Music Capital Scheme Award 4 Guidelines

These guidelines are designed to help you apply to the Music Capital Scheme Award 4.

There are 4 parts to these guidelines: 

• Part 1: An overview of the award.
• Part 2: Who can apply?
• Part 3: The application and assessment process.
• Part 4: Successful applicants – conditions of the award.

Instruments from the Music Network National Musical Instrument Collection available in this round of the scheme are:

• Violin: Alessandro Camilletti (2025)
• Violin: Fratelli Guastalla (1925)
• Violin: Voller Brothers (1893)
• Viola: Charles John Wilkinson (c. 1935)
• The Maurice Meulien Cello & Bow: Caressa cello (1906), Robert Pierce bow (2021) - Cello & bow on loan to Music Network from Cécile and Robert Pierce.
• Cello: Roger Hansell, Davidov-Stradivari Copy (2020)
• Concert Harp: Salvi – Iris Natural (2025)

See appendix for additional information on the instruments.

In addition, musicians awarded the use of a violin, viola or the Roger Hansell cello will be offered up to €5,000 towards the cost of a new bow. If awardees avail of this, they will own and retain the bow.

Individual classical violinists, violists, cellists and harpists aged 18 and over who are:

• Irish citizens or resident* in the Republic of Ireland. Irish citizens do not need to be living in Ireland in order to apply

and

• about to embark on or in the process of a master’s degree

or

• who have completed their studies within the last 3 years and are now embarking on their professional career.

Music Network is committed to equity and inclusion and welcomes applications from individuals within culturally diverse communities and from people with disabilities. Music Network encourages musicians with access or support requirements who wish to submit an application to make contact with us as early as possible before the deadline so that every effort to provide reasonable accommodation can be made.

*Residency is based upon the Revenue Commissioners’ definition of the term:
You are resident in Ireland for tax purposes if you are present in Ireland for 183 days or more in a tax year or 280 days or more in total, taking the current tax year plus the preceding tax year together. You will not be resident in Ireland if you are here for 30 days or less in a tax year. Important: residents/Irish citizens must have a valid PPS number. Please visit revenue.ie for additional information.

Apply by 2pm, Tuesday 29 September 2026. Late applications cannot be accepted.

Stage 1: applicants must submit an online application form together with support materials. Note: your application will be ineligible if it does not include all requested support materials.

Applicants shortlisted to progress to Stage 2 of the process will be informed by email by date date month 2026.

Stage 2: shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an online interview with a panel. The panel will comprise experienced professionals with a range of relevant expertise. This will be followed by an in-person audition. After auditions have taken place, the panel will make decisions as to which applicants will be offered an instrument from The Music Network National Musical Instrument Collection for a period of 3 years.

• Online interviews: will take place during the week of 19 October 2026 providing shortlisted applicants with an opportunity to outline their career plans and aspirations to the panel. Exact date and time of interviews to be confirmed.
• In-person auditions: will be held at TU Dublin, Grangegorman Campus on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 October 2026. Exact audition times to be confirmed. Selected applicants will be invited to perform a 20 minute programme comprising repertoire of their choice.

A piano accompanist will be available to play with each applicant for their in-person audition. Should the applicant wish to perform with this accompanist, a rehearsal time of 1 hour will be allocated on the previous day (it is the applicant’s responsibility to attend their allocated rehearsal time). Alternatively, the applicant may provide their own accompanist, at their own expense.

Note: Music Network reserves the right not to award instruments from The Music Network National Musical Instrument Collection should an insufficient number of applicants be deemed suitable by the panel. The decision of the panel shall be final. Meeting the eligibility criteria alone does not guarantee receipt of an instrument. Lobbying, at any stage of the process, will lead to disqualification of applicants.

Applicants should visit www.musicnetwork.ie and set up their profile on the application portal. The applicant can then complete the application in stages (filling in the form and preparing and uploading support materials) throughout the application period. All application materials must be submitted through the online portal by 2pm, Tuesday 29 September 2026.

What information are you asked to provide?

• A description of the instrument you currently play
• Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) – a maximum of 2 pages outlining relevant education/training and performance experience
• Details of your performance experience and career path to date
• Details of upcoming performances and future career plans
• Details of how, at this point in your career, having access to a new instrument will support your career development
• Three recordings*, at least one of which must be a video and one of which must feature unaccompanied playing. Recordings can be shared as web links or .mp3/.mp4/mov. files.
• Two letters of recommendation from former or current teachers/mentors (contact details must be included with their permission to be contacted).

It is essential to provide all of the above in order for an application to be eligible.

* Note about recordings: submit recent, contrasting recordings that offer the best representation of your performance abilities along with a PDF or Word document listing the recording details (e.g. date and location of recording, repertoire details, performer names, start/stop times of relevant section to listen to etc.)

Audio recordings (in .mp3 format) or videos (in .mov or .mp4 format, up to 80 MB file size) can be uploaded directly to the application form. Alternatively, you can provide links to audio or video samples in a Word or PDF document, along with the recording details. If links are not accessible during the assessment period, it will not be possible to fully assess your application so please ensure your links/files are publicly accessible or provide a password if required.

The following 4 criteria will be used to assess each application:

1. Track record and demonstrated potential in music performance (performance in both non-professional and professional environments will be taken into account) (50%)
2. Impact receiving an instrument from the Collection would have on career plans (20%)
3. Demonstrated need for an instrument loan (20%)
4. Evidence of ability to secure Irish and/or international professional performance opportunities during the loan period. What constitutes evidence? Details of past performances in a professional environment (in Ireland or internationally) or invitations from concert promoters/festivals etc. and/or details of upcoming performances. (10%)
   

It is important to consider all criteria carefully when preparing your application as this is a competitive process and all four will be taken into account during the assessment process.

Feedback: Music Network will provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants from both Stage 1 and 2 where requested within 6 weeks of their results notification. Applicants may re-apply in subsequent years.

Please contact Sarah Ledwidge (Music Capital Scheme Manager) capitalscheme@musicnetwork.ie or call 083 0162718.

Awardees agree to:

• maintain Irish citizenship or residency status for the loan period, unless Music Network agrees otherwise
• perform in a minimum of one concert in Ireland for Music Network during the loan period
• endeavour to perform in Ireland regularly during the loan period
• enter into a licence agreement with Music Network concerning housing, insurance, care, inspection, maintenance and repair of the instrument, and payment of an annual licence fee
• submit two quotations from separate makers, should they accept the financial contribution of €5,000 towards the purchase of a new bow
• provide annual reports to Music Network on the use of the instrument for the duration of the loan period
• acknowledge the support of Music Network and the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport in biographical material during the loan period
• notify Music Network immediately in the event that they no longer intend to play the awarded instrument publicly, for any reason, during the loan period. In this instance, the instrument shall be immediately returned to Music Network
• be bound by the conditions of this award. In the case of an unforeseen change in circumstance leading to an inability to abide by the conditions of the award, awardees will return the instrument immediately to Music Network.