Help Musicians distributes record number of postgraduate awards

Music charity Help Musicians will be supporting a record 142 UK students in continuing their musical studies in the next academic year.

Help Musicians offers grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 towards the cost of studies for students looking to start or continue to the second year of a music performance postgraduate degree. The grants aim to help break down financial barriers facing students pursuing further studies in music.

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Ashley Bonfante, a student supported by Help Musicians to continue his studies at London’s Royal Academy of Music, said: ‘I'm extremely excited to be an environment where I can write for, learn from, and collaborate with other musicians on a daily basis… I can't thank Help Musicians enough for have helping me enormously with support that will make all of this possible; I feel like I'm in a much better position to make the most out of the course.’ 

Previous Help Musicians award recipients include awardees include percussionist and Help Musicians president Dame Evelyn Glennie, trumpeter Alison Balsom OBE, violinist and Help Musicians ambassador Tasmin Little OBE and guitarist Miloš Karadaglic.

Phillip Costovski, Australian tenor and student of the National Opera Studio said: ‘The professional development and industry connections offered through [the National Opera Studio’s Global Talent programme] are unparalleled for any young singer, and the award has provided me with essential financial assistance to take part.’ 

Help Musicians anticipates that financial barriers for these students have been exacerbated due to the current cost of living crisis. The charity is therefore supporting the largest number of students since the awards’ foundation, with a record £316,000 offered for this year.

You can find out more about the support offered by Help Musicians here.