Australian Youth Orchestra
Applications for Scholarships and Financial Assistance
Whether you’ve accepted a place in AYO’s 2016 programs or are a young musician who is looking to access more professional development opportunities, make sure you check out the Financial Assistance and Scholarships that are available to you. We know it can be useful to have a bit of extra help to cover the costs of your travel, tuition and training, so make sure to see whether you are eligible to apply for any of the following. Read through the quick summaries below to find out which opportunity will suit your needs, and don’t forget to pass this on to talented musicians you know!
The Ernest V. Llewellyn Memorial Fund Annual Awards for string players
An exceptional opportunity for training is available to all Australian string players aged 28 or under – you don’t have to be involved in AYO to apply! The Ernest V. Llewellyn Memorial Fund Annual Annual Awards provide young string players with support to undertake advanced studies in Australia, and overseas. Make sure you have a look at the requirements to get your application started!
Financial Assistance
If you’ve been accepted into an AYO program for 2016, but could use a bit of help to cover the costs, you may be eligible for Financial Assistance. Applications are means-tested, and you can find out all of the details here.
Accenture Scholarship
If you will be participating in AYO February Season and the AYO International Tour next year, don’t miss an unbeatable opportunity to secure $10,000 towards study, travel, and program participation.
Writing an application can be daunting. It can be tricky knowing how to showcase all of your achievements in a succinct, clear way. Don’t let that discourage you! We recently met with AYO alumni and flute superstar Jonathan Henderson, who has benefited from a number of scholarships and grants throughout his career. Jonathan, who is currently the principal flautist of the Estonian National Orchestra, has toured Europe with the Baltic Youth and Aldeburgh World Orchestras, won the James Carson Memorial Prize and received numerous study scholarships including the Ian Potter Cultural Trust Award to undertake postgraduate study in Freiburg, Germany with Felix Renggli. Jonathan has a few tips for putting together a stand-out application:
Jonathan’s tips for writing compelling scholarship applications:
• Seek feedback from as many people as possible – past grant recipients, teachers, university lecturers etc.; this can help create a polished and thorough proposal.
• It can be helpful to imagine an application as a piece of music you are preparing and aim to deliver the most convincing, interesting and nuanced presentation possible.
• Be honest when writing your proposal and don’t be afraid to promote yourself; be confident in your abilities but not arrogant in your writing.
• Plan and outline every project detail to show you are ready to start the project tomorrow.
• A polished application means every single detail is important – right down to punctuation, consistent formatting and neat, professional labelling of your recorded material (although now most funding organisations accept uploaded material).
• Always acknowledge your supporters.
We wish you all the best with your applications!