The Fine Music Radio Bursary Trust Awards 2023 for South Africans

admin March 28, 2023

3 minutes read

DEADLINE: 31 March 2023

The Fine Music Radio Bursary Trust Awards funded by the Rolf-Stephan Nussbaum Foundation

This competition rewards a student in each of the four categories: Classical Instrumental, Classical Vocal, Jazz, and African Music. The Trust was established by the Rolf-Stephan Nussbaum Foundation for the purpose of providing scholarships, bursaries, or awards for students studying for a performance diploma or degree in music.

COMPETITION RULES AND REGULATIONS

– Application:
1. The first round of the Fine Music Radio (FMR) Bursary Trust Awards will be through a pre-recorded audition video, after which a final round will be held in the Baxter Concert Hall in May 2023.
1. The competition is open to South African residents who are currently registered at a tertiary institution. Proof of academic registration and South African ID must accompany the application form along with a signed reference letter from your teacher.
1. The competition consists of four categories:
  1. Classical Voice
  1. Classical Instrumental
  1. Jazz Vocal/Instrumental
  1. African Music
1. The closing date is 31 March 2023.

II – Preliminary Round:

Preliminary round performances must be presented for adjudication as pre-recorded videos, to be uploaded to YouTube as unlisted. The link should be included in your application.
- Should you have any problems uploading a video to YouTube, please contact [email protected].
- A maximum of three applicants from each category will be chosen for the final round.

III – Final Round:

The final rounds will be held in the Baxter Concert Hall in May 2023.
- Classical: Wednesday 10 May 6.30 pm
- Jazz/African: Saturday 13 May: 6.30 pm

Competitors acknowledge and agree that the FMR Bursary Trust Competition shall be entitled to record and use any of the performances in the competition at their discretion.
- The final round will be broadcast by Fine Music Radio and the competitors will each receive a copy of the broadcast for their own non-commercial use.
- Competitors chosen for the final round will need to supply FMR with full details including names and instruments of ensemble/ accompanist by 2 May 2023.
- Competitors who exceed their allotted time may be required to halt their performance at the jury’s discretion.

IV – Adjudication:

All decisions of the adjudication panel are final and no appeal will be considered.
- No feedback from the adjudication panel will be made available until after the final round of the competition.
- The preliminary and final rounds are adjudicated independently (i.e. performance scoring is not cumulative.)
- Adjudication criteria will include general presentation and balanced programme compilation. In addition, for the jazz and African categories marks may also be given towards the instrumentation and arrangement of the pieces, as well as leadership within the ensemble.

V – Repertoire:

Competitors are required to produce a programme of no more than 15 minutes duration. This should include at least two pieces of contrasting style.
- For the Classical Vocal category there should be at least one opera aria and one art-song.
- For the African Music category, competitors must show skill on at least two instruments, one of which can be voice.
- Competitors should repeat the works from the preliminary round in the final, but changes in repertoire may be allowed if submitted before 1 May 2023.
- For all categories the backline ensemble should not exceed four persons.

VI – Video submission requirements:

The preliminary rounds are conducted by review of videos submitted online.
- The videos must be recorded in landscape orientation, at a resolution of 720p or higher, with clear audio and video.
- The video should begin with the competitor stating their name and full list of works performed, including title and composer/arranger.
- The video must be uploaded to YouTube (unlisted) with the title “FMR Bursary Trust”– competitor’s name – and category.
In the description of the video the competitor must include the names of the works and composers.