Funding to 191 awardees through the most recent announcement from the Music Capital Scheme will potentially benefit over 10,000 musicians based throughout Ireland, through Awards 1, 2 and 3.
Announced on Thursday, April 16th, in total €1,066,940 has been awarded to performing groups and musicians through Awards 1, 2 and 3 of the scheme. Mallow Musical Society will benefit to the tune of €3,666, while Midleton Holy Rosary Brass & Reed Band, known as Midleton Concert Band, will receive €6,718. Another beneficiary, Cork Youth Orchestra, will receive €15,098.
Several individual musicians have also received funding for instruments, including an award of €30,000 to Gary Beecher for a grand piano.
In this round of the scheme these three awards provide funding for the purchase of musical instruments across a number of categories. Award 1 provides funding to non-professional performing groups, Award 2 supports individual established professional musicians and Award 3 is for individual emerging professional musicians.
In Award 1, funding was awarded across the non-professional music sector, providing a range of community music groups with financial support. In total, 79 concert/marching/samba bands, orchestras and other community music organisations were awarded a total of €463,747 for the purchase of musical instruments across a wide range of genres including Irish traditional, folk, classical, rock, early music/baroque, popular, musical theatre, jazz and contemporary.
In Award 2, funds of €351,258 were awarded to 61 established musicians performing at a professional level to assist with the purchase of musical instruments and equipment across genres including classical, electronica, Irish traditional, folk, country, world, rhythm & blues, pop, rock and jazz/improvised music.
While in Award 3, funds of €251,935 were awarded to 51 individual emerging professional performing musicians to assist in the purchase of musical instruments and equipment across the classical, early music/baroque, electronica, folk, world, pop, rhythm & blues, rock, Irish traditional and jazz/ improvised music genres.
WIDE RANGE OF RECIPIENTS
Since it was established, the scheme’s impact has increased significantly and it was expanded in 2024 to include two new awards that benefit both emerging professional musicians and arts venues. Award 4, which provides high quality string instruments on loan to exceptional emerging classical players will open later this year, and Award 5 which supports arts venues and music presenters to purchase or refurbish concert standard grand pianos.
This year’s beneficiaries include non-professional performing groups with members ranging from early years to mature players including musicians with physical and intellectual disabilities, and a further 112 individual professional established and emerging musicians who will be able to advance their performance careers with instruments enabled by the scheme. Awardees include Bluebell Community Development Project, Letterkenny and District Pipe Band, Limerick School of Music, Galway Simon Community’s Music Project, harper Séamus Ó Flatharta, viola player Andreea Banciu, drummer Sean Carpio, sound artist Jürgen Simpson and composer and keyboard player Alma Kelliher.
Established in 2008, the Music Capital Scheme is supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and managed by Music Network.
