The Countess of Munster Trust is delighted to announce a new annual award that will be given to a composer chosen from one of the successful applicants who is awarded a Study Grant to support their post-graduate studies. Oliver Knussen was a Munster Scholar in 1965 and the Trust is most grateful that permission has been given by his family to name the award in his memory. Oliver Knussen was a celebrated British composer and conductor renowned for his vivid orchestral writing and his advocacy of contemporary music. His acclaimed works include Where the Wild Things Are, Flourish with Fireworks, and his Third Symphony, and he held major roles with the Aldeburgh Festival, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Tanglewood Music Centre.
The Oliver Knussen Award will fund a short, commissioned piece composed by the successful scholar. The composer will be matched up with one of the artists currently on the Munster Trust Recital Scheme and the commissioned piece will be included in all recitals given by the artist in the next season of Trust funded concerts. It is always hard for a composer to get repeat performances of a composition, and it is hoped that this new award will give both the valuable opportunity to work closely with an instrumentalist and a number of performances of the new work as well as profile and useful exposure for the composer.
See below for ways to donate to help support the continuation of the Oliver Knussen Award.
