The 2025 Maura Dowdall Competition saw seven exceptional musicians compete for the Maura Dowdall Award of €1,000 and a coveted potential performance opportunity with the National Symphony Orchestra. The Colin Staveley Memorial Prize is awarded to the highest-placed string performer.
After a competitive final performance in the Whyte Recital Hall of the Royal Irish Academy of Music, our jury of Aisling Drury-Byrne (former principal cello, National Symphony Orchestra and RIAM professor), Joe Csibi (Head of Orchestra and Chorus, National Symphony Orchestra) and Colman Pearce (Conductor, pianist and composer) were delighted to announce clarinettist Willaim Curran as the winner of the Maura Dowdall prize of €1,000, winning with a performance of Carl Nielsen's: Clarinet Concerto, Op 57.
Jason Qiu was awarded the Colin Staveley Award receiving an additional winning prize of €600 for highest placed string player, kindly donated by the Staveley family.
A massive thank you to all who made it to the performance and thanks to our jury & donors, Bill Dowdall, the Dowdall family and The Staveley Family.