Celebrating and honouring new talents in music

Stan O’Beirne of Gonzaga College in Dublin is this year’s winner of the Frank Maher Classical Awards

Pianist Stan O’Beirne (18), a sixth -year student at Gonzaga College, Dublin. Picture: Peter Houlihan

Young Dublin pianist Stan O’Beirne of Gonzaga College, Dublin is now €5,000 the richer as the winner of the Frank Maher Classical Awards. The sixth-year music student beat five other finalists in what jury chairman Prof Gerard Gillen, emeritus professor of music at NUI, described as “a phenomenally high standard of performances throughout”.

Another member of the jury, Veronica Swiney, one of Ireland’s most celebrated international pianists, commented: ‘’From the very opening of Chopin’s Ballade, ...