Young musicians join the Ulster Orchestra to perform on television

Six young musicians from Northern Ireland will have the opportunity to participate in a radio show with the Ulster Orchestra after winning a major arts award.

Young Musicians Foundation Award recipients will be mentored by BBC presenters John Toal, Lynette Fay, Stephen McCauley and Linley Hamilton.

The six recipients include classical tenor Owen Lucas, soprano Rebecca Murphy and tenor Andrew Masterson, traditional folk music award winner and fiddle player Meabh Smyth, contemporary singer-songwriter. Eve Belle Murtagh and award-winning jazz drummer Andrew McCoubrey.

The biennial award, run by the Arts Council in collaboration with BBC Northern Ireland and supported by the National Lottery, aims to showcase and support the development of talented young musicians in region by offering individual sponsorship awards of up to £5,000.

This grant allows recipients to spend time learning from a master musician, mentor, teacher or composer in Northern Ireland or abroad.

Along with this training opportunity, awardees will receive two professional BBC radio engagements, including one with the Ulster Orchestra on 16 March at Ulster Hall in Belfast.

The performance will be broadcast on Radio Ulster and Radio Foyle.

Classical Connections host Toal will mentor three classical musicians while Fay Folk Club host will mentor folk musician, The Stephen McCauley Show’s McCauley will mentor for singer-songwriter and Hamilton will mentor the jazz awardee.

Ciaran Scullion, head of music and opera at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: “Congratulations to all six musicians who have received these awards, which offer a unique opportunity to play. develop your musical skills, learn from the best, and perform live with the Ulster Orchestra.

“All of the previous recipients of this award have had extremely successful musical careers and I am confident that these new recipients will benefit greatly from the experience.”

Paul McClean, executive editor for music, arts and events at BBC Northern Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be joining the search for artists of classical, traditional, jazz and new singer/composer and to be able to engage listeners on their journey. as they grow and develop with the help of John, Lynette, Linley and Stephen, each with a deep love of music.”

Andrew McCoubrey is a Londonderry jazz drummer and improviser who wants to establish himself as a bandleader.

Traditional fiddle player Meabh Smyth from Armagh has performed and taught at festivals across Ireland and Europe, including Celtic Connections, the Baltimore Fiddle Fair and the Belfast TradFest.

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Eve Belle Murtagh is a singer-songwriter from Donegal, currently based in Belfast. Her debut album In Between Moments was released in 2022.

Soprano Rebecca Murphy has performed extensively throughout Northern Ireland and beyond and is currently studying in London.

Andrew Masterson is a lyric tenor from Omagh, Co Tyrone, and an alumnus of the Royal Northern College of Music. He has worked with many opera companies in the UK and Ireland.

Tenor Owen Lucas has performed regularly with the Northern Ireland Opera and St Anne’s Church Choir in Belfast.

Recipients of the Foundation Young Musicians Award include renowned classical pianist Michael McHale, soprano Laura Sheerin, harpist Richard Allen, violinist Michael Trainor, folk artist Jack Warnock, Conor Mallon and Niall Hanna, singer-songwriter Roisin Donald/Roe, and jazz musicians Ed Dunlop and Katherine Timoney, among others.