Six vie for Musician of the Year honours

It is time again for the Epplett and Co Accounting Hawke's Bay Young Musician of the Year Competition, with the Final in the Blyth Performing Arts Centre at Iona College in Havelock North at 7.30pm tonight.

Organised by the Hawke's Bay Branch of the Institute of Registered Music Teachers, this competition has become an established part of the Hawke's Bay music calendar.

Fourteen talented young musicians competed in the Preliminary Round on September 3, adjudicated by piano teacher Lisa Chou.

Six competitors - pianists Harriet Holt and Hayden Snell, soprano Grace Duncan, flautist Nickylee Anderson, oboist Darcy Snell and violinist Larissa Kent - made it through to the final which will be adjudicated by visiting Trinity College London examiner David Adlam.

With an LTCL on both piano and clarinet and an MPhil degree in Composition from Auckland University, Mr Adlam was a former principal clarinet in the Auckland Symphonia, has worked extensively as a music educator and is in demand as a conductor, soloist and composer.

Judging by the standard evident in the preliminary Rrund, the audience at the final will be assured of performances of an exceptional standard.

Following the performance of the finalists, guest artists flautist Dana Parkhill and pianist Susan Melville will play while the adjudicator finalises the placings.

The prizes on offer for the competition are the Epplett and Co Accounting first prize of $1500, plus the Williams Cup and a medal; $750 second prize plus the Walter and Beryl Gollner Memorial Cup and a medal; a third prize of $350 plus a $50 music voucher from Music Works; a prize of $500 from Plus 4 Insurance Solutions for the highest-placed instrumentalist; and June Armstrong Memorial Prizes of $150 for each of the unplaced finalists.

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The six competitors