Yamaha Education News

YMFE celebrates 20th anniversary with European recital series

Pictured here L-R: past YMFE scholarship winners, Kathryn Rudge, Graham Caskie, Katie Bedford and Masato Oike, President of Yamaha Music Europe, after the London 20th anniversary event in May 2010

Yamaha is celebrating twenty years of providing outstanding performance opportunities, support and financial assistance to talented music students across Europe through its acclaimed Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe scholarship scheme. Since its inception in 1989 the programme, which now operates in 31 European countries, has provided more than 850 scholarships, worth over €1m.

The London celebratory recital took place at the newly opened Faber Music recital hall on 6 May, featuring Graham Caskie, a piano scholar from the inaugural year of the Foundation, 2006 vocal scholar Kathryn Rudge and 2007 flute scholar Katie Bedford. Graham is now teaching at the Royal Academy of Music, Katie co- principal flute of the English National Opera, whilst mezzo-soprano Kathryn, having won many other awards, is currently in her final postgraduate year at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Celebratory concerts with previous scholars have also been taking place elsewhere in Europe in April and May with locations including Stockholm, Bologna, Madrid, Athens, Vienna, Berlin and Paris.

Many Yamaha scholars have progressed to develop outstanding careers in performance and education. Previous alumni include saxophonist Amy Dickson, euphonium player David Childs, and pianists Eduard Kunz and Sasha Grynyuk.

Pianist Graham Caskie comments, "Although it was twenty years ago, I remember very clearly being awarded the Yamaha Scholarship in 1990. Like any student, funds and allowances seemed to run out very quickly, especially in London, and were it not for awards like that of the Yamaha Scholarship it would quite simply not have been possible to study in the way I did, with confidence."

The Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe, a non-profit-making charity, is dedicated to supporting talented music students and providing valuable performance platforms for emerging musicians. Yamaha hopes that these celebratory concerts will also promote the scale, heritage and depth of the Scholarship programme.

Each year the Yamaha scholarship programme invites applications from full-time music students, under 25 years of age, who are studying at a music academy or conservatoire. Scholarships vary from €1,000 to €2,000, depending on geographical location. The award may be used for any purpose related to the advancement of studies. The rewarded discipline rotates each year.

Masato Oike, president of Yamaha Music Europe, commented: "The Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe is the perfect opportunity for talented musicians to prove themselves, receive professional feedback and, if awarded, to benefit from financial support. I invite every music student to take this chance; a chance that could be the starting point to a promising career."

To coincide with the anniversary Yamaha has launched a dedicated website for students interested in applying for scholarships:
www.ymfe.yamaha-europe.com

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(Posted: June 2010)

A DJPR story