It is always wonderful when we can share news about former students of Bishop Luffa School.
Whilst at Bishop Luffa School (2007-2012), Maria Luc was a National Grant Award Holder at the Junior Department of the Guildhall School of Music which she attended every Saturday. From 2012-2014 Maria attended Chetham's School of Music with the government's Music and Dance Scheme. Maria then studied BMus(Hons) and MMus at the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Ashley Wass and Helen Krizos. Maria held the Margaret Allen Piano Award, Help Musicians Postgraduate Award, Headley Trust Bursary, Dorothy Stone Award and Countess of Munster Musical Trust Award for her MMus.
Maria has won the RNCM Chopin Prize (2020), RNCM Concerto Competition (2020), Barbirolli Prize for cello and piano (2020), Norah Sande Award (2017), Paganini Prize for violin and cello (2016), Fergal O'Mahony Prize (2016), and Peter Donohoe Prize (2016). She was also recently awarded the Polonsky Foundation Fellowship (2020/21) to attend Aspen Music Festival and School in the U.S and is keeping her fingers crossed that she will be able to participate this year. Although the pandemic has affected live music making Maria has played a few online concerts and continues private teaching. Music making is an ever ongoing journey and practicing piano has given her much comfort during the pandemic. Maria is looking forward to when the situation will be over and is excited for opportunities that may arise after!
Maria recently played a lunchtime concert at Chichester Cathedral and you can listen to the concert at https://youtu.be/6WknZqlObGs