Five finalists of the inaugural ‘Flax Trust Classics’ (classical music awards/bursaries £15,000 for all classical musicians – vocal & instrumental – born in N Ireland, wishing to continue their studies graduate/post graduate in the field of music) performed at a black tie concert at Queen’s University’s capacity crowded Great Hall on Friday 20th April.
Tara McNeill – violin – won both the Flax Trust Classics Award (Adjudicating Pannel – Marilynne Davies and Randal Shannon) and the George & Angela Moore Flax Trust Classics Audience Award.
The other finalists were Emer McCallion – Soprano; Helen Aiken – Mezzo – Soprano; David Gibson – Piano; Maria McGrann – Soprano. All were entrants in the 2011 Holywood Music Festival’s Performance Class. On that occasion, Helen Aiken won the Katy Major Memorial Trophy.
