The Sanlam National Music Competition is presented by the South African Society of Music Teachers (Tygerberg). Learners compete in four categories: Piano, Strings, Woodwind and Brass Instruments and Other Instruments (percussion, recorder, classical guitar and harp). The purpose is to identify promising music learners and to give them the opportunity to compete at national level at an early stage. It has already put a number of young South African musicians on the road to (even international) acclaim.

The winners will be awarded medals and cash prizes of R8,000, R5,000 and R3,000. Prizes for their teachers, the category winners, participants who progress to the third and final fourth round and special prizes for the most promising candidate of 10 years and younger, the best Tygerberg candidate and the best performance of a South African composition bring the total prize money to about R38,000.

It was gold and silver to violinists at the Sanlam National Music Competition last year. However, a glance at the competition's role of honour indicates that strings may well have to play second fiddle this year - pianists lead the winning tally 10 to six!

Only time will tell - over several rounds on the stage of the impressive auditorium at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Parow, Cape Town from September 18 to 22. Talented young musicians can now enter to parade their talents there.

The 17th competition of this nature, the only national one at primary school level, will have medals and prizes worth almost R40,000 (about R25,000 in 2005) at stake for participants and their teachers.

The closing date for entries is April 21 and auditions will be held in Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Pretoria, Durban and Port Elizabeth at the end of May/early June. The candidates selected for participation in the competition will be informed by June 30.

Interested parties can obtain entry forms from The Chairman, SASMT Tygerberg, Music Competition, PO Box 68, Parow 7499 or call 021 939 9105 (o/h) or 021 945 3861 (after 20h00) or fax 021 939 9123.