Grants, Prizes and Scholarships

Grants, Prizes and Scholarships

Grants

The Friends offer grants to eligible students of the School of Music. Grants are intended to enhance the skills and experience of students in ways attracting clear benefits both to the applicants and the School. 

In 2024 the Friends will give priority to supporting applications from students with a high-quality performance element as well as to applications of a collegiate nature, having the potential for benefit to a number of students. Applications from students in non-performance fields such as composition and music technology will also be considered. Applications from undergraduates, including honours students, are particularly welcome.

You can find a summary of all available grants, prizes and scholarships here:  Awards 2024 at a Glance.

Friends Student Grants (including recording grants).

For further information please click on this link: Grant Guidelines 2024.

Friends Performance Scholarship

Offered annually to a newly enrolling performance student. It commences in first year and continues for up to four years of a degree program, with renewal each year dependent on the student's progress.

Friends Ensemble Music Prize 

The Friends of the School of Music established its ensemble prizes to promote ensemble playing in the tertiary student cohort, in all musical genres taught at the ANU School of Music.

Prizes will be awarded in two categories:

  • the Friends Chamber Music Prize (First Prize $1,000, People's Choice $600), sponsored by the Canberra Chamber Music Players; and
  • the Friends Jazz and Contemporary Music Prize (First Prize $1,000, People's Choice $500).

Eligibility: to be eligible for the prizes, each ensemble must include at least one member who is a current tertiary ANU School of Music student. All other members of eligible ensembles must be either current domestic or international students enrolled in an an undergraduate or postgraduate degree program at the Australian National University or are current students of the ANU Open School of Music.

Ensembles may include duos provided there is no piano accompaniment involved; works for two pianos and/or four hands are counted as ensembles.

Students are permitted to appear in more than one ensemble.

How to Apply: Please read the Conditions of Award. To enter, email by the closing date in May each year, providing your name and ID number, ensemble members and instruments, and the category you are entering. Only one entry is required per ensemble, and a primary contact (a School of Music student) is to be listed. You will also need to provide names of pieces performed, composer and date as well as a stage plan featuring equipment, where people will be standing etc and any instructions for change over between ensembles and pieces for the performance. Competitors will be judged according to the School of Music’s ensemble performance assessment rubric. It is recommended entrants get in touch with John Mackey for advice on how to make the most of your performance.

Fankhauser Travelling Fellowship

The Fankhauser Travelling Fellowship is available to be awarded annually.

The award is to assist with expenses for a School of Music student to travel overseas or interstate to compete in a national or an international performance competition, to perform in a festival relevant to their performance major, to do high level performance training or to play in good overseas orchestras or ensembles where selection is competitive.

Fankhauser Travelling Fellowship (2 x $2,000) Scholarships aimed at assisting a School of Music student to compete in an international performance competition.

Fankhauser Applications

For further information please click on this link: Fankhauser Travelling Fellowship 2024

Christel Larko Music Scholarship

The Christel Larko Music Scholarships are funded by a bequest to the Friends of the ANU School of Music.

The scholarship is awarded to students undertaking a program of study at the School of Music specialising in keyboard or voice and demonstrating an outstanding level of musical ability and accomplishment.

Bernhard Neumann Memorial Prize

Professor Bernhard Neumann was a Professor of Mathematics from the early days of The Australian National University. He was a founding member of the Friends of the School of Music and played an active part on the Friends Committee for most of the time until his death in October 2002, aged 91. Professor Neumann was renowned for rigour in academic standards and a strong desire that his students should succeed. 

Friends Bernhard Neumann Memorial Prize ($2,000) Awarded to a fourth year (honours) student of outstanding ability who has made a significant contribution to the School and community.

School of Music Transition Award

The Friends of the School of Music Transition Award ($5,000) assists School of Music graduates transition between formal study and a professional career in music.  The award is available each year to an ANU student who has completed, within the last two calendar years as at the closing date for applications, the requirements for the award of a Bachelor with Honours, Master or Doctoral degree in the School of Music.  

Please note the extension of the closing date for this years Transition award.

Submissions : ( For further information please contact friends.som.anu@gmail.com ) or Please refer to ANU Page: Transition Award

More information about the Award is available through the Application form and the University's Scholarships Page: Transition Award

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Updated:  27 February 2024/Responsible Officer:  Head of School/Page Contact:  CASS Marketing & Communications