Talented young musicians from Highlands could benefit after Scotland’s national music school given philanthropic grant
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St Mary’s Music School, in Edinburgh, has been awarded nearly £230,000 which will help create more opportunities for youngsters from the region to access boarding places there.
It was awarded by the Leverhulme Trust and the funds will be used to supplement the school’s existing bursary fund to ensure that gifted young instrumentalists from the Highlands are not held back on financial grounds.
The grant will also be used to support the expansion of the school’s programmes for all young people with a passion for music, including the popular piano, strings and woodwind summer schools.
Dr Kenneth Taylor, the school’s head teacher, said: “We have always welcomed young musicians from across the Highlands and Islands, and this is a wonderful award from the Leverhulme Trust which will open more doors for exceptionally talented pupils to realise their potential.
“Combined with the support we receive from the Scottish Government and from individual donors, over the next four years it will contribute to both our school and outreach programmes, allowing many more to access the world-class education we provide. No young talent should be held back on financial grounds.
“A specialist music education can be a truly life-changing experience, preparing young people with a passion for music to pursue many different career pathways and endowing them with the transferable skills they need to succeed, whether they become a professional musician, work in the creative industries or pursue an alternative career.
“As we recover from the pandemic, the role that music can play in supporting our young people and wider society is becoming widely acknowledged.”
St Mary’s Music School will be hosting online open days on October 6 and October 10 and a taster day at the school on October 31 for piano, strings and accordion players, aged between 11 and 16.
For more, visit www.stmarysmusicschool.co.uk
