This week we have the pleasure of welcoming one of the most famous companies to Accordions Worldwide. Matth. Hohner AG, amongst the oldest companies associated with the accordion, has made an important input into the development of accordion education and literature.

In recent years, the company has suffered major financial reverses that at one time had its future existence in doubt and led to new major owners. This week, Hohner announced a major financial improvement, (news item below) which combined with new products on the market, a new internet site, new advertising brochures and other materials, means an upbeat Hohner for the new millenium.

Wayne Knights Webmaster

• Deventer Accordion Festival - Netherlands
• Concertina Band 2000 - UK
• Free Matinee Concert - Germany
• 13th Annual Accordion Festival - USA
• "Torio Los Fandangos" Concerts - Japan
• Cordoba Province Concert - Argentina
• American Accordionist Tours China
• "Squeezeplay" - USA
• Matth. Hohner AG Press Release: Hohner Financial Report/Information
• Winnipeg Music festival - Canada
• Folkbeat Derby 2000 - England
• Jeski Radio Shows - USA
• Tango Vivo - New Zealand
• Tango for Four Concert - Finland
• Love, Sex and the Power of Seduction - USA
• New "Renzo Ruggieri Group" Member - Italy
• San Francisco Folk Music Club Gathering - USA
• New Sites
• Antique Accordion Information

The Deventer Accordion Festival, held on April 1st and 2nd in Deventer, Netherlands will include concerts and workshops for players of the accordion and other bellows driven instruments. An "Open Podium" will be available to players who like to perform their musical talents.

Guest performers and tutors include accordionists James Crabb and Geir Draugsvoll (Denmark), melodeonist Willem Schot (Holland), concertina player Wim Wakker (Holland), accordionist Irina Pilippova (Russia), Louisiana Radio (cajun band from Holland) and Rood Verlangen (Holland).

For further information and bookings contact: Stichting Het Accordeon, Postbus 237, 7400 AE Deventer, The Netherlands. Phone: +31 0570 651852

Contributed by Jenny Cox

"Concertina Band 2000", held from January 28th to 30th is residential for the first time. Twenty six players will take part in an intensive weekend program of practicing and recording specially arranged concertina band music in Gloucester, England. Organizer Jenny Cox will also conduct the group along with Carolyn Wade, who leads the Yorkshire Concertina band.

Musical director Dave Townsend has organized a program of music by Handel, Grieg (Hommage March), "Shepherd's Hey" (Grainger), "Slaidburn" (from the film "The Full Monty), "Palm Leaf Rag" and his own compositions including "Valse de l'Artise" and "Sculptor Tango". In addition eight players will study and play Dave's "Adagio for Eight Concertinas" in the challenging key of B flat minor.

This course is fully booked, with participants travelling from Wales, Scotland, Northumberland, Yorkshire and Holland.

Contributed by Constanze Krause

Two orchestras from the Akkordeonclub Scharnhausen will perform a free matinee concert on May 7th at the Evangelisches Gemeindehaus in Scharnhausen/Ostfildern. Their program will include pieces from the "Commedian Harmonists" (an acappela-group from the 1920's, very famous in Berlin with songs like "Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus" and "Ein Freund"). They will also perform "Säbeltanz", a difficult and very fast Russian piece by A. Khachaturyan. For further details email: ckrause@integrata.de

Contributed by Stuart Kendig

The American Accordion Musicological Society will present its 13th annual Accordion Festival and Symposium from March 3rd to 5th at the Holiday Inn, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. This years event and banquet will be held in honor of Dr. Jacob Neupauer. Activities include competitions, seminars, performances, workshops, and cajun, polka and classical concerts.

For more information, contact Sherrie Darrow: + 1 856 854-6628

Contributed by Toru Katou

Japanese group "Torio Los Fandangos" (which includes accordionist Naoko Iwahashi) will perform a series of concerts in Fukuoka during January and February. Their first concert will be at "Fudo" on January 23rd, followed by performances at "Across Fukuoka" on February 17th and Hotel JAL Fukuoka Chapel on February 29th. For details email: j-naoko@dg7.so-net.ne.jp

On February 13th a concert will be held by a number of popular Argentinian accordionists in Cumbre, Cordoba Province. Entertainers include lldo Patriarca, Julio Erman, Alias Gasparin and Florencia Herrera (member of the group "Florencia Herrera y su Conjunto").

Contributed by Li Cong

American accordionist Betty Jo Simon will tour China from January 28th to February 5th, performing in the charity show "A millennium Celebration of Love and Hope" in Wuhan organized by the Global Education Foundation. The show will be broadcast on Hubei Province Satellite TV.

On February 1st Betty Jo will perform in Beijing and in Shanghai on the 3rd, courtesy of Jiang Jie (Director of the Beijing Accordion Association) and Li Cong (Chairman of the Shanghai Accordion Association). For details email: licongk@online.sh.cn

Accordionist Guy Klucevsek will perform in "Squeezeplay", a music theatre work featuring David Dorfman and Dan Froot, Claire Porter, Victoria Marks, Mary Ellen Childs and Dan Hurlin. The musical will run from March 22nd to April 1st at "The Kitchen" in New York City.

Quote: "In "Squeezeplay", composer/accordionist Guy Klucevsek joins forces with six artists to explore the boundaries between music and the disciplines of choreography, theater, and performance art. This evening of cross-disciplinary collaboration unfolds in five vignettes and features an all-accordion score composed and performed by Klucevsek."

For details email: Guysqueeze@aol.com

The company's turnover in the financial year 1998/1999 was DM 135,6 Million (in the previous year it was DM 157,2 Million), The AG's turnover (the joint stock corporation's turnover) was DM 43,0 Million (in the previous year DM 55,1 Million). The DM +0,2 Million positive company result (previous year DM -15,3 Million) and the improved result of the AG DM -4,1 Million (previous year DM -12,5 Million) prove that a turnaround has been achieved.

The current financial year is developing as planned. The following are some numbers from the first 9 months up to 31 December 1999: Company turnover DM 105,4 Million, Company result: DM +3,3 Million, AG- turnover DM 29,4 Million, AG- business result DM 0,0 Million. Accordingly a positive result is expected for the company in 1999/2000 and a balancing result is expected for the AG.

The Matth. Hohner AG, which includes the successful drum manufacturer Sonor, co-operates since mid 1998 with the company "Musix Co." a manufacturer of accordions, harmonicas and recorders. The factories where the instruments are manufactured are in Trossingen (Germany) Jiangyin and Tianjin (China). The instruments are built according to Hohner-technology under supervision of experienced instrument building experts from Trossingen who live in China and guide the production in the cities of Jiangyin and Tianjin and train the workers and design and secure the production processes. This ensures that the Hohner standards are kept while the production cost is lowered. This is also possible because important parts of the musical instruments are produced with the help of machines and tools from the "toolpark" in Trossingen. All these steps are taken to ensure that our customers will be offered proven Hohner quality instruments.

In Trossingen we focus on the areas of research, development and production. It is our competence and coordination center for our global marketing activities. Under the management of Dr.-Ing. Horst Bräuning, Hohner sets out into the new millenium in a globally stable position.

Accordionist Joseph Petric will perform with the "Bellows and Brass" Ensemble at the Winnipeg New Music Festival in Canada on February 2nd. The ensemble will premiere two new works - "Futuressence" (Gerhard Staebler, for trombone, piano and accordion) and "Exploracion Polar" (David Pearl). In addition they will play Sequenza XIII (Berio) for trumpet, accordion, and trombone, "3 For 2" (Boyd MacDonald) and Alain Trudel's Passages for accordion, trumpet, piano, singer/narrator.

The festival began on January 25th and runs to February 6th usually drawing over 20,000 people from around the world. For details email: rpca@greatconcerts.com

Contributed by Jan Lucas

"Folkbeat Derby 2000" is a weekend festival of folk music and dance, held from March 17th to 19th in Chaddesden, Derby. The festival will include diatonic and piano accordion tuition (with tutors Karen Tweed and Andy Cutting), informal sessions, concerts, opportunities to talk to leading folk musicians and a variety of stalls. Entertainers include "SWÅP" (accordionist Karen Tweed), Chris Wood & Andy Cutting duo and "Blowzabella" (accordionist Andy Cutting).

For further details email: fiona@cutting-tweed.demon.co.uk

Contributed by Bob Kowalski

Each weekend for over 2 decades, John Jeski & his radio sidekick Jeff Banas, have presented the "Polka Party" Radio Shows to over 400,000 listeners in Southern New England. An "Accordion Special" is planned for February featuring many accordionists who have recorded a full feature polka., including names like Contino, Magnante, Floren, Demski & Jeski, plus many more!

For further information email: sbobkowalski@home.com

Wellington accordionist Rebekah Grieg will perform with "Tango Vivo" (accordion, vocals, violin, cello and guitar ensemble) on February 5th in Auckland. The group has developed a sound which encompasses classical, jazz and latin influences and have a demonstration CD available. For concert details email: swan@wn.planet.gen.nz

Finnish accordionist Mika Väyrynen will perform works by Rantala, Kärki, Virta and Piazzolla with his group "Tango for Four" at Hyvinkää-hall, on February 2nd. For details email: mika.vayrynen@pp.inet.fi

During January Mika recorded a new CD with famous Finnish baritone Jorma Hynninen and other musicians. Details of this CD will be released in the near future.

Accordionist Michael Maddux will play tangos for a play called "La Ronda" in Austin, Texas as part of the Long Fringe Festival from January 27th to February 6th. The play features love, sex and the power of seduction, Latino style. For details see Future Events

The Renzo Ruggieri Group has a new member, drummer Massimo Manzi, who joins Paolo Di Sabatino (piano) and Renzo Ruggieri (accordion). The group will record their first CD during February. The group performed recently at the "Corto Maltese" in Roseto degli Abruzzi, followed by two shows at the "Kabala" jazz club in Pescara on January 5th and 24th. For the group's concert schedule see Future Events.

Contributed by Daniel Hersh

The San Francisco Folk Music Club organized a New Year gathering in the Santa Cruz Mountains from December 28th to January 2nd. The event included impromptu performances by a variety of solo musicians and dance bands including Art Peterson ("California Pete" from "Those Darn Accordions"). Popular pieces included the Irish march "O'Donnell Aboo" and an Irish polka "Riding on A Load of Hay" as well as polkas and French tunes. Over 250 people attended the event.

http://www.tridentmusic.com Information on Trident Music, the first fully on line new accordion sales business, selling new Scandalli model accordions. This is an exciting new development in the marketing of new accordions using the internet. The site is designed to sell new accordions direct to the public, complete with guarantee, accepting purchases by credit card on a secure site, offering special prices, in the same way that other internet sites are selling many types of products with great success. This site, initiated by business consultant and accordion enthusiast Sergio Aureli, will no doubt be the subject of considerable interest in the accordion industry.

Linda would like some information on a one row diatonic Empress Accordion made in Germany in early to middle 1800's. It has the words "Large Reed" on it. Please email: lulupepper@aol.com