Last Tuesday, 24 September, the annual KC Awards 2024 took place! During this festive evening, thanks to the generous support of various funds, companies and individuals, numerous awards and scholarships were presented to students who have made exceptional achievements during the past academic year.
The event offered a varied programme in which the talent of Royal Conservatoire students was in the spotlight. Visitors were treated to wonderful performances, interspersed with presentations of innovative research projects.
A special moment during the evening was the introduction of the new Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium. This support fund will in future support students with scholarships, prizes, loans and financial help for special projects.
It was an inspiring evening full of pride, celebrating students' achievements and looking ahead to a promising new academic year. Below are all the award winners and information about the prizes.
Prize Winners
Fock Medal - Michele Rampino (guitar Classical Music)
Best overall presentation
The Fock Medal is the oldest prize at the Royal Conservatoire. The prize was created in 1904 when Mr C. Fock celebrated 25 years as chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the then ‘Koninklijk Conservatorium voor Muziek’. At the time, it was a genuine gold-silver medal. The Fock Medal is made possible by Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium.
Jaring Walta Award - Eline de Vries (violin Classical Music)
Best presentation of a contemporary composition in a violin presentation
The Jaring Walta Prize was recently established to honour Jaring Walta (1941-2020). He was a teacher at the Royal Conservatoire for many years and was a board member of the Instruments Fund (now: Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium). He was particularly interested in contemporary music and had many Dutch premieres to his name. The Jaring Walta Prize is made possible by Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium.
Cuijpers Award - Victor Su (piano Classical Music)
Best piano presentation
The Cuijpers prize stems from a bequest by Mr J.M.I. Cuypers in 1929 of 15,000 gulden. In consultation with his widow, an annual prize was awarded to a talented pianist to support them in their development. The Cuijpers Prize is made possible by Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium.
Nicolaï Award - Andreu Genova Roldan (cello Early Music)
Most extraordinary final presentation, category ‘other instruments’
W.F.G. Nicolaï, former director (1865), played a crucial role in the development and expansion of the Royal Conservatoire in the late 19th century and left a lasting legacy through the Nicolaï Fund. The Nicolaï Prize was established in1898 for final presentations of creative departments and instruments other than violin, piano, voice. The prize is made possible by Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium.
KC Research Award - Geneviève Gates-Panneton
Best Master Research presentation
The KC Research prize is awarded each year to a master's student who has successfully completed their research project in written form and has delivered a compelling presentation during the Master Research Symposium. The winning student has contributed to the broader body of knowledge in their chosen field. The KC Research Prize is made possible by Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium.
Willem Bouman Grant - Eriko Nagayama (violin Early Music)
Best violin presentation Early Music or Classical Music
The Willem Bouman Grant is a new award for talented violinists of the Royal Conservatoire, made possible by the generous donation of the former Rotary Muziekfonds to the Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium. The Grant is named after co-initiator of the Rotary Muziekfonds, Willem Bouman (1922-2005). The Willem Bouman Grant is made possible by Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium.
Henk van der Meulen Award - Petra Cini (componiste)
Best final presentation Composition
Henk van der Meulen, composer and former director of the Royal Conservatoire, was instrumental in the foundation of the Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium to attract and support top talent. Thanks to the donations made on the occasion of his retirement as director, it is now possible to support talent from the Composition department with the Henk van der Meulen Award.
KC Dance Award - Ellyne Knol
The new KC Dance Award (2024) goes to the dancer with the best final presentation in the fourth and final year of the Bachelor programme. The prize stimulates the dancer in their further development. The KC Dance Award is made possible by Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium.
Fonds 1999 Top- and Development Scholarships (Fonds 1999)
- Fonds 1999 Top- en Development Beurzen (Fonds 1999)
- Arefeh Hekmatpanah (Compositie)
- Jeonghyun Choi (piano Jazz)
- Ramón Alejandro & Márquez Ramoz (fagot Klassieke Muziek)
- Filip Mišković (gitaar Klassieke Muziek)
- Marco Vallone (Nationale Master Orkestdirectie)
- César Ramos Hernandez (2023) (Nationale Master Orkestdirectie)
Fonds 1999 supports initiatives that make the world a happier, more inclusive and more positive place, with a focus on education. This is the second time that Fonds 1999 has enabled several substantial scholarships for master's students who stand out with their talent and ambition and/or who face significant financial barriers because they are from a developing county.
Keep an Eye Talent Awards Classical and Early Music (Keep an Eye Foundation)
- Jack Price (bastrombone Klassieke Muziek)
- Luis Manuel Vicente Beltrán (altviool Oude Muziek)
The awards for talents from the Classical and Early Music departments are made possible by the Keep an Eye Foundation. This is the first year that the 'Keep an Eye Talent Award for Early Music' will be presented to a promising talent!
The Keep an Eye Foundation, dedicated to emerging young talent, is an organization started by people who truly believe in the power of creativity and art: "At the Keep an Eye Foundation, it’s all about showcasing your talents and further developing them. We collaborate with leading music and art schools and festivals in the Netherlands and beyond, to support emerging, talented artists, designers, musicians, and other creatives!"
Toos Onderdenwijngaard Award - Bethany Angus (cello Early Music)
Best final presentation in Early Music (Bachelor or Master)
This year will mark the first presentation of the Toos Onderdenwijngaard Award, made possible by the Adriana Jacoba Fund. Toos Onderdenwijngaard (1926 – 2019) was a Dutch concert pianist. In the 1970s and 1980s she was frequently seen on important Dutch and international concert stages, performing with orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and working with conductors such as Bernard Haitink and Antal Doráti. Over the years, Toos Onderdenwijgaard has been of great significance to the Royal Conservatoire through her immense dedication and support, both as a concert pianist, as a principal subject teacher and as a patron.
De Zaaier Research Grants (Stichting De Zaaier)
- Alam Gabriel Hernandes Ramirez
- Alberto Tombolan
- Alex Designori
- Aruth Masrangsan
- Dante Jongerius
- Eglė Liutkauskaitė
- Filipe Eusébio Martins
- Jasperina Verheij
- Luis Santos
- Niccolò Angioni
- Pedro G. A. Aguinagalderomalde Robin Fiedler
- Sarah Brien
- Sigrid Sand Angelsen
- Thomas Debellemanière
- Victoria Oftestad
Stemming from an interest in the interaction between music and science, the De Zaaier Foundation awards grants to master’s students at the Royal Conservatoire to help finance their master’s research projects. Candidates are selected based on a research proposal they submit as part of the Introduction to Research in the Arts course in the first year of the master’s programme.
Konrad Boehmer Prize (Konrad Boehmer Foundation) - Adam Palekas (Sonology)
The annual Konrad Boehmer Prize is awarded to an outstanding and original final Sonology Master's presentation, which includes the artistic work and the written thesis.
Konrad Boehmer was a composer, philosopher, and teacher of theory and music history. He had been affiliated with the Royal Conservatoire as a teacher since 1972, and he played an indispensable role in the development of the Institute of Sonology, which moved from Utrecht to the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague in 1986. From 1994 until his retirement in 2006, he led the Institute of Sonology.
Harp – made possible by Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium
Fonds Koninklijk Conservatorium (formerly: Instrument Fund) has donated a harp to the Royal Conservatoire. This new harp is of great value to all harp students, allowing them added and improved study opportunities and we are very grateful for this important gift. Student Martin Sadílek will play the harp for our guests as they enter foyer Club 4 on the evening of the KC Awards.