The Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival has opened calls for applicants for its second annual young musician award.
The award presents an opportunity for aspiring young musicians, who ascribe to the Sliabh Luachra style, to perform at the festival’s prestigious Sliabh Luachra Concert.
Last year’s inaugural winner, Simon Crehan chose the legendary Connie O’Connell as his mentor. Connie O’Connell is one of the most esteemed traditional musicians in the country.
He was only this year honoured with the title of Composer of the Year at the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Awards – the Oscars of the Traditional Music World.
Casting the Net Wide
The festival is casting the net wide again this year, after receiving well over 100 entrants last year. All criteria and details are listed here:
Patrick O’Keeffe Young Musician Award – Applications Open
The festival is excited to be opening calls for applications for the ‘Patrick O’Keeffe Young Musician Award.’ Applications are open to all musicians in the 16-25 age bracket.
This year the scope of the award will be expanded to include two winners, one male and one female.
Independent Panel of Musicians
The winners will be chosen by an independent panel of musicians. The winner will be invited to choose a musical hero of theirs.
They will then be assigned this person as a tutor, and they will meet up two to three times before the festival.
The winner and their musical hero will then perform in the showpiece on Saturday night at the Sliabh Luachra 30th anniversary concert at the festival in Castleisland on October 29th.
Criteria and Requirements
Introduce yourself at the beginning of the video, talk about your musical influences.
Submit two sets of tunes, with at least one of the sets to be associated with the Music of Sliabh Luachra.
Young Musician Award submissions can be Emailed to: patrickokeeffefestival@gmail.com by We Transfer.
It is important that any videos submitted by under 18’s must be by the young musician’s parent/guardian.
Meanwhile…..
The festival committee would appreciate it if anyone with a room to spare and willing to rent it out over the October bank holiday weekend from Thursday 27th to Monday 31st would text their contact number and Eircode to 087 2359467 as soon as possible as the accommodation situation is becoming more acute by the day.
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