Around 80 young Bay of Plenty musicians are tuning up to compete in the annual New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest.

The Bay of Plenty district contest of the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest is set for Tuesday and is one of 15 district contests being held nationwide to select the top 12 ensembles to compete in the National Finals in Christchurch in August.

This year the Bay of Plenty contest has attracted 21 ensembles, involving 78 musicians from around the Bay of Plenty and Taupo regions including two ensembles from Rotorua, four groups from Taupo and a guitar trio from Katikati.

Overall throughout New Zealand, 507 ensembles of between three and eight musicians including 19 octets and involving close to 2000 students, will compete for spots in the National Finals. Chamber Music New Zealand chief executive Euan Murdoch is delighted with entry numbers for the 2014 contest which are up from 456 ensembles nationwide in 2013.

Euan says it showed there was still strong interest and support for chamber music in schools and this was excellent news as the competition celebrates its 49th anniversary.

'The New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest is the longest running youth music competition in New Zealand and is the only nationwide chamber music competition for young musicians and composers.

'As well as organising the contest, Chamber Music New Zealand also arranges coaching and open workshops for ensembles.”

At the end of each District Contest the winning group from each district, and up to four highly commended groups, will be named and an award will be given for the overall Best Performance of a New Zealand work.

The top ensembles from the District Contests compete in the National Finals on August 1 and 2 in Christchurch. Each member of the winning group at the National Final receives the James Wallace Arts Trust Prize of $1000.

The contest also includes an Original Composition section which, this year, has attracted 37 entries.

New Zealand composer Philip Norman will select the winning score and the winning composer will be announced on Monday, June 16.

The winner will be awarded the SOUNZ prize of $500.