James Vanderhel, Jarred Mackay, Alexandra Staples and Kirithar Vijayakumar beat a field of applicants to take the first ever annual scholarship.

The scholarships were offered by the Mitchell Conservatorium, in Bathurst, and the Orange Regional Conservatorium in conjunction with the Blayney Shire Council to assist shire residents to further their musical studies.

Blayney High year ten student, James Vanderhel, has been playing the drums for three years after first discovering his affinity with percussion in primary school at Newbridge Public School.

"I saw the drum kit at my old school and I just started playing," he said.

As a student of the Mitchell Conservatorium in Bathurst he recently joined the conservatorium's jazz band and is also a member of the Blayney High School band.

Fellow Mitchell Conservatorium student, Jarred Mackay, is in year seven at Blayney High and has been playing the violin for the past six years.

Like James, he also hopes to one day be a professional musician.

"I'd like to be in a quartet," he said "it’s better than being in an orchestra".

At just nine years old, keen violinist and pianist Kirithar Vijayakumar is the youngest scholarship recipient.

For the past three years, Kirithar has learnt his instruments at St Joseph’s where he is currently in year four.

For his audition he wowed the judges with well-known crowd pleasers “Money, Money, Money” on violin and “Click Goes the Shears” on piano.

Thirteen year old Alexandra Staples from James Sheahan in Orange is another talented multi-instrumentalist who won her scholarship for violin but also plays the piano.

Although she is a student of the Orange Regional Conservatorium she is lucky enough to be able to learn from local teacher Robin Stonestreet at Millthorpe Public School.

She is currently studying for her grade 4 violin and grade 6 piano exams as well as juggling her year 8 work.