Irish composer Bill Whelan has today announced the foundation of the Bill Whelan International Music Bursary.
The Bursary has been set up to assist Irish music students studying abroad at participating third level institutes.
The Berklee School of Music in Boston and the University of Southern California (USC) are amongst a number of colleges in the United States and United Kingdom that have been identified for inclusion in the 2003 scheme.
The Bursary programme will run for five years, grants will range from €4,000 to €7,000 and the programme will be administered with the assistance of The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO).
Speaking at the launch of the bursary Whelan said: "It is a great honour for me to be in a position to contribute to the Irish Music Industry in such a way as to help emerging composers gain access to some of the foremost music institutions in the world."
