Scholarships and prizes

Scholarships

Monash University, The Faculty of Arts and the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance offer an extensive scholarship and grants program to support both local and international students enrolled in degrees.

2023 Anna Chmiel Clarinet Scholarship recipient, Maya-Jayne Howat explains what receiving the scholarship has meant to her: “I am beyond grateful to even be considered for a spot at Monash University, let alone to be the recipient of such a prestigious scholarship. I would like to thank the Hon. Judge Pamela Jenkins for her generosity towards this award, and for the incredible opportunity it provides.”

The Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance offers the following scholarships:

Allan Bower Indigenous Music Scholarship  
The Allan Bower Music Scholarship was gifted to Monash University by alumna Anne Martin, in honour of her husband who was a jazz saxophone player, to benefit Indigenous Australian students who show great promise in undertaking undergraduate studies within the Bachelor of Music degree. Further information.

Anna Chmiel Memorial Clarinet Scholarship  
This scholarship was introduced to support clarinet students at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance. The scholarship is in honour and memory of Anna Chmiel who was a clarinet student at the School. Further information.

Anna Chmiel Memorial Travel Grant
This scholarship has been created in memory of Anna Chmiel, who was a clarinet student at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance. It supports Monash music and performance students who participate in units where there is a travel cost incurred as part of their undergraduate degrees. Further information

Eliezer Benedykt Scholarship in Music
The Eliezer Benedykt Scholarship in Music was established to support talented students within the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance at Monash University. Further information.

Freemasons John Dann Music Scholarship  
The Freemasons John Dann Music Scholarship was established to support talented students within the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance at Monash University. Further information.

Freemasons Foundation Victoria Music Scholarship 
The Freemasons Foundation Victoria Music Scholarship was introduced to assist talented and deserving music students to access tertiary education and to provide them with opportunities which would not otherwise have been available to them due to their personal circumstances. Further information

Geoffrey Whitelaw Jazz Brass Scholarship
At Monash we like to reward our talented musicians. The Geoffrey Whitelaw Jazz Brass Scholarship is awarded to a commencing Bachelor of Music student at Monash who plays a brass instrument (trumpet or trombone). You must specialise in jazz performance and demonstrate outstanding abilities through academic achievement and an audition. Further information.

Monash Academy of Performing Arts Orchestral Scholarship  
The Monash Academy of Performing Arts Orchestral Scholarship intends to support and develop the student cohort of Monash Academy Orchestra. In addition to the monetary value of the scholarship, the recipients will be guaranteed a spot in the Monash Academy Orchestra. Further information.

Monash Jazz Music Scholarship
A $6000 award for outstanding Monash music students specialising in jazz. This scholarship is established from funds received from an anonymous donor. Further information.

Monash-Pratt Musician Performance Scholarship
Scholarship for commencing or continuing music performance students, awarded for academic merit and outstanding musical performance. Further information .

Tess Hill and Bill Hawtin Jazz Music Scholarship
This scholarship was created through a bequest from Tess Hill and Bill Hawtin to financially support music students to further their careers. The scholarship is available to commencing low income students undertaking undergraduate degrees in music performance in the Sir Zelman Cowan School of Music and Performance, specialising in Jazz. Further information.

Tess Hill and Bill Hawtin Jazz Music Travel Grant  
This scholarship is awarded to low income students who are enrolled in music performance in an undergraduate degree in the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance, specialising in Jazz, and have elected to participate in the Prato music tour. Tess Hill and Bill Hawtin believed the opportunity to travel broadened the mind, exposed the student to new and experimental trends, and encouraged cross-cultural understanding. This scholarship was created to financially support students to further their careers and explore international learning opportunities. Further information.

Vice-Chancellor’s Concertmaster Scholarship
This scholarship is for commencing or continuing music performance students, awarded for academic merit and outstanding musical performance. Further information.

Vice-Chancellor’s Ensemble Leadership Scholarship
A leadership scholarship for a music and/or performance ensemble comprising current undergraduate or Honours year students in the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance at Monash. Open to ensembles of between 2 – 6 students, this $6000 scholarship will be divided equally between ensemble members. An EOI and audition process will be conducted by the School of Music and Performance. The scholarship supports an ensemble that demonstrates excellence in performance and community arts engagement. Further information.

Faculty of Arts scholarships

Arts Faculty Scholarships – Postgraduate Research

Prizes and Awards

All prizes comprise a certification and cash payment, unless otherwise stated.

Performance Achievements

Allan Zavod Performers' Award 
Awarded to musicians who demonstrate excellence in composition, performance and improvisation.
Prize: $5000 (1st); $5000 (in total for runner-ups)

ANZCA Composition Scholarship
Judged on compositional quality of submitted works, demonstrated aptitude for writing effectively for the piano and clarity of intent in the personal statement  
Prize: $1500

Australian Music Prize  
This prize will be awarded to the best performance of an Australian work. Sponsored by Yamaha Music Australia.
Prize: $1000

CMT and Composition Prize
The prize will be awarded to the best submission of a work for instrument/s and electronics. The prize consists of a certificate, a cash payment and a presentation of the winning work in a public concert in 2025 which will be recorded.
Prize: $1000

Concerto and Aria Competition Prize
This prize will be awarded to the best performer of a concerto or aria based on competition.
Prize: $1000

Geoffrey Whitelaw Emerging Composer Grant
Awarded to enable the recipient to compose a work for the Monash Art Ensemble or Monash School of Music and Performance Big Band. 
Prize: $2000

Monash Piano Duo Prize
This prize is awarded for excellence in piano duo performance.
Prize: $1000

Monash-Pratt Postgraduate Award for Research
Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance will annually offer the Monash-Pratt Postgraduate Award for Research. The purpose of this award is to give outstanding postgraduate applicants greater financial support for fieldwork and dissemination of their research projects. The successful candidate will demonstrate academic and artistic excellence in music research.
Prize: $6000

Monash University Jazz and Improvisation Postgraduate Award
As a result of the generosity and vision of an anonymous donor, the Jazz and Improvisation Research Program in the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance annually offers the Monash University Jazz and Improvisation Postgraduate Award.  
Prize: $5000

Monash University Jazz and Improvisation Prize
The composition will be judged in the context of the performance, with a focus on its strength as a vehicle for arrangement, improvisation, originality and variety.
Prize: $1000

Monash University Percussion Award
This prize celebrates excellence in percussion performance at the undergraduate level. Sponsored by Yamaha Music Australia.
Prize: $1000

Monash University Popular Music Songwriting Prize
Awarded to the composer(s)/lyricist(s) of the submission, for the best written song and video presentation.
Prize: $1000

Peter Tahourdin Memorial Composition Prize
The Peter Tahourdin Memorial Composition Prize is designed to support the practice of animated notation*. The winning work will be performed and recorded by the Monash Animated Notation Ensemble (MANE), a performer/composer collective directed by Professor Cat Hope and resident at Monash University.
Prize: $1000

Academic Achievements

Anna Chmiel Memorial Prizes
Best overall result in Classical Music Performance in the areas of Woodwind, Brass, Strings, Voice and Piano.
Prize: $1000

David Bornstein Jazz Prizes
Best performance result in Jazz Music Performance Studies in the areas of Bass, Brass, Drumkit, Guitar, Piano, Woodwind and Voice.
Prize: $350

Ernst Morawetz Prizes
Highest average marks across subjects in Context Studies units to the Bachelor of Music student in years 1, 2, 3 and Honours.
Prize: $100

Student Bursaries

MPAC Project Bursary
This funding is designed to support the final performance outcome of Honours and Postgraduate projects.  
Honours up to: $500  
Masters and PhD up to: $2500

Music Travel Bursary
This scheme supports international and national travel to engage in extra-curricular performance/creative projects and artist development opportunities.  
Up to: $2000