The Elgar Bursary
The Elgar Bursary offers support to composers over the age of 29
When the surviving members of Sir Edward Elgar's family commissioned Anthony Payne to elaborate Elgar's sketches for the unfinished Third Symphony, it was decided to use the royalties from the symphony to set up a bursary in Elgar's name.
Elgar enjoyed a long and fruitful association with the Royal Philharmonic Society. With this history in mind, the Elgar family has asked the Royal Philharmonic Society to administer the bursary on their behalf.
The Elgar Bursary has the specific intention of supporting the work of mature composers by providing financial support to allow for the creation of a new work which "may push back musical boundaries, but not at the expense of accessibility and integrity: in short, a work of which Edward Elgar himself might have approved." Anthony Payne comments:
"Life as a composer can be a particularly bumpy ride. At the start of the journey, there are a number of awards and bursaries available which help smooth the way for talented younger composers. However, to a large degree, older composers are left to navigate their own way: a process which I know from experience can be particularly tough, and not always conducive to the creative process.The Elgar Bursary has, therefore, been instituted specifically to offer much needed additional support to mature composers and assist the continuing development of their work."
The Bursary will be awarded biennially, or when sufficient funds are available, to a composer over the age of 29 resident in Britain.
The Bursary is not open to application. The choice of recipient rests with the Elgar Bursary Committee.
To read about the recipients of the Elgar Bursary click here