The DHV (Deutscher Harmonika Verband e.V.) of Germany is one of the largest accordion organisations in the world with many thousands of individual members, affiliated associations, clubs and orchestras. Over many years, the DHV and its large membership have had an enormous impact on the development of the accordion and earned a proud place in the history of our instrument.

The DHV is now beginning a new chapter in communications with the world's accordionists through using the internet, a fitting start to the new millennium and another important milestone for this famous organization. We can look forward to their cyber space contribution.

Wayne Knights Webmaster

• "Festival de Vallenato" - Colombia
• German Harmonica Association (DHV) - Germany
• Gala Concert with the First Cologne Accordion Orchestra - Germany
• Accordionist at "High Beam Festival" - Australia
• Premiere Performances - Russia
• International Accordion Festival in Vienna - Austria
• Duo 2000 Concert Tour - South Africa
• Accordionist to Write 15 New Books - USA
• 4th Cheltenham Folk Festival - England
• Accordion Masterclass at the Tianjing Music Conservatory - China
• Piazzolla's Birthday Concert in Ottawa - Canada
• "Ciudad De Irun Award" - Spain
• "Cafes of Melbourne" with Soave - USA
• Rastelli Tours Switzerland
• St Patrick's Day Concert - Ireland
• Young Accordion Association Concert - Japan
• Guest Artist at AAMS Festival - USA
• 3rd Free Reed Festival On Line
• Theatre Concert - France
• Dancing Night - Canada
• Daniele Ravaglia in Concert - Italy
• Tango Recital - USA
• Concert in a Snow Storm - Iceland
• This Accordion Sounds Like an Organ - Italy
• Accordionist, Writer and Comedian - Japan
• New Edition of Deutsch News and News Francais Now On Line
• Celebrity Interviews
• New Sites

Contributed by Yuri Serna

Over 300,000 people are expected to attend the "Festival de Vallenato" in Valledupar, Colombia from April 27th to 30th. The city of Valledupar is the cultural capital of Vallenato music, which is 450 years old. Before the accordion was invented, this music used to be played on the flute, but nowadays it is mainly played on the accordion accompanied by the "Caja Valentina" drum which originates in Africa and the "Guaraca".

Over 600 groups are expected to entertain at this festival, which is one of the most important in Colombia. For further details email: yurisernadaza@LatinMail.com

The DHV (Deutscher Harmonika Verband e.V.) site is now online. It contains information about the DHV, its statutes, members, the many services that the association has to offer and details on many events, competitions and festivals.

The DHV was founded on March 28th, 1931 with the goal to co-ordinate and Improve musical education standards and support harmonica/accordion players. Today the same goals remain and many new tasks have been added. "Music is a part of our culture and furthermore is also a business factor, but despite this, 92% of the German population do not play a musical instrument. This is why musical associations, clubs and orchestras as well as politics are challenged more than ever."

Duties and goals of the DHV are based on the ideas and wishes of its individual clubs, orchestras, ensembles and harmonica friends. Within the national and international music cultural development, the accordion world has its place as an important component of the cultural and educational politics of our society.

Contributed by Uli Ebner, Director of Creativ-Shop

On April 7th a Gala Concert with the First Cologne Accordion Orchestra will take place in Waldshut, Baden-Württemberg, hosted by the Schlüchttal-Accordion-Orchestra. Accordionists are invited to attend this concert which begins at 8pm.. For further information regarding the program and the ticket prizes see: www.akkordeon.com/sao

Australian accordionist Bernadette Conlon is currently in Perth until March 24th. On March 17th she will perform and be interviewed on Perth Radio 6WF, an ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corp.) radio station. This is in addition to two other radio performances on March 21st on Perth Radio 6NR and Freemantle Radio 100 F.M.

Bernadette will perform at the "High Beam Festival" in Adelaide from April 27th to May 1st. Bernadette (current AATA Champion and South Pacific Champion) will also take part in the Festival opening concert on the 27th April.

Contributed by Olga Kopilova

Sergei Voitenko (winner of many international competitions) will tour Russia with the Ekaterinburg Russian Folk Instruments Orchestra, conducted by Leonid Shkarupa performing concerts in Ekaterinburg, Cheliabinsk, Tumen and Tagil. Their program will include two Russian premieres, "Concerto for Bayan and Strings" (I. Shamo) and "Rossiniana" (Vladimir Zubitsky).

Sergei will also perform solo works including "Baskariada" (Viatcheslav Semionov), "Concerto-Poem" (A. Repnikov), "Gipsy Rhapsody" (V. Gridin) and "U vorot, vorot" (A. Timoshenko). Their 100 minute program will be recorded by a local recording studio.

Sergei was the Chairman of the Jury at the recent "Open Bayan and Accordion Competition" in Toliatty, Russia.

Contributed by Dr Herbert Scheibenreif Manager of Friedrich Lips Productions

An International Accordion Festival is currently underway in Vienna until March 30th. Twelve concerts have been organized which will include different musical styles such as jazz & tango, classical works, avantgarde, zydecco & cajun, the famous "Wienerlied" (special Viennese songs), Irish music and also experimental music.

Artists include Klaus Paier, Barbara Faast-Kallinger, Bratko Bibic, Shirley Anne Hofmann and Otto Lechner. Organiser Friedl Preisl hopes to make this an annual event. For further details email: friedl.preisl@chello.at

Duo 2000 which includes Sergio Zampolli (accordion) and Amarillie Ackermann (harp) will tour South Africa from March 22nd to 26th, performing concerts to clubs and musical societies. Their program will include "In a Persian Market" (Ketelbey), excerpts from the ballet "Sleeping Beauty" (Tchaikovsky), "The Blue Danube" (Strauss) and "Barcarolle" (Offenbach).

Accordionist Gary Dahl has been signed (by Mel Bay and Santorella Publishing) to write and record 15 new books. This is excellent news for accordionists, who will enjoy this substantial amount of new repertoire. Unlike "listening only" CDs, the accordionist now has the opportunity to "hear" the written arrangements, thus facilitating the learning and inspiration process.

Other books arranged by Gary's Dahl are enjoying popular success with the Mel Bay Jazz Accordion Solos Book with CD now in its 3rd printing, the French Tango Book with CD will be in the 3rd printing by the summer of 2000 and the Clifton Chenier King of Zydeco Book with CD will be ready for 2nd printing this year.

New Mel Bay titles by Gary Dahl to be released during 2000 include "15 Tex Mex Conjunto Classics", "Chord Melody Method for Accordion", "Italian Music for Accordion" and "15 Louisiana Cajun Classics". For further information email: garydahl@webtv.net

The 4th Cheltenham Folk Festival was held at the Cheltenham Town Hall in February. The event featured a weekend of traditional folk music, dances, workshops, children's events and music sessions. Performers included Pete Coe (concertina), John Kirkpatrick (melodeon) and the group "The Bismarks" (with melodeonist Ed Rennie) who played an eclectic mixture of traditional English tunes at the festival's main dance.

Contributed by Professor Wang Yu Ping

An accordion Masterclass will be held at the Tianjing Music Conservatory from July 25th to 30th. Tutors include Russian accordionist Professor Friedrich Lips, Professor Elsbeth Moser (Germany), Cao Xiao-Qing, First and Second Place winners of the Klingental Accordion Competition and accordionists from Austria and China. The masterclass program will include "one to one" lessons, lectures, workshops, tutor concerts and student concerts.

Tutors will teach free bass, piano and button C and B accordion systems. The event is financially supported by the Zero Sette Accordion Factory, Castelfidardo, Italy. For further information, please write to: Keyboard Department of Tianjing Music Conservatory, 57 Shiyi Jing Road, He Dong District, 300171, P.R. of China.

Contributed by Laurie Rosewarne

The tango nuevo ensemble "Norteño" (which includes bandoneonist Pierre-Paul Provencher) performed a concert to mark the occasion of Astor Piazzolla's birthday on March 11th at the National Library of Canada Auditorium in Ottawa. Their program included "Contrabajisimo" and "Otoño Porteño". The concert was organized by Radio-Canada, and the Embassy of Argentina to raise funds for "Les Concerts Ponticello". Guest artists included the group "Musica Camerata Montréal".

Contributed by Iñaki Añorga

The "Ciudad De Irun Award" for accordion orchestras will be held from July 6th to 9th at the Centro Cultural Amaia Auditorium, Irun, Spain. The competition is open to accordion orchestras with a minimum of 12 members and groups with a maximum of 11. Organized by the ACIOGA (Irunese Cultural Association of Accordion Groups and Orchestras), total prize money of 500,000 pesetas will be available to winners.

For further details email: acioga@iname.com

Peter Soave will perform Janika Vandervelde's "Cafes of Melbourne" for solo accordion and orchestra on March 18th in Plymouth, Michigan with The Plymouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nan Washburn.

The composer wrote: "Cafes of Melbourne was inspired by the café culture of Melbourne, Australia, where I spent 3 months in 1997. Though completely romanticized, I thought I'd discovered the equivalent of Paris in the 1920's."

The concert will also include selections by Astor Piazzolla. For further details phone: + 1 734 451-2112

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Emanuele Rastelli will tour Switzerland from March 23rd to 27th giving a series of classical and jazz music concerts in Dietlikon, Winterthur, Kietlikon, Näfels and Wädenswil.

He will also perform at the Frankfurt Music Fair Germany from April 12th to 16th as part of the Brandoni & sons stand.

For further details see Future Events

Contributed by Gerard Kelly

A St Patrick's Day concert will be held on March 17th at the Darnley Lodge Hotel in Athboy. Entertainment will be provided by the Oristown Accordion Orchestra. Featured guest accordionists include the current "Concert Artist Champion of Ireland" and others.

Contributed by Toru Katou

On March 20th, the YAA (Young Accordion Association) will hold a concert and party to celebrate the foundation of their society. For further information phone: + 81 6-6966-3050

Accordionst Bobby Raye (Robert Lilarose) was a featured artist at the A.A.M.S. (American Accordion Musicological Society ) Festival in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania held from March 3rd to 5th. This is the 9th year Bobby Raye has performed at the festival, organised by Joanna Arnold and Stanley Darrow. His program included "Gay Ranchero" and "Lover" from his new cassette "Bobby Raye -Then and now 20+ Hits LIVE".

Bobby enjoys showing people that the accordion is fun to play and exciting to hear. Other entertainers at the Festival included Tony Lovello who did a great job of "playing and shaking those bellows"!

The 3rd Annual Free Reed Festival at RootsWorld will be held in June with 30 days of free reeds from around the world, online in text, in image and in audio. Last year's Free Reed Festival attracted over 100,000 visitors to the various web sites and radio stations involved in the network. Interviews, articles, recording reviews, music in Real Audio, as well as a network of links to in depth information about all the free reed instruments (such as the accordion, the melodeon, the khaen of Thailand, harmonica, sheng of China, pump organ and concertina) were included last year. This year they hope to do much more.

Organisers are currently seeking contributions from writers, journalists, web site producers, radio producers and musicians . They are seeking written and recorded reviews, interviews and articles of all kinds. Ideas and proposals should be sent no later than May 15th. Please email: freereed@rootsworld.com

French accordionist Patrick Brugaliere will perform at the "Theatre De Dix Heures", Paris, Métro Pigalle from March 15th to April 22nd with vocalist Valérie Barrier. The duo will perform Valérie's own compositions such as "SI", "Chambre 23" and "La Lettre" from Tuesday to Saturday, during the 6 week show. For further details email: BRUGALIERE.Patrick@wanadoo.fr

Contributed by Mario Bruneau

The Montréal Accordionists Association (ADAM) has organized a "Dancing Night" to be held on March 18th at the "Fogolar Furlan". Accordionists Gerry Virone, Paolo Vani and Angelo Galerio will play while strolling around before the dance. The duo of Luciano Testani and Ercole De Cubellis will play at the dance. For details email: pmbrut@sympatico.ca

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Daniele Ravaglia will perform with Giorgio Farina (piano) and Marco Gerboni (saxophone) at the "Teatro Goldoni" in Bagnacavallo, on March 18th. Their program will include works by A. Piazzolla, P. M. Dubois, B. Marcello, J. S. Bach, Rimsky Korsakov, G. Kramer and M. Ravel. The event is organized by the "Associazione Promusica" in collaboration with the city of Bagnacavallo.

U.S. concert accordionist Henry Doktorski will perform Piazzolla tangos "Cite Tango" (arranged by Ari-Matti Saira) and "Adios Nonino" (arranged by Krzysztof Olczak) with pianist Elena Zhivaeva (Uzbekistan) in a recital at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania on March 18th. Performances will also be given by James Houlik (saxophone), Daniel Khalikov (violin) and other members of the Duquesne University faculty. For further details email: free-reed@trfn.clpgh.org

Contributed by Jonatan Karlsson, General Agency

On March 12th the Reykjavik Accordion Club performed at the Reykjavik City Hall during a snow storm! Despite this, a full house enjoyed performances by young (and old) students of Karl Jonatansson who also played Icelandic folk songs and a jazz/swing piece. Promising accordionist Matthias Kormaksson played "Luci E - Ombre" (Pizzigoni) and "Carioca" (Vinsent Youmans).

Appropriately (because of the weather) a group called "The Storm" (Stormurinn) conducted by Orn Falkner, played a piece by Gershwin and a Russian folksong. The final performance was by the R.A.C. Band (conducted by Johan Gunnarsson), which includes 20 accordionists who played a piece by Foster, arranged by Karl Jonatansson.

This successful concert has become a popular event every second month during the winter.

Contributed by Goffredo Gori

A captivated audience responded enthusiastically to a recent performance by solo accordionist Ivano Battiston at the "Società Fioravanti". The majestical chords of Bach's "Toccata and Fugue" were played on the accordion instead of the organ. Who would have guessed that this wind instrument could achieve such effects through its vortex of scales and its piercing chord sequences. This result was also reached by the skill of Ivano Battiston, who transcribed the famous piece by Bach as well as performing it.

Battiston and his accordion breathe in unison, both in the works of a modern composer such as Piazzolla or in the formal grace of Vivaldi as transcribed by Bach. So that the passage between "Milonga del Angel" and Bach's "Musical Offer" is perceived as seamless.

Contributed by Toru Katou

On March 11th, accordionist Chikaie Yoshida performed at an event entitled "Variety stage and Hirakata" at the Hirakata City Municipal Hall in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture. This event also featured a talk show by famous writer Akiyuki Nosaka and a performance by comedian Bunshi Katsura.

A new edition of both the Deutsch News and News Francais is now on line and can be seen at http://www.akkordeon.com/deutsch and http://www.accordeon.com/francais

Our next "Celebrity Interview" is with Joan Cochran Sommers. Please send your questions to interviewer Kevin Friedrich by 22 March for publication shortly after that.

http://www.accordions.com/adam Information on L'Association des Accordéonistes de Montréal - A.D.A.M. (Montréal Accordionists Association) in Canada

http://www.dhv-ev.com Information on the DHV (Deutscher Harmonika Verband e.V.) National Accordion Association in Germany.