Next week 69 accordionists from all over the world will compete in the annual Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes (C.I.A.) Coupe Mondiale, World Accordion Championships, which will be held in Kragujevac, Yugoslavia.

The five day competition held from October 25th to 30th, will feature four categories including the Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships (22 contestants), the Junior Coupe Mondiale for contestants under 18 years old (22 contestants), the Virtuoso Entertainment Competition (11 contestants), and the new Junior Virtuoso Entertainment Competition (14 contestants).

This event was due to be held in Yugoslavia last year, but was postponed due to the political unrest, which has plagued the country until very recently. However, festival organizer Milan Tomic and the host town of Kragujevac, are delighted to welcome accordionists of the world to join together and unite with the universal language of music during this exciting accordion event. We wish all the contestants, delegates and guests a most successful competition.

Kevin Friedrich Vice President - CIA

• "Città di Castelfidardo" Competition - Italy
• Coupe Mondiale - Yugoslavia
• Melodeons at Witney - England
• Burach Performs in Colombia
• Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Concert - USA
• Carnival of Musicians - Lithuania
• "Accordeonatelier 2000" - Netherlands
• Accordion Now! Festival - Finland
• Premier Recording of Carmine Coppola Accordion Concerto - USA
• Tokyo Accordion Concert - Japan
• Birthday Party for Myron Floren - USA
• Castaño Performs in Madrid - Spain
• Akkordeon-Orchestra Müllekoven Anniversary Concert - Germany
• National Accordion Festival of Le Mans - France
• Farewell Party for Competition Visitors and Artists - Italy
• Accordion Collection - Canada
• Folkworks Workout Weekend - England
• Lydie Auvray and the Auvrettes Fascinate Audience - Germany
• Strathspey & Reel Society of New Hampshire Meeting - USA
• "SWAP" Perform Successful Concerts in Sweden and Denmark
• Gomel Concerts - Belarus
• Pasquale Coviello on TV - Italy
• 10th Anniversary Celebration for BAAC - USA
• New Composition - Italy
• Young Bayanist Performs with Symphony Orchestra - USA
• Dellarole in Concert in Leipzig - Germany
• New CD by Manny Bobenrieth Ensemble - USA
• CD Release - New Zealand
• New Sites
• Antique Accordion Information

Contributed by Loretta Bompezzo, with photos contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

The 25th "Città di Castelfidardo" accordion competition took place from October 10th to 15th in Castelfidardo, Italy, and hosted 450 candidates from over 20 countries. The competition included fifteen categories adjudicated by over thirty international artists under the direction of Davide Anzaghi. The prestigious solo competition was won by Russian accordionist Konstantin Ischenko, who gave a splendid performance of the Carmine Di Marco's test piece, "Follie". The second prize went to Jerome Richard (France) followed by Sergej Tchirkov (Russia).

Guest artists at this event included "Fire's Sons" (winners of the 1999 New Generation competition), "Modus" Duo (Jytte Von Ruden and Marta Libalova), "Zapp Jazz Duo" (Noel Letertre - piano and Henry Lemarchand - accordion), Richard Galliano, Demo Morselli with his Big Band (with accordionist Pasquale Coviello) "Folk Rose", folk group "La Macina"(with accordionist Roberto Picchio) and the "Piccola Orchestra Avion Travel".

A night dedicated to the world-famous Italian director Federico Fellini and his composer Nino Rota included an improvised live soundtrack provided by two accordionists, Luciano Biondini and Renzo Ruggieri. Cinema was also featured during Sunday's award ceremony at the Astra theatre, which included the screening of Silvio Soldini's "Pane e tulipani" (Bread and Tulips), whose protagonist (played by Lucia Maglietta), has a burning passion: the accordion. The instrument, which she is seen carrying throughout the film was provided by the Castelfidardo International Accordion Museum.

The 53rd International Coupe Mondiale Competition for accordion soloists will be held from October 25th to 30th in Kragujevac (Yugoslavia) organized by the Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes (CIA) in conjunction with the Jeunesses Musicales of Kragujevac with the support of the Kragujevac Music School and Music Art Faculty Beograd. In addition to the variety of competition categories, the event will include concerts and an excursion to a Serbian Monastery. For further details email: icaccordions@netway.at

Contributed by Dave Townsend

"Melodeons at Witney" will be held on November 18th and 19th at the Henry Box School in Witney, Oxford, England. Tutors include Luke Daniels, John Kirkpatrick, Chris Parkinson, Riccardo Tesi and Tim van Eyken. Ten workshops will be held on a variety of subjects including "Irish Music", "Music from Sardinia" and "Mysteries of the Left hand". For further information email: homweekend@aol.com

Scottish group "Burach" (featuring accordionist Sandy Brechin) will tour Colombia performing in Bogota from October 15th to 23rd. The concerts will be held in conjunction with the British Council's 60th Anniversary celebrations, and include a Celtic Night at "El Portico", performance at Bar C in the "Zona Rosa" and at the "Siam" bar in La Candelaria. For details email: sandy@squeeze.demon.co.uk

Accordionist Rocco Anthony Jerry will perform a solo concert at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, New York on October 24th. The concert will include works by Luciano Berio, William Grant Still, Paul Creston, David Diamond and Astor Piazzolla. For further details phone: + 1 518 273-0038

The Cantus accordion quintet will take part in the "Carnival of Musicians" event held at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall on November 25th. This twelve-hour musical marathon will include performances by many famous Lithuanian musicians. The quintet performs jazz, musette and tango pieces. For details see Future Events.

Contributed by Menno Tummers

Finnish accordionist Mika Vayrynen will give lectures and perform at the "Accordeonatelier 2000" festival at the De Ijsbreker Music Centre in Amsterdam from October 25th to 27th. His lecture entitled "Diversity and Success of Accordion Teaching" will be held on the 25th followed by a concert of works by Bach, Mozart, Piazzolla, Stravinsky, Kaipainen, Segerstam, Nuorvala, Kantelinen and Makkonen. The following day Mika will hold a workshop. For details email: post@ysbreker.nl

Contributed by Dr Herbert Scheibenreif Manager of Friedrich Lips Productions

The Accordion Now! Festival (Harmonikka! Nyt!) which began on October 19th will run until the 22nd at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. The event will include eight concerts spotlighting the accordion as a multi-faceted instrument of the third millennium. The Artistic Director is Matti Rantanen. The opening concert included a performance by Janne Rättyä of works by Bach, Gubaidulina, Haapanen, Tiensuu and Piazzolla.

Other performers include Antti Phalanen, Tango Novjaro (winners of the Astor Piazzolla 2000 competition) who will play a program of chamber music, Matti Rantanen, Maria Kalaniemi, Marjut Tynkkynen, Mikko Luoma, Friedrich Lips performing works by Podgaiz, Rjabov, Cholminov, Berinski and others, Pipoca (group playing Latin-American rhythm music) and Marcel Azzola.

Master classes will also be held by Friedrich Lips and Marcel Azzola. For details email: herbert@accordion-cd.co.at

The newly rediscovered work by Academy Award Winning composer Carmine Coppola will be performed by Peter Soave and the Emerald Sinfonietta (conducted by Felix Resnick) on October 22nd at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial Hall in Michigan.

This concert will be followed by a CD Release Party at the Ambleside Art Gallery. The CD is entitled "Homegrown: A Salute to 20th Century American Composers!" Coppola's Accordion Concerto was written in 1973. Critics have already referred to this piece as: "Carmine Coppola's GIFT to the Accordion".

For further details email: soavepeter@webtv.net

Contributed by Toru Katou

On October 30th, accordionist Toshio Nakahira will perform at the Yasuda Seimei Hall in Shinjuku, Tokyo. For concert details email: cato@ipc.hiroshima-u.ac.jp

Myron Floren's birthday will once again be celebrated in conjunction with Wurstfest in New Braunfels, Texas with a party on November 5th. Accordionists are invited to join in to play Happy Birthday for Myron. For details phone: +1 800-221-4369

Contributed by Raquel Ruiz

On October 16th Angel Luis Castaño played at an important concert in the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Madrid to over 100 people including composers Tomás Marco and Jesus Torres and other personalities of the contemporary music scene in Spain.

The successful concert was recorded for National Radio and will be played next month to all of Spain. Castaño's program included "Sonata Acueducto" (Tomás Marco), "Flashing" (Arne Nordheim), "Itzal" (Jesus Torres) and "Cinco piezas del ritual de difuntos" (Josep Soler).

All but one of the performed works were dedicated to Angel Luis Castaño by Spanish composers, encouraging an important relationship between Spanish composers and their compositions for the accordion. Castaño has future concerts planned in Valencia (accordion and cello with David Apellaniz), Badajoz, Salamanca, Lyon and Segovia.

Contributed by Christine Stiller

After a successful celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Accordion Orchestra Müllekoven in June this year, the orchestra would like to invite interested people to attend their anniversary concert on October 29th in the Mehrzweckhalle in Müllekoven. The orchestra have prepared a special concert program, which includes "The Barber of Seville", "Schwanensee", "Wenn ich ein König Wär", "Triumpfmarsch", "Morgenstimmung", "Radetsky March" and others. For ticket information email: christine_stiller@hotmail.com

The National Accordion Festival of Le Mans will take place on October 21st at the Centre des Expositions du Mans. Fifteen hours of non stop accordion music will be provided by guest accordionists including Jean Marc Torchy, Alexandra Paris, Delphine Lemoine, Sandrine Tareyre, Julia Collin, Laurent Derache, Aurélien Noël, Sébastien Farge, David Kasmareck, Vincent Carenzi, Sébastien Debard, Franck Vilain, Samuelle Clèment, Emily, Ophélie Collin and Pascal Savard. This festival is the first of its type in France. For further information phone: + 33 6 11 97 59 59

Massimo and Francesca Pigini invited friends, artists and collaborators throughout the world to a farewell dinner after the successful "Città di Castelfidardo" competition last week. In attendance were Holda Paoletti-Kampl, Martin Frey, Alexander Dmitriev (who had successful students - Konstantin Ischenko winner and Sergej Tchirkov), Cao Xiao-Qing, Gianluca Pica (who entertained the whole restaurant with wonderful interpretations on the keyboard), Ulrich Schmülling (Intermusik), Cesare Chiacchiaretta, Duo Modus, and many others.

Accordionist Raymond Laforest has what he believes is the largest collection of accordions in Canada with over 300 hundred in his Ontario house. Raymond, who started collecting 20 years ago, advertises in the paper for instruments, some of which he uses for spare parts. The oldest instrument in the collection was made in 1862. For further information email: raymondaccordion@sprint.ca

Raymond believes the largest collection in the world may be held by French accordionist Jeannot Perret who has over 800 instruments.

Contributed by Jane Edwards

The Folkworks Workout Weekend will be held at the Darlington Arts Centre from October 20th to 22nd. Concertina player Rob Harbron (English) will hold a class to help concertina players develop their own personal style using decorations, ornamentation, phrasing and chords. For details phone Folkworks: + 44 191 222 1717

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

When Lydie Auvray performed with her group Les Auvrettes in Hilpoltstein recently, she impressed her audience not only with her voice but also with her unusual repertoire - tango, samba, musette, blues, romantic passages, entertaining stories about the development of her songs an so on. The audience was also enthusiastic about the temperament, rhythm and the expressive duet of accordion and guitar played by Adax Dörsam.

Contributed by Sylvia Miskoe

The Strathspey & Reel Society of New Hampshire will hold their next meeting on October 29th at the Annichiaricho Theatre in Concord, New Hampshire. The event will include jamming, requests and solos performances of jigs, reels and strathspeys such as "Mr Dolph Morris" by Pete Kier (accordionist with Jack Rennie's Thistle Band). For information email: smiskoe@aol.com

Contributed by Jan Lucas

Accordionist Karen Tweed has just returned from a concert tour of Sweden and Denmark with the group "SWAP". Highlights included a performance at the Odense Festival (Denmark), followed by a double concert with "Flook" in Halkaerkro.

Karen is currently performing concerts in England with Ian Carr including Fareham, Sheffield, Bristol, Presteigne, Derbyshire, Cardiff and Croydon, finishing with a concert at the Belper Folk Club on October 31st. For further details phone: + 44 114 2509124

Accordionist Dmitry Mironenko will perform a number of concerts in Gomel during October including performances at kindergartens and schools as well as the "Mashinostroitel" and "Sogzh" sanatoriums. For details email: dmitry-mironenko@usa.net

Contributed by Beltuna

On October 15th accordionist Pasquale Coviello took part in the popular television show "Buona Domenica" broadcast by the Canale 5 network, where he played a program of sensual Argentinean tangos. During the show Coviello also played alongside the famous singer Rita Pavone, whom he accompanied in a rendition of an old classic by Mina, "Bugiardo e Incosciente".

Contributed by Peter Di Bono

The San Francisco Bay Area Accordion Club (BAAC) will celebrate its 10th Anniversary and the tenth year since the declaration of the accordion as the Official Instrument Of San Francisco with a special concert on November 8th. Performers include Stas Venglevski & Mike Alongi playing solos and duets. The event will be held at Patio Español in San Francisco. For further information phone Lou Soper: + 1 510 792-765

Composer Enzo De Rosa has written a new accordion piece "Guiomar" (from a lyric by A. Machado), a tango for small orchestras. The piece is included on the CD entitled "My Sounds My Soul" by Enzo. For details email: info@enzoderosa.com

Contributed by Boki K. Cvetkovski

The Plymouth Symphony Orchestra (under the direction of Nan Washburn) presented a "Music for Young People of All Ages" concert at the Plymouth/Canton High School in Michigan recently. Guest artist was 13-year old bayanist Andrea Caruso performing Albin Repnikov's "Capriccio" from his "Concert Suite", arranged for bayan and orchestra by David Van De Pitt. Andrea is the youngest bayanist ever to perform with a symphony orchestra in the United States.

Andrea has won a number of competitions in the U.S. and last year competed in Europe for the first time. She is a student of Professor Lana Gore, director of The Music Centre Conservatory in Michigan.

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Giorgio Dellarole will hold concerts on October 26th at the "Scuola Civica" in Milan and on November 16th at the Music Conservatory in Leipzig, Germany. Giorgio will present a program of works by Scarlatti, Bach, Piazzolla, Pozzoli and Scappini.

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

American accordionist Manny Bobenrieth has just released a new CD "Tangata" with the Manny Bobenrieth Ensemble. The CD features primarily compositions by Astor Piazzolla, but also includes works by Cole Porter and A. C. Jobim. The ensemble consists of accordion, piano, violin, bass, guitar and vibes.

A native of Chile, Manny is currently a member of the U.S. Army Band in Washington D.C. As the featured accordionist with one of the premiere musical organizations in the United States, he performs regularly at The White House, The State Department, and for visiting foreign dignitaries throughout the year.

Accordionists Bill & Kath Worsfold are currently working on a CD entitled "Dancing in the Full Moonlight". Tracks include many original songs such as "Gimme a Book", "Hand Jive Song", plus "Tango/Rumba Numba", "Bright Fine Gold", "Judy Drownded" and some tracks which include a group of children from West Harbour School in Auckland. The duo have been so busy performing recently, that the recording has been delayed but will be completed in the near future. For details email: songs@billkath.com

http://www.accordions.com/castelfidardo Updated information with results and photos of this year's Città di Castelfidardo competition held from October 10th to 15th.

http://www.serenellini.com Updated information on the Serenellini accordion manufacturing Company

http://www.accordions.com/semionov Updated information on Russian accordionist Viacheslav Semionov

http://www.fisitalia.com Updated information on new models by the Fisitalia Accordion Company

Bill Joosse would like some information on a Princetti accordion by Busilacchio. Email: bjoosse@gci.net