2026 Beatrice Huntington Award for Cellists is now Open

The annual Beatrice Huntington Award was established by William Syson (1930-2019) in memory of his great friend, Beatrice Huntington (1889-1988).

We now invite applications from young cellists who can demonstrate talent, promise and a need for support. There are two categories: Junior Award (age 12-17) and the Senior Award (age 18-22). The winner in each category will receive £5,000 and runners up will receive £2,500. The judges reserve the right to split prizes into smaller denominations if there is not a clear winner.

Candidates should be resident or in full time study in Scotland and must be aged from 12 to 22 years on 1 February 2025. Prize winners of previous top awards (£5,000) are not eligible to apply, but applications may be submitted by the runners up.

The Application Process

The deadline for making an application is Monday 19 January 2026 at 5pm.

The judges will then consider applications and select a shortlist who will then be invited to audition in either Glasgow or Edinburgh in March of 2026 (dates tbc), we will let you know whether you have been selected by 5pm on Monday 16 February.

We will ask for a reference from your cello teacher if you are selected for audition which we must receive before the audition day so please remember to tell your teacher that you are applying!

If you have additional support needs, the Trustees will consider receiving an Application in an alternative format. Please contact us if this is the case for you: hello@williamsysonfoundation.org.uk

The Audition

You will be asked to play a piece or pieces of your choice (max duration 15 mins) and the judges will ask some simple questions. If you are invited to audition we will ask about any additional support you may need on the day of the audition, we also pay travel expenses to auditions for all applicants, plus guardians (for those under 18).

Privacy Statement

The William Syson Foundation is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. The data you have provided will be used solely for the purpose of assessing applications for the 2026 Beatrice Huntington Awards for Cellists. It will not be shared with any organisation or any individuals outside the Foundation.

Your data will be retained for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected and processed, and then securely destroyed/permanently erased from our IT system. Personal information from applicants not invited for interview and audition will be destroyed/deleted at the end of that year’s Award process. Our full Privacy Notice can be viewed this website.

Safeguarding Statement

All applicants invited to interview and audition are welcome to have an accompanist (which we ask you to arrange yourself). If applicants choose not to have an accompanist, they can bring a companion. All applicants for the Junior Award (aged 12 to 17) invited to interview and audition must be accompanied by a person over the age of 18, preferably a parent, guardian or teacher. Our full Safeguarding policy can be read on this website.

Beatrice Huntington 2026 Application Form

Your Name

First Name

Last Name

Where do you live?

Please give us your term-time address rather home address if you are studying.

Phone

(###)

###

####

What is your Date of Birth

What age will you be on 1 February 2026?

We ask this question as you must be age 12 by this date to apply for the junior award and no older than 22 on this date for the senior award. If you are under 18 at the point of applying for this award, please make sure the details of a parent/guardian are added at the end of the form.

How did you hear about the Beatrice Huntington Awards?

Name of school(s) / college(s) you are currently attending or have attended

Name and contact details of your current (or most recent) cello teacher

If you are invited to audition your cello teacher will be asked to provide a reference for you, so please make sure you let them know that you have applied and that they will be asked to provide this as part of the application process.

For how many year have you been playing/studying cello?

Please also note here, any awards or scholarships your have received

What is your current standard of playing?

Please note ASB Grade / Diploma / Other - place give details

Which repertoire are you currently working on?

What are your long term aims and aspirations as a cellist?

If you were successful, how would you spend the award?

If you are offered and accept an award, you are agreeing to spend the money and provide receipts for what you have indicated in this section. Please also remember it is a cello award so we are looking for spend directly related to your cello training rather than wider musicianship.

Please let us know if you have any access requirements or support needs that may affect your ability to attend or participate in an audition.

We’ll do our best to make any necessary adjustments to support you. Sharing this information will not affect your application — it simply helps us plan and ensure an inclusive and accessible process.

If you were called to audition, which location would suit you best (Glasgow or Edinburgh)

We will try to accommodate your preference but do have limited number of slots on the audition days.

Name of parent / guardian

You only need to ask your parent/guardian to fill in this part if you are under 18.

First Name

Last Name

Email of parent / guardian

If you are under 18 years of age, please add the email address of a parent/guardian. Please note that if you are under 18, this is the email address we will use for correspondence about your application.

Declaration

I certify that the information provided here is correct. If I win an Award, I undertake to spend the grant as described in this form and to provide evidence of doing so on request from The William Syson Foundation.

I certify that I understand and agree to my data being held for the purposes of the 2026 Beatrice Huntington Award only