‘Thank you for your fantastic commitment’

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) awards prizes annually to ‘outstanding international students and doctoral candidates for their exceptional academic achievements and their remarkable social or intercultural commitment’. The decision on who receives the prize lies with the Faculty Council at the University of the Arts (HfK) Bremen. In the field of music, the council decided to honour Colma Ní Bhriain this year. She began playing the violin at the age of three, studied at the Young European Strings School of Music and the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, and initially completed a Bachelor’s degree in Artistic Training at the HfK, specialising in violin under Prof. Thomas Klug. This was followed, from 2025, by a Master’s degree in Artistic and Pedagogical Training, also majoring in violin in the class of Prof. Katrin Scholz.

At the welcome event for the 2026/27 winter semester in the gallery of the Faculty of Music, Prof. Dr Florian Edler, Dean of the Faculty of Music, who presented the award, said: ‘Colma Ní Bhriain has proved herself to be one of the most committed students in the Faculty of Music, participating in chamber music and contemporary music ensembles, as well as in university orchestra projects, even when this was not directly relevant to earning credit points. Her involvement in these groups is characterised by a high degree of professionalism, reliability and enthusiasm. This is an asset and sets an example for other students.’ Most recently, she took part as concertmaster in the university orchestra project ‘Feuer der Jugend’ and performed Messiaen’s ‘Quatuor pour la fin du temps’ as part of the project led by Prof. René Gulikers, which was staged at the HfK Bremen and during the Long Night of Music in Oldenburg.

The citation goes on to say: ‘In the context of instrumental teaching, she benefits from a keen sense of empathy, multilingual fluency and her ever-evident joy in making music. Whilst still a student, she secured a part-time position as a violin teacher at the Rotenburg (Wümme) District Music School. Her commitment, which extends far beyond her academic specialism, is evident, for example, in her involvement in two appointment committees, where she demonstrated sound judgement and expertise. Colma Ní Bhriain is Vice-Chair of the Student Council and, in this capacity, is involved in coordinating the semester-opening week. She has also helped organise the Bremen Music Festival twice as a student representative. She is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment, particularly when it comes to helping new students settle into university structures and academic life. With so many compelling reasons in her favour, it comes as no surprise that the Faculty Council chose Colma Ní Bhriain as the recipient of the award. The members of this committee, the Faculty of Music and the Rector’s Office would like to extend their warmest congratulations to Colma Ní Bhriain on this award, thank her for her outstanding commitment over the years, and wish her all the very best for the future.’

The following international students were also honoured for the DAAD’s Scholarship and Support Programme (STIBET): Yein Kim, Seungmin Baek, Mauro Facundo Ortega, Monica Sanguedolce, Yi-Chi Chan, Mayu Takahashi, Zofia Momot and Jintao Zhu from the Faculty of Music, as well as Fine Arts students Nahal Davari, Mojtaba Akbari, Jamie Yzabel Santos, Marina Marcomini, Yoonyeong Lee, Julia Ribeiro Moretti and Wei Nie.