Graduate Women Wellington - Ella C Wilson Music Award

History and purpose:

The award was established in memory of a bequest made by Ella C Wilson who was a long serving staff member of Napier Girls’ High School, teaching English and French. She came to Wellington when she retired as Deputy Principal. Ella was a Wellingtonian and completed a Bachelor of Music at Victoria University of Wellington prior to becoming a teacher. Her father died suddenly when she was 24, and her own dreams of doing any postgraduate study were lost at that time. Ella had seen Rachmaninov play when on a overseas trip and counted it a highlight of her life. She is buried at Karori Cemetery.

The award is to support students of the New Zealand School of Music who are enrolled in the BMus degree and intend to either continue their undergraduate studies, complete an honours degree or an MMus or MMA degree in Music Studies or Composition at the NZSM.

• Must be female students (applicants must identify as female, including cis-gendered and trans-gendered) at the New Zealand School of Music.
• Applicants must be enrolled in a BMus degree and intend to study an MMus or MMA degree in Music Studies or Composition.
• Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.
• Financial hardship may be taken into consideration.