Talented Saintfield’s woman Justine receives Young Musician’s award

Talented Saintfield’s woman Justine receives Young Musician’s award

27 January 2021

SAINTFIELD woman Justine Gormley is one of six “exceptionally talented” young musicians from Northern Ireland who has been awarded a Young Musicians’ Platform Award from the Arts Council and BBC Northern Ireland.

Justine was presented with the award in the Classical Music category, supported by National Lottery funding, and will be mentored by BBC Radio Ulster’s John Toal.

The pianist said she was delighted to be chosen to be part of the Young Musicians’ Platform Scheme.

“This scheme will open many doors for me through the performance exposure and will allow me to really focus on developing my pianistic skills through tuition and piano courses outside of Northern Ireland,” she continued.

“I am honoured to be able to work alongside the musicians of the Ulster Orchestra, many of whom were key musical figures in my life during my days of studying violin at the Belfast School of Music.

“The Arts Council and BBC Radio Ulster are doing outstanding work in supporting and promoting the young musicians of Northern Ireland, and I hope that I will be able to bring my skills back home in the future.

I am thankful to my current and previous tutors, John Gough and John McParland, for continually supporting me and helping me to achieve my goals.”

Justine discovered her love of music when she was found as a toddler playing nursery rhymes by ear on the family piano.

Initially taught by her mother, she was later enrolled into private piano lessons with John McParland in Belfast at the age of 12.

She remained under his tutelage until 2017, when she was accepted into the Royal Northern College of Music to study with senior piano tutor John Gough.

Justine has enjoyed success in various competitions, including a prize at the Irish Heritage Bursary competition at Wigmore Hall, the Cox Memorial Prize and Colonel Howes Award at the ESO Young Soloist competition, the Rose Reilly Memorial Award at the Barry Douglas’ Camerata Ireland Academy, and the Alen-Buckley award presented by the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival.

She was also a finalist in the 2019 Young Pianist of the North international piano competition.

She was mentored by Barry Douglas for two consecutive years at the Clandeboye Music Festival. Other internationally known pianists she has received masterclasses and lessons from include Bernard d’Ascoli, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Stephan Möller, Noriko Ogawa, Kathryn Stott, Grigory Gruzman, and Dmitri Alexeev.

Justine has performed in various notable venues including the Ulster Hall, the Kevin Barry Recital Room at the National Concert Hall, the Carmo Convent Ruins, Portugal, as part of the Lisbon International Youth Music Festival, and recently the Irish Embassy in London as an Irish Heritage artist.

She has also broadcast on both BBC Radio Ulster and RNCM Radio.