They've performed with orchestras all over the world, won top competitions and scholarships and studied with internationally respected teachers - now they want to come to Kerikeri and carry off this country's greatest prize for young pianists.

A record 31 of the most accomplished young pianists from five countries have applied to enter the National Piano Competition, Kerikeri. It's the first time the competition has been open to international competitors and it's resulted in the most exciting line-up the competition has seen in its 21-year history. They've performed with orchestras all over the world, won top competitions and scholarships and studied with internationally respected teachers - now they want to come to Kerikeri and carry off this country's greatest prize for young pianists.

A record 31 of the most accomplished young pianists from five countries have applied to enter the National Piano Competition, Kerikeri. It's the first time the competition has been open to international competitors and it's resulted in the most exciting line-up the competition has seen in its 21-year history.Competition co-ordinator Clare Penny says: "Kerikeri is regarded by talented young musicians as the one to win. We can expect a thrilling competition and it is a mark of the competition's reputation that it has attracted such a high standard of entrant."

Past winners have gone on to international success including John Chen, Stephen de Pledge, Dan Poynton, Emma Sayers and Henry Wong Doe.

The 2006 winner was just 15 years old. Auckland pianist Denny Liu received a tumultuous reception from the audience after he performed a selection from Haydn, Granados and Prokofiev. Competition judge and its patron, Michael Houstoun, said Liu had "brought tears not just to my eyes but to the eyes of others too. I think that is a sign of something special."

This year's entrants are aged between 15 and 27. Among them are 18 young New Zealanders from both the North and South Islands.

The entrants' audition recordings are now being evaluated and the best 18 will go forward to the three-day competition between 4th and 6th July.

Those who are accepted must play a sonata by Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn or Schubert on the first day, then a half-hour programme of their own choice on the second.

If they are one of the three chosen to take part in the final, they present a three-quarter hour programme. All playing is done from memory and so the competition is a rigorous test of their potential to perform on the concert stage.

Listening and judging all this will be Ian Munro, the competition's adjudicator and one of Australia's most distinguished and awarded musicians. Mr Munro was to judge the 2006 competition but he had to withdraw after suffering chest and leg injuries in a car crash.

Michael Houstoun stepped in as adjudicator and saved the event from being cancelled.

This year there is more prize money on offer than in former competitions. The winner will receive $10,000 and a further $10,000 is available to the runners up.

The competition opens at 6.30pm at Kerikeri's "The Centre" on Thursday July 3 with a recital by Ian Munro, and is to be followed by a reception with wine and finger food for the entire audience, at which the 2008 competitors will be introduced.

Tickets for all stages of the competition and the adjudicator's recital are now available from the Centre on 09 407 0260.

20/05/08