St Angela’s College student hits Top Notes at Frank Maher Classical Music Awards

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St Angela’s College student hits Top Notes at Frank Maher Classical Music Awards

St Angela’s College student hits Top Notes at Frank Maher Classical Music Awards

Emily Crowley, a sixth year student at St. Angela’s College, Cork, was one of only seven finalists at the 2017 Top Security Frank Maher Classical Music Awards at the Royal College of Physicians in Dublin, Ireland’s largest competition for secondary schools with a €5,000 top prize. It is the School’s second time to have a finalist in the Awards – Martha Campbell competed in 2013.

Emily plays the piano and performed two pieces on the night. They were ‘La Vallee des Cloches’ by Ravel and ‘Moment Musical Op.16 No.4’ by Rachmaninoff.

Along with the other finalists, Emily received a €250 bursary.

The Awards were created in 2001 by Emmet O’Rafferty, chairman of the Top Security Group, to honour the memory of his late teacher, Fr Frank Maher, who taught music at Castleknock College, his old school. 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.

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 de Paris, Kronberg Academy in Germany, the Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, Texas, the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music in London to name a few.

Emmet O’Rafferty, chairman of the Top Security Group, said “37 entries were received, all of a very high standard, and Dr Gerard Gillen, chair of the judging panel, had the unenviable task of selecting the final seven to compete at this year’s Awards. Killian White, the winner, and our six finalists join the ever-growing line of incredibly talented young people who have taken part in this competition and I wish all of them the very best in their future career.”

The judging panel was Dr Gerard Gillen (chair), emeritus professor of music at NUI Maynooth, Dr Kerry Houston, head of academic studies at DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama and internationally acclaimed classical pianist Veronica McSwiney.