Talented young Louth musician scoops prestigious award

Local harpist Rosie Murphy has won the BBCNI and Arts Council Young Musicians Platform award.

The talented young harpist, who lives in Dundalk, was one of six exceptional musicians who have been awarded the NI Young Musicians’ Platform Award, supported by The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and BBC Northern Ireland.

These prestigious biennial awards, aim to showcase and support the development of exceptional young musicians by providing funding awards, worth up to £5,000 each, to solo musicians and singers/singer-songwriters in classical, jazz, contemporary and traditional music, who are ready to enter the professional world as artists.

This financial award enables recipients to develop their musical aspirations by spending a sizeable amount of time learning from a master musician, mentor, teacher or composer either in Northern Ireland or abroad.

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In addition to this training opportunity, Rosie will perform Debussy’s Danses with the Ulster Orchestra on the 20th of March and will record De Falla’s Spanish Dance No 1 for the Ulster Radio on the 18th March.

As part of the award, she will also be mentored by Sioned Williams, previous principal harpist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Rosie Murphy is a classically trained harpist and composer, graduating from The Hague Royal Conservatory in 2024.

Passionate about new music, Rosie is a Britten Pears Young-Artist for composition and performance, collaborating with international composers and premiering their new works for 2024/2025.

During the Britten Pears residency, Rosie gave a harp composition workshop alongside composers Colin Matthews and Mark-Anthony Turnage and is currently preparing to premiere six new works at The Alderburgh Festival this coming June with the Britten Pears Chamber Orchestra.

Focusing on her career as a soloist and performer, Rosie made her concerto debut, performing Handel’s harp concerto with IYBO, performing in The National Concert Hall, Dublin in 2023.

Rosie has performed recitals in venues such as Aras an Uachtarain, The Irish Embassy of The Netherlands, No. 10 Downing Street, Queen's University and for live radio on ‘Radio West’ in The Hague and Harp Ireland’s Harp day Gala concert.

As the Featured Young Artist for the Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble for 2023/2024, Rosie performed regular contemporary ensemble concerts and live premiered pieces by Belfast composer, Greg Caffrey.

In 2024, Rosie collaborated with Dr. Saad Haddad of Columbia University on a contemporary piece for harp in Arab Maqamatic tuning, premiering it at a recital in The Hague in May.

In 2022, Rosie completed a Music Network emerging-artist residency, composing and performing a new work for harp and flute, premiering it on Culture Night in Dublin.

In 2021, for 21 Artists-for-the 21st century, Rosie composed music based on Irish mythology, recording it in Sonic Arts Reseach Centre. Rosie has performed as principal harp with The Esker Festival Orchestra, The Ulster Orchestra, The Britten Pears Chamber Orchestra and The Guildhall London Symphony Orchestra.

The six award recipients who were awarded the BBCNI and Arts Council Young Musicians Platform award include three classical awardees, harpist, Rosie Murphy, soprano, Zoë Jackson and violinist and composer, Samuel Kane; traditional folk music awardee, uilleann piper, Maeve O’Donnell; contemporary singer-songwriter awardee, Becky McNeice, and jazz awardee, Timothy Boomer.

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera, Arts Council of Northern Ireland said: We want to provide meaningful opportunities for our most exceptional young artists to develop their musical careers, and the NI Young Musicians’ Platform Award offers a valuable opportunity to do that.

“Awardees can develop their skills, learn from the best in their genre, and receive professional performance experience with the BBC.

“All of the previous awardees have gone on to have successful, professional musical careers and we wish the current cohort of awardees every success as they embark upon this opportunity.”

Paul McClean, Executive Editor Music, Arts and Events, BBC Northern Ireland, said: “We truly believe that BBC Radio Ulster and Foyle is ‘Where Music Matters’ and we are dedicated to providing our listeners with the best in specialist music.

“Nurturing new talent is something we are extremely passionate about and we are delighted to be involved in finding new classical, alternative, jazz and traditional artists. Being able to have our listeners engage in these young musicians’ journey will be incredible to watch as they grow and develop with some help from our mentors."

Previous recipients of the Young Musicians’ Platform Award include acclaimed classical pianist, Michael McHale, soprano, Laura Sheerin, harpist, Richard Allen, violinist, Michael Trainor; folk artists, Jack Warnock, Conor Mallon and Niall Hanna; singer-songwriter Roisin Donald/Roe; and jazz musicians, Ed Dunlop and Katherine Timoney, among others.