Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year

06/07/2024

Congratulations to the semi-finalists of this year's competition. The semi-finals will take place in the Grand Lodge Room at Freemasons’ Hall on Thursday, 10th October and admission is free.
Emma Blacoe (Flute) Queens University, Belfast
Adam Buttimer (Tuba) Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin
David Cadena (Violin) Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, Limerick
Deirdre Cadogan (Clarinet) MTU Cork School of Music
Maria-Estella Fischer (Violin) MTU Cork School of Music
Defne Gultoprak (Piano) Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin
Matteo Lo Bracco (Violin) Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, Limerick
Tara Malone (Flute) MTU Cork School of Music
Eimear McDonald (Concert Harp) TU Dublin Conservatoire
Sean Molloy (Trumpet) TU Dublin Conservatoire
Ella Nagy (Piano) Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin
Cillian Ó Cathasaigh (Violin) MTU Cork School of Music
Julianna Odubajo (Viola) TU Dublin Conservatoire
Carlos Rabadán Salas (Viola) Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, Limerick
Patrick Stocker (Piano) Queens University, Belfast
Andrés Vaccaro (Cello) Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin
Yueran Yang (Piano) TU Dublin Conservatoire
For full details of the performers and their programmes, go to freemasonmusic.ie.

03/07/2024

Our 2023 Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year, Rowel Friers, with the Deputy Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Richard Ensor, at the National Concert Hall on Tuesday, 2nd July. Rowel performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the National Symphony Orchestra at the lunchtime summer concert. His magnificent performance can be heard on https://www.rte.ie/radio/lyricfm/full-score/2024/0702/1457781-the-full-score-tuesday-2-july-2024/.

07/06/2024

The 2023 Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year, Rowel Friers is performing with the National Symphony Orchestra on Tuesday, 2nd July 2024. For further details and to book tickets, please click on the link below.
https://www.nch.ie/all-events-listing/nso-summer-lunchtime-3/

14/04/2024

We are delighted that our Jury Chairman and Artistic Director, Séamus Crimmins, has agreed to be a Patron of the Competition.

21/02/2024

Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year 2023, Rowel Friers, following his NCH Kevin Barry Room recital on 20th February with Chairman of the Jury, Séamus Crimmins.

16/02/2024

The 2023 Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year, Rowel Friers, will be giving a recital in the Kevin Barry Room in the NCH next Tuesday.

05/02/2024

We are delighted to announce that the 2023 Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year, Rowel Friers is due to give a recital in the Kevin Barry Recital Room at the National Concert Hall on Tuesday, 20th February 2024 at 7.30pm

06/11/2023

Some photos of the 2023 Finalists and winners

06/11/2023

The Final of this year's competition will be broadcast this Friday, 10th November from 7pm on RTÉ lyric Live with Paul Herriott.

16/10/2023

An evening of superb music from our four finalists last Saturday, 14th October, which will be broadcast by RTÉ lyric fm later this year. See below for full list of prize winners.

Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year 2023
Rowel Elesio Friers (Piano)
1st prize €8,000, plus the following.
- A recital at the Redutowe Recital Rooms of the Teatr Weilki National Opera, Warsaw (kindly presented by one of our judges, Beata Klatka)
- A solo engagement with the National Symphony Orchestra
- A recital in the John Field Room of the National Concert Hall
- A recital in the September 2024 "Music in Monkstown Festival"
- RTE Lyric fm will, at their discretion, submit a recording of the winner’s performance to the European Broadcasting Union New Talent Competition 2024.

2nd prize €5,000 to Ella Nagy (Piano)

3rd prize €3,000 to Gavin Hodson (Alto Saxophone)

4th prize €2,000 Kate O'Shea (Violin)

The Conrad O’Sullivan Memorial Prize of €1,000 to Gavin Hodson (Alto Saxophone)
Sponsored by Mrs Geraldine O’Sullivan in memory of her son, Conrad, and is awarded to the competitor in either the semi-finals or final who, in the opinion of the Jury has given the best performance by a wind or brass player.

The John Vallery Memorial Prize of €1,000 to Kate O'Shea (Violin)
Sponsored by Mrs Mary Beattie in memory of her late husband John Vallery. It is awarded to a competitor in either the semi-finals or final, who, in the opinion of the Jury has given the best performance by a string player.

The Wil Keune Prize of €1,000 to Mickey Glen Tomas (Piano)
Presented posthumously by Jane Carty in memory of her husband goes to a semi-finalist not awarded a place in the final, but whom the Jury feel shows real potential and promise.

Congratulations to all!

16/10/2023

Congratulations to the 2023 Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year, Rowel Elesio Friers

14/10/2023

All set up for tonight's Final.

13/10/2023

Congratulations to this year's Finalists
Kate O'Shea (Violin), Rowel Elesio Friers (Piano), Gavin Hodson (Alto-saxophone), and Ella Nagy (Piano).
Tickets for the Final at 7.00pm on Saturday, 14th October 2023 are still available at : https://freemason.ie/product/ifym-2023-final/ or from Reception at Freemasons' Hall.

Tickets for the Final of the 2023 Competition in the Grand Lodge Room, Freemasons’ Hall, 17 Molesworth Street, Dublin D02 HK50.

26/08/2023

Tickets for the Semi-finals and Final can be purchased from our website at https://freemasonmusic.ie/ticket-purchase/

03/08/2023

In order to mark the passing yesterday afternoon of our Artistic Director, Jane Carty, today's The Full Score programme on RTÉ lyric fm will feature Valentine Laporte's winning performance from last year's competition, remembering Jane and her contribution to music and young musicians.

31/07/2023

We are please to confirm that the international jury for the 2023 Competition are Séamus Crimmins (Chairman), Holger Bleck, Beata Klatka, Maighréad McCrann, Veronica McSwiney and Colman Pearce.

07/07/2023

We are very pleased to announce that the following are the Semi-Finalists for the Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year 2023. The semi-finals will be held at Freemasons Hall, Dublin on Thursday, October 12th, 2023:

Alice Abreu (Violin) IWA
Leila Clarke-Carr (Violin) IWA
Dylan Donegan (Harpsichord) TUDub
Rowel Elesio Friers (Piano) RIAM
Gavin Hodson (Alto Saxophone) TUDub
Anna Jansson (Piano) CSM
Dylan Kelly (Piano) CSM
Ella Nagy (Piano) RIAM
Rachel Nolan (Flute) RIAM
Ben O'Brien (Clarinet) TUDub
Kate O'Shea (Violin) CSM
Oscar Leamy O'Donovan (Euphonium) CSM
Mickey Glen Tomas (Piano) TUDub
David Vesey (Piano) RIAM

(CSM = Cork School of Music, RIAM= Royal Irish Academy of Music, IWA = Irish World Academy of Music, Limerick, TUDub = Technological University Dublin, QUB = Queen's University Belfast)

02/04/2023

Our 2018 winner, Amy Gillen, is performing at the Rising Stars concert in the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival on 20th May, accompanied by Fraser Hickland. Please click on the picture below for tickets.

Our featured May 2023 Festival Rising Stars are Irish flautist Amy Gillen and pianist Frasier Hickland, both of whom have already made an impressive impact on the music scene at home and abroad.

14/12/2022

We were delighted that our 2022 winner, Valentine Laporte, called in this morning to receive her engraved winners medallion from General Administrator, David Robinson. Many thanks to John Keeley for organising the engraving.

10/12/2022

If you missed last night's full broadcast of the 2022 final ( with surprise pieces by previous winners Amy Gillen , Gary Beecher and Alex Petcu added also) you can get a playback at https://www.rte.ie/radio/lyricfm/lyric-live/.
(Scroll down to "Listen back" on the screen)
It was a great evening. 3 hours of super music. Don't miss it.....huge thanks to RTE lyric!!

RTÉ lyric Live brings you RTÉ lyric fm's concerts every Friday evening. Presented by Paul Herriott and featuring the National Symphony Orchestra and RTÉ Concert Orchestra, plus recordings from Ireland and abroad. Producer: Gail Henry, Production Co-ordinator: Saibh Downes

07/12/2022

Dont miss it !! This Friday at 7.00pm

05/12/2022

Another winner appearance. Something definitely to look forward to! Oran Halligan at the NCH.....

23/11/2022

Our winner Valentine Laporte and runner-up Jude McCann together . What a treat!

12/11/2022

A real treat! The final of the 2022 competition was recorded by RTE and will be broadcast on Friday, December 9th at 7.00pm. on RTE Lyric fm, and streamed on the RTE internet site.

09/11/2022

Advance notice for you...our 2019 winner Oran Halligan will be giving a lunchtime recital at the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Friday January 20th 2023.
Beethoven, Balfe, Chopin and Granados. Don't miss it!
Tickets on sale now from the NCH at

The National Concert Hall is a national cultural institution and the designated home of music in Ireland.

09/10/2022

The results of the 2022 competition are

Irish Freemason Young Musician of the Year 2022 Valentine Laporte (Flute -TU Dublin)

Joint Second
Stephane Petiet - Double Bass CSM
Jude McCann - Piano TUDublin

Fourth
Laoise McMullen -Piano RIAM

07/10/2022

The following semi-finalists will pass to the Final of the Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year 2022, and will perform in the following order:
Laoise McMullin - Piano RIAM
Stephane Petiet - Double Bass CSM
Valentine Laporte - Flute TUDub
Jude McCann - Piano TUDub
The Final will be tomorrow, Saturday October 8th, at 7.00pm at Freemasons Hall, 17 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2
There are still few tickets left (€20) which are available at the Box Office at the Hall.

02/10/2022

Got your tickets yet? All day tickets for the semi final next Thursday at 1.00 and 7.00 are only €10 and you get to hear all 16 semi-finalists !
Tickets for the final are €20. That's next Saturday at 7.00.
Hope to see you there ! Tickets from the Box Office, Freemasons Hall, 17 Molesworth Street Dublin 2.

28/09/2022

Don't leave it too late if you want tickets! The final is usually sold out fairly quickly.......
Semi Finals Thursday Oct 6th, 1.00pm.and 7.00pm and an all day ticket is only €10
The Final, Saturday October 8th at 7.00pm tickets are €20 but be quick!!
Tickets available from Freemasons Hall, 17 Molesworth Street Dublin 2, or see our website www.freemasonmusic.ie
.....Looking forward to seeing you there!

23/09/2022

Please note that the performance times listed below are estimates and may well vary +/- 10 minutes.
We regret that, out of consideration for the musicians, audience admission is not permitted during the course of a semi-finalists performance, but only at the end.