Ukraine-born Elina Akselrud is one of the 16 finalists in the Kerikeri International Piano Competition which runs at the Turner Centre from June 30 to July 3.
Ukraine-born Elina Akselrud is one of the 16 finalists in the Kerikeri International Piano Competition which runs at the Turner Centre from June 30 to July 3.
Piano competitions can be big business - and the Kerikeri International Piano Competition is good for the town and surrounding area's businesses.
While the competition this year carries prize money of $33,000 with an overall event budget of $140,000, the return is closer to $215,000 for the wider community.
TonyNorman - who manages the day-to-day and strategic financial running of the Kerikeri International Piano Competition Trust - says the figure is arrived at by standard accounting forecast that sees 60 per cent of money spent by visitors goes into costs while the balance is re-spent, with the process continuing with each transaction until there is only a minimal return to the community.
A post-event survey last year after the 2014 event revealed that about 25 per cent of the audience who completed the survey were from outside the Northland region, investing in motel nights, restaurants and associated expenditure.
"It's quite a significant event for Kerikeri and the surrounding district," Mr Norman said. "This year we can expect to have around 1200 tickets sold over the three days of the event."
He said about 400 people would attend the competition which features 16 artists from a total of 66 who submitted DVD entries for the pre-selection. Of the finalists, four are from Australia home, two each from South Korea, Taiwan and New Zealand, and one each from the US, Ukraine, Canada, China and Hong Kong.
The event started as a national competition in 1987 but was expanded into a biennial competition in 2012.
