RIAM student Senan Sheridan was announced winner of the Ursula Uí Chuinneagáin Bursary for Young Pianists 2025.
After a tough preliminary round during the day, there were five finalists chosen to compete for the €2,000 bursary and perpetual trophy.
Other finalists were Dylan Keane, Grace Bai, Ríona Scahill, and Yuhan Xue. Our jury consisted of Brendan Bresiln, Head of Junior, Adult and Lifelong Learning, RIAM, Ross Lyness, Head of Wind, Brass and Percussion, RIAM, Luke Ó Cuinneagáin, and Darina Ní Cuinneagáin.
Senan Sheridan is a 17-year-old pianist from Belfast. He is the current Northern Ireland Young Musician of the Year and recently won the John A. Pigott Memorial Cup, Anthony A. Glavin Trophy and Morris Grant Bursary at Ireland’s foremost music festival, Feis Ceoil.
In 2024 Senan was the winner of the Glasgow International Youth Piano Competition. In the same year he won the Patricia Read Memorial Cup at Feis Ceoil and was shortlisted for the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. Senan studies under Professor Anthony Byrne at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin.