Second Arvo Pärt Centre residency scholarship awarded to Belarusian composer Volha Padhajskaya

The Arvo Pärt Centre has awarded its second residency scholarship this year, which went to the Belarusian composer Volha Padhajskaya. The scholarship allows one artist to focus on their work at the centre for up to a month.

Composer and organist Volha Padhajskaya studied musicology and has a master’s degree in organ and composition from the Belarusian State Academy of Music.

“Volha Padhajskaya, the winner of the Arvo Pärt Centre’s residency scholarship, has been prolific in various genres of classical music. Her versatile and unique sound captivated us from the very first notes,” said the scholarship jury (Anu Kivilo, Michael Pärt, Kai Kutman, Ardo Västrik and Nele Meikar).

The scholarship received 64 applications from 37 countries around the world; international applications came from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, England, Scotland, Hungary, Greece, Bulgaria, Moldova, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Georgia, USA, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Swaziland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Iran.

The Arvo Pärt Centre awards the residency scholarship twice a year to give one creative person the opportunity to focus on a larger work. The scholarship covers the resident’s expenses for one to four weeks and also includes a daily allowance.

It is also possible to apply for the use of the project room at the Arvo Pärt Centre without a scholarship; applications can be submitted all year round via the centre’s website.