Visiting classical musicians from overseas should be offered the same tax breaks as high profile foreign sports stars when they compete in the UK, according to a protest by leaders of the country's biggest orchestras.

In a letter to the Daily Telegraph dozens of orchestras and classical musicians' groups say that visiting foreign musicians and artists face an 'aggressive tax regime' which is 'discriminatory and intensely bureaucratic'.

The letter has been prompted by news that athletes competing at this summer's London Grand Prix, to be held on the first anniversary of the London 2012 Games, will be exempt from withholding tax on money earned in the UK, including sponsor payments.

Non-resident foreign footballers and team officials competing in this month's Uefa Champions' League Final at Wembley were given a similar tax-free dispensation in the Budget in March last year.

The musicians' letter says that 'our major cultural events and festivals are no less relevant than the Champions League Final or the London Athletics Grand Prix' and claims that 'international tax conventions adopted by the British government arbitrarily treat artists and musicians as well as sportspersons and footballers differently from other categories of taxpayer'.

The authors say 'this is compounded by the government choosing to exempt foreign sports personalities from withholding tax to encourage major sports events to take place in Britain, while leaving in place an aggressive tax regime for visiting musicians and artists.'

The letter is signed by 35 groups, who say that 'in many cases Britain's cultural organisations are forced to undertake arduous and time-consuming paperwork only to demonstrate that no tax is due at all'.

A Treasury spokesman said: 'The government's policy is to grant tax exemptions in exceptional circumstances. Generally, these will only be considered where tax exemptions are a prerequisite of a successful bid to secure an event.'