Past winner, Yeh Shih Hsein, on the Turner Centre's Steinway. Photo: Keith Williams
THE MEASURE
Arguably the biggest international event the Far North stages is the two-yearly Kerikeri International Piano Competition. Sixteen classical piano students from numerous countries and New Zealand will vie for a slice of the $30,000 prize money. All are under the age of 28. The competition has been running since
1987 and is increasingly recognised on the global classical music calendar. Back stage, the constant musical narrative is intense.
THE PIANOS.........
A number of contestants were asked to reveal their favourite brand of piano and the answer was consistent - a Steinway. The Turner Centre's beautiful ninefoot Steinway will be the finely tuned instrument the contestants will play on.
Focus Paihia have the Far North's funkiest piano. The old honky-tonk upright gets wheeled out onto the seafront promenade every fine day and Focus Paihia's Grant Harnish says everyone is welcome to play it. Organisers of the competition hope that at least one entrant can be found who will spare a couple of hours away from practice, to entertain on the Paihia Blue.
Most of the sixteen contestants stay in the homes of Kerikeri locals and surrounding area and many hostshave a suitable piano for contestants to practice on. But if they don't, other practice pianos can always be located around the town.
THE ROMANCE.......
Imagine being proposed to by way of a Beethoven Sonata played on a Steinway and being accepted via Schubert on another piano. A newly-married couple from the USA did just that and both have won places in the finals of the Kerikeri International Piano Competition.
