Named in celebration of Bronwyn Bijl, founding Director of The Piano, who passionately supports young people to fly. The Piano would like to thank Philip Carter for generously supporting the Bronwyn Bijl Scholarship.
We’re excited to launch the Bronwyn Bijl Scholarship, a brand new annual opportunity as part of our Next Generation Initiative to support promising young Canterbury-based artists or small groups to deliver projects here at The Piano throughout the year.
Each year via application, we’ll award up to $5000 to individuals or groups to plan and deliver a music based project here at The Piano.
We're delighted to announce our 2025 Scholarship recipients:
- Kaitlyn Rodley (22) will receive $3000 towards producing a live concert at The Piano, showcasing her debut EP of her original music
- Myah Somers (20) will receive $2000 towards producing a multidisciplinary music video of an original song at The Piano
Read more about Kaitlyn and Myah here.
Applications for the 2026 Bronwyn Bijl Scholarship will open in December.
Feeling inspired and have an idea? We want to hear from you!
This scholarship aims to support a wide range of music based activity. From recording sessions, concerts and performances, to skills development workshops, mentoring, teaching sessions or exploring your creative process and producing new work.
Your project could be for one day or night, or take place on several days over the course of the year in any of our beautiful spaces. Whatever your project idea may be, we’re keen to support you to bring it to life here at The Piano.
Who is this scholarship for and how do I apply?
This scholarship is open to young Canterbury-based artists or small groups of young artists aged 16-26* who are at school, pursuing further study or just starting out in their arts career.
Read through our Information Pack, and fill in our online application form when applications for 2026 open in December, tell us a little about yourself and what you’re doing, outline your project idea/kaupapa, and how The Piano could support you to make this happen.
Applications have now closed for projects taking place in 2025.
Applications for 2026 will open in December 2025.
*Must be 16-26 years of age at the time of applying and by the project completion date.
Thinking about applying, but have a few questions?
Submitting an application can be a big and sometimes daunting process, so if you’re unsure of where to start or have any questions about the application process, Marcus our Director is more than happy to help. Once upon a time he was exactly where you are now… and understands the journey!
Or check out these FAQs for more information...
- Will only one scholarship be awarded each year? Not necessarily, we have a fund of $5000 each year to award to a possible pool of recipients, depending on the applications received.
- Will this scholarship be available every year? Yes, we're aiming to offer this opportunity for many years to come.
- My project might cost more than $5000 to deliver, am I still eligible to apply? Of course! We could grant up to $5000 towards a project, however we would like to see in the application how you might make up the remaining costs.
- My project might cost far less than $5000 to deliver, is it still worth applying? Absolutely, no project is too small to have a big impact. We're looking for projects that will have a meaningful outcome for the recipient.
- Is the age restriction absolute? There is some flexibility, applicants should be age 16-26 at the time of applying, and up until project completion date.
- I'm unsure about my idea and want to ask more questions, who do I speak to? Get in touch with Marcus Norman marcus@thepiano.nz, the friendly Director of The Piano and he'll answer any questions you might have about your specific idea.
E. marcus@thepiano.nz
P. 03 377 5000
