The Kathleen Ferrier Awards

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The Kathleen Ferrier Awards

The Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship Fund Awards - an annual competition for singers and pianists. M. Williams

Registered Charity: No.1028426

The 72nd Awards will take place at London's Wigmore Hall on 21st & 23rd April 2027. The Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship Fund was founded in 1953 in memory of the much-loved contralto from Lancashire who died at the tragically young age of 41 and whose career as a singer lasted just 12 years. An appeal was launched by Sir John Barbirolli, Roy Henderson, Gerald Moore, Sir Malcolm Sargent and Hamish Hamilton and the ball was started rolling with the proceeds from a book “Kathleen Ferrier – a Memoir” put together by some of her friends and colleagues. The purpose of the fund was to make an annual award to a young British singer sufficient to cover the cost of a year’s study and general support. The first competition was held in 1956 and it has continued to provide a few outstandingly talented young singers each year since then with the opportunity of making a start in what is a most difficult and demanding career. Since that first competition there have been some changes made and the competition now offers three prizes, a 1st prize of £12,500, a 2nd prize of £6,000 and a Song Prize of £5,000, sponsored in perpetuity by Mark & Liza Loveday. There is also an Accompanist’s Award provided by the Help Musicians UK in memory of Arthur & Gwyneth Harrison. The competition is open to singers of any nationality who have completed at least one year of study in the UK or Eire; they must be aged 28 or under at the time of the final audition. Pianists competition for the accompanist’s award must also be 28 or under. From the beginning the Fund was supported by Kathleen’s many friends and admirers from around the world. There have been donations, covenants and legacies which have helped raise and maintain the prizes at their current level and in particular in the past there were regular donations from the RVW Trust, from Decca and from Mrs. Lise Rueff Seligman, an enthusiastic supporter until her death in 2003. More recently the Fund has been boosted by contributions from the Musicians Benevolent Fund; from Mark & Liza Loveday who have provided funding for the Song Prize in perpetuity; from individual Trustees and supporters and from the Ian Smith of Stornoway Legacy who have sponsored both the Masterclasses, started in 2009, and Ferrier events north of the border. If you would like to contribute to the Fund in any way – sponsoring a recital by a Ferrier winner, sponsoring literature for the competition, advertising in the programme or by making a donation or legacy directly to the Fund, please contact [email protected]

Trustees:

Sir Thomas Allen CBE
Valerie Beale (Chairman)
Sir Vernon Ellis
Sir Nicholas Goodison
Dr. Linda Hirst
Graham Johnson OBE
Yvonne Kenny AM
David Lester
Ian Page
Nicholas Riddle
Joan Rodgers CBE
Martin B.

23/08/2026

'Handel can hardly have imagined climate change bringing one of his operas to a halt. But at Santa Fe Opera, where Hugh Cutting has been singing Unulfo in Rodelinda, conducted by Harry Bicket, forest fires have stopped performances in their tracks.'

In our latest interview, hear of Hugh Cutting's journey from Oxford choirboy to internationally acclaimed opera singer, the physical joy of singing, Bach’s gifts to the countertenor and his determination to make music from the past speak to the present.

Read now (10 mins) 🔖 https://go.continuoconnect.com/hugh-cutting-a-countertenor-in-counterpoint

22/08/2026

An interesting Continuo Connect feature on countertenor Hugh Cutting, who will perform in Bach's B Minor Mass with Arcangelo at the BBC Proms on Thursday 10 September.

In 2021 Hugh became the first countertenor to win First Prize in the history of The Kathleen Ferrier Awards.

Countertenor Hugh Cutting talks to Continuo Connect about the physical joy of singing, Bach’s gifts to the countertenor and his determination to make music from the past speak to the present.

11/08/2026

This year's winner of The Kathleen Ferrier Awards, baritone Hector Bloggs, recently interviewed by Opera Now:

"I grew up in a house full of classical music and golden age musicals. We have holiday videos where the Rachmaninov Vespers are playing over the speakers..."

Link to read in comments 👇

06/08/2026

Countertenor Hugh Cutting - the first countertenor, in 2021, to win The Kathleen Ferrier Awards - has been interviewed by Opera Now

03/08/2026

'𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮. "𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵," 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴. "𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘺. 𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬."’

Part of an Opera Now interview with 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 2021 Ferrier Awards First Prize winner.

Link in comments below 👇

18/07/2026

Tonight! 2025 Ferrier Awards First Prize winner, mezzo Lily Mo Browne at Cambridge Summer Music!

Kathleen Ferrier Award Winner’s Recital
Saturday 18 July · 7.30pm · Pembroke Auditorium

Mezzo‑soprano Lily Mo Browne, First Prize winner at the 2025 Kathleen Ferrier Awards, joins “that peerless song accompanist” Graham Johnson for a richly expressive programme inspired by the Women of Antiquity: Dido, Arianna, Lydia, Psyche, Bilitis and Phydilé.

The recital journeys through Purcell’s Dido’s Lament, Haydn’s dramatic Arianna a Naxos, songs by Fauré, Paladilhe, Debussy and Duparc, Brahms’ Zigeunerlieder, Woodforde‑Finden’s Kashmiri Song, and Elgar’s Sea Pictures. Devised especially for Browne by Johnson, this programme showcases a rising star whose artistry has already earned multiple awards at the Royal College of Music.

Tickets: £32 / £25 / £20 (+ booking fee) · Half‑price for under‑25s
https://cambridgesummermusic.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173678268

13/07/2026

Britten’s first chamber opera, The R**e of Lucretia, was premiered at Glyndebourne 80 years ago today, with Kathleen Ferrier in the title role.

13/06/2026

The Kathleen Ferrier Awards Winner's Recital
Lily Mo Browne, mezzo-soprano - First Prize, 2025
Graham Johnson, piano
at Cambridge Summer Music

Saturday 18 July, 7.30pm
Booking link in comments 👇

Kathleen Ferrier Award Winner’s Recital
Saturday 18 July 2026, 7.30pm - Pembroke Auditorium

The spotlight falls on one of Britain’s most exciting young voices as Lily Mo Browne, First Prize winner at the 2025 Kathleen Ferrier Awards, performs at the Pembroke Auditorium A rising mezzo with a string of accolades from the Royal College of Music, Lily brings a blend of expressive depth and youthful freshness to the stage.

She is joined by the legendary Graham Johnson, described by the Daily Telegraph as “that peerless song accompanist”. Johnson has crafted a programme especially for Lily - a journey through the women of antiquity, from Dido and Arianna to Lydia, Psyche, Bilitis and Phydilé, each brought to life through music of Purcell, Haydn, Fauré, Debussy, Duparc and more.

The recital closes with Brahms’s exuberant Zigeunerlieder and songs by Woodforde‑Finden and Elgar, offering a rich tapestry of colour, character and emotion.

Tickets: £32, £25, £20 + booking fee
Half‑price for ages 25 and under

🎟️https://cambridgesummermusic.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173678268

13/06/2026

Congratulations, Louise Alder 🎖️

I am, somewhat flabbergasted, and just utterly elated to have been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday honours list. Thank you all so much for being part of this wonderful and crazy journey. ❤️

📸 Pablo Strong

MWA Management Maria Mot PICTS Media

Address

London

Website

http://www.ferrierawards.org.uk/

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