Funding

Stephen Oliver Award from The Countess of Munster Musical Trust

Awarded biennially to a young composer who has written a work for Music Theatre to assist with bringing that work to performance

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What is the Stephen Oliver Award and who can apply for funding?

When the composer Stephen Oliver died in 1992, he left the bulk of his estate in trust to provide funds to help young composers of opera and small scale opera companies, a continuation of the support that Stephen had given during his lifetime – many chamber opera performances would simply not have happened without his support.

The primary aims of the Stephen Oliver Trust were to encourage the creation, promotion and performance of contemporary opera, and to help support fledgling composers working in the contemporary opera field.  In 2006, the capital funds of the Stephen Oliver Trust were incorporated within the Countess of Munster Musical Trust: the Stephen Oliver Award is now awarded every other year to an emerging composer who has written a work for music theatre to assist with the cost of bringing that work to performance. The Award for 2021 was for £5,000.

About the Stephen Oliver Award

The Award will be made to assist with the cost of bringing to performance a work which has been, or is in the process of being, written for music theatre.  The Award is made biennially – the next Award will be in 2025. New applications will be accepted from 1st January 2025.  The closing date for applications is 30th April 2025.

If you would like further information about Stephen’s life and work, please go to: www.stephenoliver.org

Who can apply for the Stephen Oliver Award?

The Stephen Oliver Award is made biennially: the Award is given to an emerging composer who has written a work for music theatre to assist with the cost of bringing that work to performance. The Award for 2023 was for up to £5,000. The next Award will be in 1st January 2025.  Applications can be made via email to emily@munstertrust.org.uk and the closing date for applications is 30th April 2025. More information about the Award is available here.

 

 

Can I apply online for the Stephen Oliver Award?

There is no set application form for the Stephen Oliver Award.  The applicant should submit by email to emily@munstertrust.org.uk a copy of the score and libretto to which the application relates (and links to recordings if available) together with other examples of the applicant’s work.

In addition, the applicant should provide, also by email, detailed estimates of costings for bringing the work to production, together with an account of progress made in accessing other sources of funding and possible realisation dates.

Click here to find out more about the Award.

 

When is the applications deadline for the Stephen Oliver Award?

Applications for the next Stephen Oliver Award will be accepted from 1st January 2025 and the closing date for applications is 30th April 2025.

If, in the meantime, you would like further information about the Award, please contact the Operations Assistant on emily@munstertrust.org.uk.

Former winners of the Stephen Oliver Award

The Stephen Oliver Award was established at the Munster Trust in 2006 and since that time the following projects have received support from the Award:

2007: Tête-à-Tête for “Blind Date” at the Riverside Studios and then touring and for the fees of the composers Chris Mayo and Anna Meredith.

2009: Joanna Lee with “Krazy Kat”, produced by Tête-à-Tête.

2011: Laura Bowler won with “The Sandman”.

2013: Luke Styles won with “Unborn in America”.

2015: Laura Bowler again won with “Early Morning”.

2017: Gestalt Arts won with “Liquid History”.

2019: Tom Coult won with “Violet”.

2021: Tom Floyd won with “Veritable Michael”.

2023: Will Gardner won with “The Prisoner”.

Stephen Oliver Award from The Countess of Munster Musical Trust

Other funding available from the Trust

Study Grants

Open to undergraduate Jazz musicians and postgraduate classical and jazz singers, instrumentalists and composers.

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Instrument Purchase Loans

Each year the Trust is able to offer a small number of interest-free loans to former beneficiaries to help with the purchase of musical instruments

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Neil Black Award

Annually awarded to an outstanding woodwind player to support their postgraduate studies and develop their musical career

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