The four finalists in the Kerikeri International Piano Competition will play their last recitals for the adjudicator on Sunday afternoon.
The four-day biennial event was first held in 1987. It attracts young pianists from around the world and carries a prize pool of $25,000.
There were a record 42 entries this year, from as far away as Poland and China.
The four finalists are:
Anna Maksymova, 21, from Christchurch, Yeh Shih Hsien from Taiwan, Szczepan Konczal from Poland and James Guan from Sydney.
Organiser John Jackets says the standard of playing is the highest in the competition's history, making the selection of the 16 live competitors very difficult.
Audience numbers are up 20% on 2010, with about 1200 tickets sold for the event.
The final recitals begin at 2pm at the Turner Centre. They are being recorded by Radio New Zealand Concert for broadcast at a later date.
