Scholarships and bursaries for cross border organ study between the UK and the rest of Europe
The trust’s history - how did we begin?
The Nicholas Danby Trust was founded in 1997 after the untimely death of the distinguished international recitalist and leading conservatoire teacher.
At the time of his death, Nicholas Danby was Organ Professor at both the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he was head of Organ Studies from 1989 to 1996. For over thirty years he was Director of Music at the famous London Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, Mayfair.
Throughout his life, Nicholas Danby worked ceaselessly to promote international and cultural exchange. The aim of the Trust is to perpetuate this; therefore a major European scholarship and bursaries for organ study have been established in his memory.
We are always interested to hear from organ students who may be able to benefit from our awards, and also from anyone who like to support our work financially. You can contact us for more information here, and you can make a donation to support our work here.
Our awards
The Nicholas Danby Scholarship, value £6,000 per annum, is awarded biennially to a postgraduate organ student of exceptional promise for conservatoire study for up to two years. The scholarship is open to students from music colleges in the UK for study elsewhere in Europe, and to conservatoire students from other European countries for study in the UK. The trustees aim to help scholarship holders at the beginning of their careers, through securing recitals in prestigious venues and by offering sound professional advice.
Bursaries, each with a value of up to £3,000 per annum, are available for one year foundation courses or for undergraduate study on a yearly basis (at the trustees' discretion) at a conservatoire in the UK or elsewhere in Europe in a country other than the student's own.
Applicants for the scholarship or a bursary will be required to provide a recent recording and may be interviewed by the organists on the board of Trustees.
The next awards will be made for studies commencing in Autumn 2025. Information as to how to apply will be available here from March 2025.
