Music competition cancelled after controversy

By ELIZABETH BINNING

A controversial music competition that banned foreign-born New Zealand musicians from winning a $10,000 prize has been cancelled after sponsors pulled their support.

In planning its first concerto competition, the Tauranga Performing Arts Trust decided to restrict entry to New Zealand-born citizens.

The decision, which has been criticised as a breach of the Human Rights Act, upset many talented young musicians who had been looking forward to a chance to win the prize and play with the Opus Chamber Orchestra.

Trust member Bill Taylor said yesterday that the competition, which was to be held next winter, had been cancelled because the sponsors had pulled their funding.

He refused to name the sponsors, saying only that they made their decision after reading a story about the controversial criteria in the Herald.

"It's a bit disappointing but that's the way it is."

Mr Taylor said the trust, which had been supporting the Opus Chamber Orchestra for about five years, would not seek new sponsors.

Changing the entry criteria so the competition could proceed did not seem to be a consideration either.

On Friday, Mr Taylor said the entry criteria had been made by the trustees - himself and musician Bob Hudson - to help "Kiwi kids who got lost in the scrum".

He said foreign-born citizens could enter, but they would not win.

Tauranga Mayor Jan Beange said it was unfortunate that the competition, which had one of the biggest monetary prizes in the country, had been cancelled.

"I have just been at the tenth anniversary of the ethnic council in Tauranga and certainly the sentiment there was that it's a great pity to not hold the competition," she said.

"They should hold the competition and hold it in a non-discriminatory way, but that's the organisers' call, I guess."

Twenty-year-old violinist Malavika Gopal, who has been a New Zealand citizen since her early teens, said this was not the response she had hoped for when she spoke out publicly about the unfair competition rules. "I didn't want it cancelled. I just wanted them to change the rules so it was fair."

The Indian-born musician won this year's Rotorua National Concerto Competition, the Auckland Chamber Music Competition and was a Young Musician of the Year finalist.

Miss Gopal hoped another group might step forward and organise a competition that was open to all young musicians, regardless of what country they were born in.