Greta Ostova Cello Scholarship

Description

The Scholarship exists to attract and support cellists of outstanding ability and potential to study cello performance at NZSM, and to engage each recipient with the life, artistry, and legacy of Greta Ostova.

History

Greta Ostova (1910–1988) was born in Czechoslovakia and studied the cello in Vienna with Professor Friedrich Buxbaum of the Arnold Rosé Quartet, performing as a soloist and chamber musician from the early 1930s. Following the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, she and her husband fled via Poland and England, arriving in New Zealand in 1940 among the small community of Jewish refugees from Nazism who would transform this country's cultural life. In Wellington she quickly became central to the city's music-making, performing in wartime chamber concerts before joining the National Orchestra (now the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) as a founding member, playing in its inaugural concert at the Wellington Town Hall in March 1947. She was equally devoted to teaching, shaping a generation of Wellington cellists. Her papers, photographs, and an unpublished treatise on cello technique are held in the Alexander Turnbull Library.

The Scholarship is established in 2026 through the generosity of Donald Best, her former student, to honour her memory and contributions, to support cellists of exceptional promise at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music (NZSM), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and to ensure that her story remains a living part of musical life in the city she made her home.

Eligibility

The scholarship is open to full-time domestic and international students at any level of study, who are enrolled or intending to enrol at NZSM with cello as their principal study in a performance pathway.

Criteria

Selection will be based on:

• the strength of the application, together with the entry audition or a dedicated audition/recorded portfolio, academic record and, for postgraduate applicants, the proposed programme of study.
• artistic excellence and potential; commitment to cello performance; and demonstrated interest in the values the award represents, including engagement with historically suppressed, and underrepresented repertoire.

Preference shall be given to students entering NZSM (including entry to a postgraduate programme).

Application process

A completed online application must be submitted by 4.30 pm on the closing date. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Any required supporting documentation (including references) must also be received by 4.30 pm on the closing date in order for the application to be considered.

Applications will normally open one month prior to the closing date. If no application link is provided below, check back again closer to the closing date. Contact us if you have any queries.

Scholarship specific documentation

• A brief statement of interest, including how you would engage with Greta Ostova’s legacy, why you might merit the scholarship, including any career aspirations and goals, as well as the need for financial assistance (if applicable).
• Academic record.

Selection process

Selection will be made by the Head of Cello and approved by the New Zealand School of Music Scholarships Committee.

Additional information

The scholarship will be paid in two equal instalments in Trimester 1 and Trimester 2, contingent on continued enrolment and satisfactory academic achievement.

Recipients are expected to:

• write a letter of thanks to the donor of this scholarship,
• perform in the School's annual Scholarships Concert (or another NZSM concert designated by the Head of Cello),
• prepare either a short piece of writing on Greta Ostova — such as the programme note a, a blog essay, or a research summary, or perform a work significant to her or her style, or both.

Regulations and conditions

1. A completed online application must be submitted by 4.30 pm on the closing date. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Any required supporting documentation (including references) must also be received by 4.30 pm on the closing date in order for the application to be considered.
2. All offers of the Scholarship will be conditional upon the recipient being fully enrolled in a full-year programme (full time will be at the level of points considered by Studylink as full time) within the stipulated criteria and tenure of the scholarship. No payment of the Scholarship will be made until this condition is met.
3. The Scholarship cannot be deferred to a later year.
4. The Scholarship may be held in conjunction with other awards.
5. Should the recipient withdraw from Victoria University of Wellington during the tenure of this scholarship or fail to achieve satisfactory progress, partial repayment of the Scholarship will normally be expected. Recipients must advise the Scholarships Office if they intend to withdraw.
6. Recipients are expected to act as Ambassadors for Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and participate in appropriate events or marketing if requested.
7. At the discretion of the Deciding Authority, the application of the terms and conditions of the Scholarship may be modified in special circumstances or to avoid hardship to any candidate for the Scholarship.

Contact

Scholarships Office
scholarships-office@vuw.ac.nz
Phone 0800 04 04 04