The Bursary is a registered charity (number 1077586) and was established in 1996 and is open to vocal students just beginning their second year of study at each of the eight major Music Colleges in England, Scotland and Wales. Each college sends two singers who present a varied programme of no more than 18 minutes. The winner of the Bursary receives £3000 spread over three years. Owing to the generosity of Winifred Ferrier, other major donors, the Society is now able to give Second, Third and Accompanist's Prizes. Our President, Linda Hirst, chairs the panel of distinguished judges each year and she has proved to be devoted and supportive in the role and takes great interest in the progress and careers of the singers who take part in the Bursary competitions.
The Society continues to follow the careers not only of the winners of the Bursary Award but also of those who have taken part in the competition since it began in 1996 and news of the achievements of Bursary singers is regularly printed in the KFS newsletters. We are now seeing Bursary winners and finalists in the finals and winning prizes at the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Awards, Rhydian Roberts, our Bursary Winner in 2004, became a national name in 2008 when he was the hotly disputed runner-up in X Factor, once allowed to be himself in the show he was able to reveal the qualities which led to his winning our Bursary.
Bursary Trustees: Sylvia Alexander, Robert Langstaff, Kathleen Hopcroft.
1996 | ELLIOT GOLDIE (The Guildhall School) | Tenor |
1997 | RORY O'CONNOR (The Royal Academy) | Tenor |
1998 | CLINT VAN DER LINDE (The Royal College) | Counter Tenor |
1999 | WILLIAM BERGER (The Royal Academy) | Baritone |
2000 | SIMONA MIHAI (The Royal College) | Soprano |
2001 | FFLUR WYN (The Royal Academy) | Soprano |
2002 | NICKY SPENCE (The Guildhall School) | Tenor |
2003 | SOPHIE BEVAN (The Royal College) The Hereford Second Prize and the Third Prize were shared by BEN JOHNSON (The Royal College) and NJABULO MADLALA (The Guildhall School) |
Soprano |
2004 | RHYDIAN ROBERTS (Birmingham Conservatoire) The Hart Second Prize was won by DAVID THAXTON (The Royal Welsh College) |
Baritone |
2005 | LUKAS JAKOBSKI (The Royal College) The Joyce Budd Second Prize was won by KATHRYN RUDGE (The Royal Northern College) The Third Prize was won by ADAM MARSDEN (The Royal Northern College) |
Bass |
2006 | SARAH-JANE LEWIS (The Royal College) The Joyce Budd Second Prize was won by HANNAH BRADBURY (The Royal Academy) The Third Prize was won by NATALYA ROMANIW (The Guildhall School) |
Mezzo |
2007 | RACHEL MARSH (The Royal Welsh College) The Joyce Budd Second Prize was won by OLIVER CLARKE (The Royal College). The Third Prize was won by SALLY MARTIN (The Royal Welsh College) MARK VERTER (The Guildhall School) won the Accompanist's Prize. |
Soprano |
2008 | DAVID SHIPLEY (The Royal Academy) The Joyce Budd Second Prize was won by FIONA MACKENZIE (The Royal College) The Third Prize was won by NICHOLAS SCOTT (The Royal Academy) An additional Third Prize was awarded to ELIZABETH KARANI (The Royal Northern College) STEPHEN MEAKINS (The Royal College) won the Accompanist's Prize. |
Bass |
2009 | HOLLY-ANNA LLOYD (The Royal Welsh College) The Joyce Budd Second Prize was won by NATALIE PEREZ (The Guildhall School) The Third Prize was won by ELGAN THOMAS (The Royal Northern College) CHRISTHOPHER BAXTER (The Royal Scottish Academy) won the Accompanist's Prize. |
Soprano |
2010 | TAHIRAH OSBORNE (The Royal Academy) Joyce Budd Second Prize – AMY WILLIAMSON (The Royal College) Ronald Webb Third prize – CASEY-JOE RUMENS (Trinity College) Dennis Horner Accompanist’s Prize – Robin Cohen (Trinity College) |
Soprano |
2011 | THOMAS ISHERWOOD (Royal Northern College of Music) Joyce Budd Second Prize – HARRIET EYLEY (The Royal Academy) Pamela Hart Third Prize – LAWRENCE SMITH (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) Dennis Horner Accompanist’s Prize – ANTONY CAMILLO (The Royal Academy) |
Bass Baritone |
2012 |
EDUARD MAS BACARDIT (The Guildhall School)- |
Tenor |
2013 |
JAMES WAFER (Royal College of Music) |
Baritone
|