Scholarships
Durham University and Durham University Student Music offer a range of scholarships to support music making in Durham. Our scholarships allow students to purchase equipment, lessons, and more. Instrumentalists and singers alike are supported through scholarships both at college level in chapel choirs and at university level with performance scholarships available.
Vice Chancellor’s Scholarships
Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarships for Sport, Music and the Arts are administered before arrival at Durham University. Individuals who perform music at high levels and who will be active members of the musical environment at the university can receive £2,000 per academic year, and there is no need for applicants to study music at Durham to apply for a scholarship.
Applicants are required to provide a YouTube link to 2 different pieces of music approximately 3 minutes in length, and a reference from a suitable referee with knowledge of your musical ability.
Chris Higgins Bursary
Chris Higgins bursaries are worth between £300 and £500 to five successful candidates to support individuals in diploma or higher level musical tuition, residential courses and personal development in the realms of music performance.
Applications include a cover letter of up to 700 words, including a personal statement and how the bursary will benefit you and the university. A reference from a suitable referee is also necessary, explaining why you should receive the the bursary.
Durham Cathedral: Choral Scholarships
Six choral scholarships are available at Durham Cathedral for altos, tenors and basses. Scholars are required to sing eight services each week across six days. Choral Scholars are expected to have a well developed singing voice with good range and tone, experience singing in a choir or vocal group and strong sight-reading ability.
The scholarship is worth £4021.03 per year, and additional fees are paid for additional services and engagements. Scholars receive a series of free singing lessons and continued development from lay clerks.
Auditionees are asked to sing a piece from a major religious work such as Handel’s Messiah or Bach’s St John Passion. Auditions will also include aural tests and sight-reading.
Durham Cathedral: Organ Scholarships
There is one organ scholarship available at Durham Cathedral, with the opportunity to play approximately one service a week, and assisting with the training of probationer choristers. The Cathedral looks for someone with a strong background in organ playing, at ARCO level or equivalent, experience of accompanying a choir and strong sight-reading ability.
The scholarship is worth £3,000 each year, with a £500 allowance for music, books or organ lessons.
Auditionees will be asked to prepare two pieces, one Baroque and one contrasting, lasting around twelve minutes. Auditionees will also be required to play a set accompaniment and perform keyboard skills tests.
Schon Scholarships
The Schon Scholarships for music are specifically designed to support low-income students who are able to demonstrate exceptional potential in the field of music.
For the 2024-2025 academic year, there are two Schon scholarships available, worth £5,000 each. Applicants must demonstrate musical ability at Grade 8 level on any instrument including voice. They must also have a household income below £42,875.
Applications include YouTube links to performances of two different pieces of music approximately three minutes in length alongside a reference of 800 words from a suitable referee. A copy of your Student Finance award letter confirming the value of the maintenance loan you are due to receive should be provided to the scholarships team on request.
College Chapel Choirs: Choral Scholarships
Durham has eight college chapel choirs, each of which offer between four and sixteen choral scholarships. Scholarships support members of the chapel choir financially, and many scholarships also include singing lessons.
Responsibilities of choral scholars range from one to two services a week, and attendance at additional engagements, such as college services, recordings and visits to cathedrals across the country.
Recently, our chapel choirs have sung services in St George’s Chapel Windsor, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey.
College Chapel Choirs: Organ Scholarships
Many college chapel choirs offer organ scholarships to accompany chapel choirs in services. The values of these scholarships range from £300 to £1,000 and most include lessons and allowances for the purchase of music and books. Organ scholarships are outstanding opportunities for organists to develop, and previous college organ scholars have gone on to positions at Cathedral’s around the country.
St Oswald’s Church Choral and Organ Scholarships
St Oswald's Parish Church, on Church Street just down from the Science Site, offers one organ scholarship and four choral scholarships each academic year. Scholars attend rehearsals on Thursday evenings and services each Sunday morning and approximately 1-2 Sunday evenings per month during term time. Each scholarship is worth £1,000 for the year, and applications are invited from all voice parts.
The scholarships place an emphasis on continuing development, and scholars are offered opportunities to further their musical and other skills throughout the year in line with their interests.