line of incredible young talent for whom this Award has been a stepping stone
to even greater achievements. Father Frank Maher was a mentor of talent in many
areas of school life and was particularly passionate about classical music. I know
that he would have been very proud of all the performances at this wonderful venue
and I wish Aidan the very best in his future career.”
The remaining six finalists each received a €250 bursary. They were:
Cellist Grace Coughlan (17) from Fermoy, Cork, a sixth year student at Loreto
Secondary School in Fermoy
Recorder player Rebecca Doherty (17), Culmore Road, Derry, a sixth year student at
Lumen Christi College in Derry
Pianist Aisling Donnelly (18), Lehenaghmore, Co Cork, a sixth year student at Bruce
College, St. Patrick’s Hill in Cork
Violist Seamus Hickey (17), The Lough, Cork city, a sixth year student at Colaiste an
Spioraid Naoimh, in Bishopstown,Cork.
Violinist Anna Mitchell (17), Ballinteer, Dublin, a sixth year student at Wesley College
in Ballinteer.
Cellist Robert Murphy (17), Callan, Co. Kilkenny, a sixth year student at CBS in
Kilkenny City.
The judging panel were Dr Gerard Gillen, emeritus professor of music at NUI
Maynooth, Dr Kerry Houston, head of academic studies at DIT Conservatory of
Music and Drama and internationally acclaimed pianist Veronica McSwiney.
ENDS