From Yamaha:
As one of the world’s largest manufacturers of musical instruments, Yamaha believes passionately in musical education. We see ourselves as a partner of the European cultural landscape and want to contribute to its growth and preservation. Our scholarship program is designed to make the often very long and arduous path to success for music students that little bit easier.
What Is the Yamaha Scholarship Program All About and Who Is Eligible for a Scholarship?
The YMEF scholarship is aimed at students who are preparing for a professional musical career at a recognized educational institution within Europe. You must be 25 years of age or younger at the time the annual grant is awarded (usually February/March).
The scholarship takes the form of a one-time payment of between €1000.00 and €2000.00 (please check the respective conditions for your country). The scholarship can be used for any purpose, as long as it contributes to the advancement of the winner’s studies. Each year, YMEF distributes approximately €66,000 in scholarships.
What Do You Need to Do to Receive a Yamaha Scholarship?
The Yamaha scholarship is awarded once a year, with the competition disciplines changing each year. Scholarships are awarded based on a selection process. The first step of this is to submit a video recording. Depending on the country, up to ten candidates will be selected from these entries and invited to attend a national audition. During this live audition, a panel decides whether a scholarship will be awarded based on the musical abilities and the visible potential of each applicant. The panel is made up of well-known musicians and music personalities from the respective instrument group. The video preselection process will also be carried out by members of this panel.
Who is the Yamaha Music Europe Foundation (YMEF)?
The Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe (YMFE), the predecessor organization of today’s YMEF, was founded in 1989. It was based in Milton Keynes in the United Kingdom for many years until it was decided in 2021 to transfer the Foundation’s activities to Rellingen in Germany, which is where the headquarters of Yamaha Music Europe GmbH is located. Following this, the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe became Yamaha Music Europe Foundation e.V.
This funding institution continues to exist exclusively to support young talent with its own YMEF scholarship program. Since 1990, the Yamaha Foundation has granted scholarships to over 1000 young musicians across 33 European countries.
THE 2023/2024 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM — What is Happening This Year?
We are pleased to announce our 34th round of annual scholarships. A total of 47 scholarships will be awarded to music students from 31 countries, with this year’s discipline being piano. The rules of participation may vary between countries, please refer to your respective country-specific application forms for details.
An online registration form will be available here from October 2023; the deadline for applications is 30th November 2023.
