President of Griffith College Professor Diarmuid Hegarty Attends Launch of Veronica Dunne Bursary

Opera singers Matt Mannion with Aebh Kelly alongside Veronica Dunne and Diarmuid Hegarty

Applications are now open for funding and mentorship to the Veronica Dunne Bursary

Young Irish opera singers can now apply for this funding and mentoring which is designed to help them flourish in their professional careers. The bursary is an initiative of the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition and is funded by the Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht.

Irish opera singer and the inspiration behind the bursary, Veronica Dunne said, "I am honoured to announce the Veronica Dunne Bursary dedicated in my name. It has long been my cherished wish to create a bursary offering young singers the opportunity to develop their vocal and technical skills and enhance their career goals. Each bursary will be tailored to suit the individual needs of the successful applicant in a bespoke way. It is a marvellous legacy to be creating for our international stars of the future and we express our grateful thanks to Minister Catherine Martin and her Department for their generous support in making this bursary a reality."

Friends of the Vocal Arts

President of Griffith College and Chairman of Friends of the Vocal Arts Diarmuid Hegarty said, “I join Ronnie in thanking Minister Martin for the funding of these bursaries. Our hope is that this investment in our young Irish singers will help to bring them to level par on the international stage.”

The Friends of the Vocal Arts in Ireland was established to financially assist vocal students in Ireland and has awarded thousands in bursaries to outstanding singers.

Bursary Application

Applications to the bursary worth €15,000 are invited from singers, born on or after February 1st 1989, who live in Ireland or abroad, and singers of any nationality who are resident or studying in Ireland. Singers are asked, in the first instance, to submit an online application, comprising a recent video recording of two arias and a CV showing relevant training or experience. Applications to be made on www.vdiscompetition.com, to arrive no later than Saturday October 24th at 11.59pm.

Full competition rules and information for the Veronica Dunne Bursary can be viewed at the website.