Kerikeri piano competition in doubt
Kerikeri’s long-running International Piano Competition may have to fold or move to a bigger centre as the event outgrows the ability of the Bay of Islands’ town to host it.
When the event was held at the Turner Centre in September it attracted more than 60 entrants from around the world, 14 of whom were selected to play in the four-day contest. It was won by Shuan Hern Lee, of Australia, who at just 16 was the youngest competitor. Other contestants came from China, South Korea, the US, Israel, Japan and New Zealand.
Kerikeri International Piano Competition Trust chairwoman Sylvia Burch said the 2018 event was a great success and a tribute to the hard work and dedication of the trust’s seven members.
Despite that, the competition’s future was uncertain. Several trustees were due to retire at the next AGM, in February 2019, and the search for replacements had so far proved unsuccessful. Costs were rising but audience numbers, and thus income, had plateaued.
Burch said the competition started in 1987 as a relatively lowkey national event organised by a small group of volunteers.
It had become internationally recognised, with entrants from around the globe, but was still largely run by volunteers.
Burch said it might have developed as far as it could in Kerikeri. The trustees were working on options which included the possibility of relocating the event to a centre with a bigger population.