Young violinist is a class act

A YOUNG Southside musician has become one of only seven finalists at Ireland’s largest classical music competition for secondary schools.

Anna Mitchell (17), from Ballinteer, a sixth-year student at Wesley College, plays the violin and performed two pieces in the 2016 Top Security Fr Frank Maher Classical Music Awards.

They were ‘Melodie’ by Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky and ‘Perpetuum Mobile’ by Ottokar Novacek. Anna received a €250 bursary while the eventual winner was pianist Aidan Chan (17) from Scoil Dara in Kilcock, Co Kildare.

 The awards were created in 2001 by Top Security chairman Emmet O’Rafferty to honour the memory of his late teacher, who taught music at his old school, Castleknock College. 

The aim is to showcase outstanding young musical talent in Ireland and the awards are open to sixth year post-primary students of strings, woodwind, brass and piano.

The €5,000 top prize must be used to attend a recognised place of tuition, a course of study in Ireland or abroad or on a purchase necessary for the development of the musician’s  talent.

Previous winners have gone on to attend some of the world’s most prominent music colleges, which include Shenandoah University of Virginia, Conservatoire Nationale Superieur de Musique et de Danse Paris, Kronberg Academy in Germany, the Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, Texas, and the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Emmet O’Rafferty, chairman of Top Security, offered his congratulations to Anna on reaching the final.

“Fr Frank Maher was a mentor of talent in many areas of school life and was particularly passionate about classical music,” he said.

“I know that he would have been very proud of all the performances at this wonderful venue and I wish Anna the very best in her future career.”

 The judging panel included  Dr Gerard Gillen, emeritus professor of music at NUI Maynooth, Dr Kerry Houston, head of academic studies at DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama and renowned concert pianist Veronica McSwiney.

 The other finalists, who also received a €250 bursary, included Robert Murphy, CBS Kilkenny; Seamus Hickey, Colaiste An Spioraid Naoimh, Bishopstown, Cork; Grace Coughlan, Loreto Secondary School, Cork; and Aisling Donnelly, Bruce College, Cork. city.