Kathleen Ferrier Society Bursary for Young Singers
This prestigious bursary is open to vocal students just beginning their second year of study at any of the eight major Music Colleges in England, Scotland and Wales.
The Kathleen Ferrier Society Bursary is a registered charity (number 1077586) and was established in 1996. Every year each conservatoire sends two singers who present a varied programme of no more than 18 minutes. The winner of the Bursary receives £3000 spread over three years. Thanks to the generosity of Winifred Ferrier, legacies and other major donors, the Society is now able to give Second, Third and Accompanist’s Prizes. Since 2018, following a legacy from another great contralto Norma Procter, we have also given a Song Prize.
Our President, Linda Hirst, chairs the panel of distinguished judges each year and she has proved to be devoted and supportive in the role, taking great interest in the progress and careers of the singers who take part in the Bursary competitions.
The Society continues to follow the careers not only of the winners of the Bursary Award but also of those who have taken part in the competition since it began in 1996 and news of the achievements of Bursary singers is regularly printed in the KFS newsletters. We are now seeing Bursary winners and finalists in the finals and winning prizes at the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Awards. Winners of a Ferrier Award Prize have been Ben Johnson 2008, Niabulo Madlala 2010, Natalya Romaniw 2012, Sarah-Jane Lewis 2014, James Newby 2016, and William Thomas in 2018.
Rhydian Roberts, our Bursary Winner in 2004, became a national name in 2008 when he was the hotly disputed runner-up in X Factor – once allowed to be himself in the show he was able to reveal the qualities which led to his winning our Bursary.
West End star David Thaxton, Hart second prize winner in 2004, won the 2011 Olivier Award for best actor in Passion.
Bursary Trustees: Sylvia Alexander, Robert Langstaff, Kathleen Hopcroft.
Past Winners (click to open)
2022: HUGO BRADY (Tenor, Royal College)
Joyce Budd Second Prize – DANA MAYS (Mezzo, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)
Pamela Hart Third Prize – HARVEY CULLIS (Baritone, Royal Academy)
Norma Procter Song Prize – SARAH THOMAS (Soprano, Royal Northern College of Music)
Dennis Horner Accompanist Prize – JOSEPH CAVALLI-PRICE (Royal Academy)
2021: TWM TEGID BRUNTON (Baritone,Guildhall)
Joyce Budd Second Prize – EDVARD ADDE (Tenor, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)
Pamela Hart Third Prize – USTINYA MALINIA (Mezzo, Royal College)
Norma Procter Song Prize – JUSTIN JACOBS (Tenor, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire)
Dennis Horner Accompanist Prize – HELEN MENG (Royal Academy)
2020: ARMAND RABOT (Bass-baritone, Royal Northern College of Music)
Joyce Budd Second Prize – KATIE CARMICHAEL (Mezzo, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)
Pamela Hart Third Prize – LILY MO BROWNE (Mezzo, Royal College)
Norma Procter Song Prize – ANGELINA DORLIN-BARLOW (Mezzo, Royal College)
Dennis Horner Accompanist Prize – TIFFANY QIU (Royal Academy)
2019: MANON OGWEN PARRY (Soprano, Guildhall)
Joyce Budd Second Prize – LEIF TSE (Guildhall)
Pamela Hart Third Prize – CEFERINA PENNY (Royal College)
Dennis Horner Accompanist’s Prize – BENJAMIN MEAD ( Royal Academy)
Norma Procter Song Prize – MOLLY BEERE (Royal Welsh College)
2018: LAURENCE KILSBY (Tenor, Royal College)
Joyce Budd Second Prize – RACHEL ROPER (Guildhall)
Pamela Hart Third Prize – MARCUS SWIETLICKE (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)
Dennis Horner Accompanist’s Prize -CAMILLE LEMONNIER
Norma Procter Song Prize – LAURENCE KILSBY (Royal College)
2017: CAMILLA SABA DAVIES (Soprano, Royal Academy)
Joyce Budd Second Prize-EMYR LLOYD JONES (Royal Northern College of Music) & JACOBO OCHOA PIDRAHITA (Guildhall)
Pamela Hart Third prize – JORDAN CARLTON (Royal Academy)
Dennis Horner Accompanist’s Prize – MIHALY BERECZ (Royal Academy)
2016: JACOB PHILLIPS (Baritone, Royal Academy)’
Joyce Budd Second Prize – JONAH HALTON (Guildhall School)
Pamela Hart Third Prize – MANON GLEIZES (Guildhall School)
Dennis Horner Accompanist’s Prize – MARIANNA ABRAHAMYAM (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)
2015: STEFFAN LLOYD OWEN (Bass Baritone, Royal Northern College)
Joyce Budd Second Prize – JACK ROBERTS (Guildhall School)
Pamela Hart Third Prize – ROBERT LEWIS (Guildhall School)
Audience Prize -CHARLOTTE HESLOP (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)
Dennis Horner Accompanist’s Prize – MAYA IGALINA (Guildhall School)
2014: TIMOTHY MORGAN (Counter tenor, The Royal College)
Joyce Budd Second Prize – WILLIAM THOMAS (Guildhall School)
Pamela Hart Third Prize – SAMANTHA OXBOROUGH (Birmingham Conservatoire)
Dennis Horner Accompanist’s Prize – MICHELLE SANTIAGO (Guildhall School)
2013: JAMES WAFER (Baritone, Royal College of Music)
Joyce Budd Second Prize – JAMES NEWBY (Trinity Laban)
Brown-Hicks Third Prize – HUW MONTAGUE RENDALL (Royal College of Music)
Denis Horner Accompanist’s Prize – ALASTAIR FINLAY (Royal Academy)
Audience Prize – CHARLOTTE HOATHER – (Soprano, Royal Scottish Conservatoire)
2012: EDUARD MAS BACARDIT (Tenor, The Guildhall School)
Joyce Budd Second Prize – ALEXANDRA LOWE (The Royal Northern College)
Pamela Hart Third Prize – ADAM TEMPLE-SMITH (The Royal Northern College)
Dennis Horner Accompanist’s Prize – THOMAS PRIMROSE (The Royal Academy)
2011: THOMAS ISHERWOOD (Bass Baritone, Royal Northern College of Music)
Joyce Budd Second Prize – HARRIET EYLEY (The Royal Academy)
Pamela Hart Third Prize – LAWRENCE SMITH (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)
Dennis Horner Accompanist’s Prize – ANTONY CAMILLO (The Royal Academy)
2010: TAHIRAH OSBORNE (Soprano, The Royal Academy)
Joyce Budd Second Prize – AMY WILLIAMSON (The Royal College)
Ronald Webb Third prize – CASEY-JOE RUMENS (Trinity College)
Dennis Horner Accompanist’s Prize – Robin Cohen (Trinity College)
2009: HOLLY-ANNA LLOYD (Soprano, The Royal Welsh College)
The Joyce Budd Second Prize was won by NATALIE PEREZ (The Guildhall School)
The Third Prize was won by ELGAN THOMAS (The Royal Northern College)
CHRISTHOPHER BAXTER (The Royal Scottish Academy) won the Accompanist’s Prize
2008: DAVID SHIPLEY (Bass, The Royal Academy)
The Joyce Budd Second Prize was won by FIONA MACKENZIE (The Royal College)
The Third Prize was won by NICHOLAS SCOTT (The Royal Academy)
An additional Third Prize was awarded to ELIZABETH KARANI (The Royal Northern College)
STEPHEN MEAKINS (The Royal College) won the Accompanist’s Prize
2007: RACHEL MARSH (Soprano, The Royal Welsh College)
The Joyce Budd Second Prize was won by OLIVER CLARKE (The Royal College)
The Third Prize was won by SALLY MARTIN (The Royal Welsh College)
MARK VERTER (The Guildhall School) won the Accompanist’s Prize
2006: SARAH-JANE LEWIS (Mezzo, The Royal College)
The Joyce Budd Second Prize was won by HANNAH BRADBURY (The Royal Academy)
The Third Prize was won by NATALYA ROMANIW (The Guildhall School)
2005: LUKAS JAKOBSKI (Bass, The Royal College)
The Joyce Budd Second Prize was won by KATHRYN RUDGE (The Royal Northern College)
The Third Prize was won by ADAM MARSDEN (The Royal Northern College)
2004: RHYDIAN ROBERTS (Baritone, Birmingham Conservatoire)
The Hart Second Prize was won by DAVID THAXTON (The Royal Welsh College)
2003: SOPHIE BEVAN (Soprano, The Royal College)
The Hereford Second Prize and the Third Prize were shared by BEN JOHNSON (The Royal College)and NJABULO MADLALA (The Guildhall School)
2002: NICKY SPENCE (Tenor, The Guildhall School)
2001: FFLUR WYN (Soprano, The Royal Academy)
2000: SIMONA MIHAI (Soprano, The Royal College)
1999: WILLIAM BERGER (Baritone, The Royal Academy)
1998: CLINT VAN DER LINDE (Counter Tenor, The Royal College)
1997: RORY O’CONNOR (Tenor, The Royal Academy)
1996: ELLIOT GOLDIE (Tenor, The Guildhall School)
2019 Bursary Winners with Judges
From left to right: Caferina Penny, Leif Tse, Manon Ogwen Parry, Nicky Spence, Alison Wells, Linda Hirst