The Frankfurt Music Fair is currently in progress until March 11th in Frankfurt, Germany. Accordionists will be entertaining the public at the fair and Accordions Worldwide Europe Office Manager, Holda Paoletti-Kampl will be present on the Commune di Castelfidardo/Music Marche stand in Hall 8. If you are planning to visit this fair please see Holda to discuss either the accordion or the internet.

Wayne Knights Webmaster

• Nordic Champions of Accordion Concerts - Sweden
• Texas Annual Festival Begins - USA
• Folk Beat Derby - England
• Festival Concerts Dedicated to Ethnic Music - Austria
• CIA Winter Congress held in London - UK
• Bulgarian Music and Dance Festival - France
• Important Musical Partnerships - Italy
• Final Regional NAO Festival - England
• Rotary Society Concert - South Africa
• Accordionist is Guest of Honour - USA
• Days of Samara Culture Concerts - Russia
• Orchestra Celebrates Social Sciences Week - Puerto Rico
• Accordion Club Forzando Concert - Netherlands
• Jon Hammond at Frankfurt fair - Germany
• Sundequist & Oivind Farmen at White Horse Club - England
• World Music Collective Concert - Canada
• Resort Concerts - Russia
• Mountain Accordion Course - France
• Jazz & Tango Accordion Workshops - Austria
• Houston International Festival - USA
• Winter Festival - Russia
• New Sites
• Accordion Information Required

Accordionists Bernt Andersson (Sweden), Johan Kullberg (Sweden), Jon Faukstad (Norway), Maria Kalaniemi (Finland) and Greta Sundström (Finland) will take part in a "Nordic Champions of Accordion" concert series during March and April. These soloists will perform an exciting program, accompanied by Michael Krönlein (bass) and Timo Alakotila (piano).

The opening night was held in Alingsås (Sweden) on March 8th, followed by concerts on Åland Island, Finland (March 10th), The Nordic arts Centre of Reykjavik in Iceland (March 27th), Culture Centre Katuaq in Greenland (April 2nd) and The Nordic House of Torshavn in the Faroes (April 5th).

The artists have also released a CD to coincide with the start of the tour and will be available at all of their concerts. For further details email: johankullberg@home.se

The Texas Accordion Association Annual Festival is currently underway until March 11th at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, Plano, Texas. The event features an Accordion Extravaganza concert on March 10th with a 50 member accordion orchestra conducted by Gary Daverne (New Zealand). Their program will include William Tell (Rossini), Lord of the Dance (Hardiman), A Pocket Overture (Daverne) and Beatle Magic (arranged by Daverne).

The event will include a variety of Folk music workshops (Tex-Mex, Italian, Cajun, Zydeco, Czech, German, Celtic, and Country Western) and concerts by the "K" Trio, Santiago Jimenez, Tony Lovello, Debra Peters, Rita Davidson and John Dujka. For further details email: nns5522@dcccd.edu

The Folk Beat Derby (hosted by Chapel Lunch Productions) will be held from March 16th to 18th at the Lees Brook Community School, Chaddesden in Derby and includes a weekend of traditional and contemporary folk music. Performers The Poozies (Scotland) and Two Duos Quartet (England) both include accordionist Karen Tweed. Other entertainers include Zephyrus (UK), Kilbrides (Wales), Naill Keegan & Sandra Joyce (Ireland), Eel Grinders (UK), The Waltzer (UK) and The Chase (UK).

Workshops will be held by Andy Cutting (melodeon), Penny Grant (accordion) and Karen Tweed (accordion). For the first time this year a beginner's piano accordion class (accordions provided) will be held. For further information email: fiona@chapel-lunch.co.uk

Contributed by Dr Herbert Scheibenreif Manager of Friedrich Lips Productions and Holda Paoletti-Kampl

The second week of Vienna's 2nd Accordion Festival was dedicated to concerts of ethnic music from different countries. Jovica Petkovic performed the Kolo and other dances from his home country, Bosnia. He was also joined by the group "Etno Bears".

Simon Thoumire (English concertina, pennywhistle, Scottish smallpipes) is a representative of the Scottish Folk-Avant-garde and combined with Kevin MacKenzie (guitar) they played a mix of Jazz, swing, bebop and Latin jazz with Scottish Folk music. Kevin is also a member of the Simon Thoumire Three and head of the "Simon Thoumire Orchestra".

The "Rockin' Janitors" and "Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas" entertained with Zydeco music, introducing elements from Boogie, Blues, Soul, Country, Ska and African rhythms.

Contributed by Kevin Friedrich

This past weekend, delegates and officers held the 105th Congress of the Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes in London, UK.

Delegates from the USA, Sweden, England, Denmark, Finland and Austria attended this annual Winter Congress, which was held at the Cumberland Hotel, in the London suburb of Harrow, which will be the headquarters for this years Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships.

Final details were organized for the annual Coupe Mondiale, which will be held from October 24th to 28th, 2001 at the Harrow Arts Center. The Coupe Mondiale is being sponsored by the National Accordion Organization of the United Kingdom (NAO).

Prize money for the Coupe Mondiale has been announced as follows:

Coupe Mondiale: 1st: $1000.00, 2nd: $500.00, 3rd: $300.00
Junior Coupe Mondiale: 1st: $700.00, 2nd: $300.00, 3rd: $150.00
Virtuoso Entertainment: 1st: $700.00, 2nd: $400.00, 3rd: $200.00
Junior Virtuoso Entertainment: 1st: $500.00, 2nd: $300.00, 3rd: $150.00
Piano Accordion Competition: 1st: Trip to New Zealand/Australia, 2nd: $500.00, 3rd: $250.00

For full details on prizes and entry requirements, please visit the CIA website.

Next year at the 2002 Coupe Mondiale in Copenhagen, Denmark, a new category will be added featuring Chamber Music. Details will be published on the CIA website soon.

Contributed by Wenceslas Hervieux

A Bulgarian music and dance festival will be held at the Cultural Center Per Roy, Ti Kendalc'h, St Vincent-sur -Oust on May 24th and 25th. As part of the event an accordion workshop will be given by Blagoï Mantchev. For further information email: groupement-culturel-breton@wanadoo.fr

Accordionist Renzo Ruggieri has taken part in several recent projects involving important names in Italian popular music and television. Ruggieri has played with the "Quartetto d'archi" Ensemble of the "Braga" Conservatory in Termano and the "Orchestra Laboratorio Ensemble", a brass ensemble conducted by Federico Paci.

These groups gave several concerts in December and January, in prestigious venues such as the Teramo town theatre, the "Gran ballo delle sirene" in Senigallia, the "Palacongressi" theatre in San Benedetto del Tronto and the "Teatro Tenda" in Alba Adriatica (province of Teramo). Pictured are Renzo Ruggieri with "The Platters" and well-known TV comedian Bebo Storti.

Contributed by Raymond Bodell

The last regional NAO festival was held in London on February 24th. The event was well attended with a 25% increase in entries giving adjudicators Frederick Parnell & Sarah Diggens a busy day.

Prize winners included Paul Chamberlain (Open Solo) & Jan Kowalski. The highest mark of the day went to Gemma Day & Sarah Diggens (Professional Open Duet). The "Accordion Profile Challenge Trophy" awarded to the most promising performer under 16 was awarded to 15 year old Larysa Bodell.

A short recital was given by Robert Cherry who is currently studying music at Surrey University with the accordion as his first subject.

With the completion of the regional festivals, all attention switches to the National Championships in Scarborough, held from May 4th to 6th, where candidates will be selected for the Coupe Mondiale in London later this year. Guests include Kevin Friedrich (CIA Vice President). For further details email: raybodell@accordions.vodafoneuk.co.uk

Duo 2000 performed a concert at the Reformed Church of Vereeniging-East recently, organized by the Rotary Club Vanderbijlpark and Rotary Society of the Vaal Triangle. The sell out concert included co-artists Christelle Pretorius (soprano) and Salome Coertze (piano) with a guest Rotary Exchange Student from Japan.

Duo 2000 played a varied program including Sleeping Beauty Ballet (Tchaikovsky), Liebestraum (Liszt) and Amore Scusami (Mescoli).

Accordionist Gelso Pellegrini will be the guest of honor at the Val Taro Society's annual dance on April 22nd at Maestro's Restaurant in Bronx, New York. Gelso has appeared many times on local radio and television and is a proponent of the Val Taro Musette style. Other performers include Dominic Karcic and Frank Toscano

The celebration stems from a town in Italy - Borgo Val Di Taro (near Parma). Accordionists John Brugnoli and Peter DelGrosso (who were born there) came to the U.S.A. and opened a restaurant in New York City in 1936, promoting a North Italian folk style "Musette" which became very popular. It's cheerfulness was of particular interest to the famous Ernest Hemingway. The tradition of this cheerful and pleasant music is still carried on and maintained at the Magnanini Winery in Wallkill, New York, where Gelso performs weekly to a packed house.

For further information on the April 22nd event, phone John Zaccarini at: + 1 914 376-4511

Contributed by Olga Kopylova

Accordionist Sergei Voitenko and his group "Non Stop" Quartet, will take part in the "Days of Samara Culture" event at the All-Russia Exhibition Centre in Moscow from March 14th to 16th. The event will include daily concerts. For further information email: servoit@hippo.ru

Contributed by Jane Berkovitz

The AAPR (Accordion Association of Puerto Rico) Orchestra will play at the University of P.R. in Aguadilla on March 28th. This is the 3rd consecutive year that the orchestra has performed at the University to celebrate Social Sciences Week. The event is a cultural activity for the students, faculty and the general public.

The orchestra is currently raising funds to produce a CD in the near future. For further concert details email: janeberkovitz@email.msn.com

Contributed by Hillebrand van der Veen

The Accordion Club Forzando orchestras will take part in a concert on April 1st at De Rietwijker in Amsterdam. Their program will include "Star Wars", "See you later Alligator" and "Pomp & Circumstance". Guest orchestra Alphen Opus 1 will also entertain at this event. For further details email: H.J.Veen@net.HCC.nl

Accordionist Jon Hammond (USA) will substitute for Sylvia Pagni representing Excelsior at the Frankfurt Fair held from March 7th to 11th in Frankfurt, Germany. Sylvia is unable to attend the fair because of her International RAI I TV station performances. Jon will perform daily shows on the Galleria main stage and also in the Sound Cabin upstairs Hall 10.

Contributed by Jack Beecroft

Accordionists Jorgen Sundequist (Sweden) & Oivind Farmen (Norway) will perform as guests of the White Horse Accordion Club, at "The Laverton", Westbury, Wiltshire on March 25th. Their program will include light pieces and classical music by Bach, Scarlatti, Gershwin, Frosini and Galla Rini. For further details phone: + 44 1934 833817

"Mad Pudding" (which includes accordionist Amy Stephen) played at the Vancouver World Music Collective Concert at the VCC Theatre (King Edward Campus) in Vancouver on March 3rd. The event included artists from China and Vietnam as well as a flamenco guitarist. The band will perform at the Festival du Bois in Maillardville (Coquitlam), BC on March 10th.

"Divertissement" (which includes accordionist Lozben Evgene) will entertain guests at the "Belokyriha" resort in the Altay mountains from March 12th for one week. Their program will include light entertainment pieces such as "Reine de Musette", "Le Deniseus" and "Little Flower". For further details email: lozben@online.nsk.su

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Jean Marc Fabiano will hold an accordion course at the "Saint- Léger-les -Mélèzes" Hautes-Alpes, a hotel next to the mountains, from April 6th to 22nd. The course will include information on orchestras and animation. A concert will be held on April 21st. For further information phone: + 33 6 15 87 39 60

Accordionist Klaus Paier will hold Jazz and Tango accordion workshops on March 19th and 20th at the Schloß Weinberg Hall in Kefermarkt (Upper Austria). The workshops will cover improvisation, jazz theory, examples for practice, jazz-standards, tangos from A. Piazzolla and arrangements. For further information email: klaus.paier@aon.at

"Cerronato" (which includes accordionist Mike Maddux) have had a change of performance date at the Houston International Festival in Downtown Houston. The group will now play on April 21st from 1pm to 2pm. For further details email: mike_maddux@rocketmail.com

Contributed by Olga Kopylova

[Graphic: non_stop.jpg]

The traditional Winter Festival "Grushin" was held in Samara from February 22nd to 26th. This festival celebrates works by composer V. Grushin and is held twice yearly (summer and winter). This year's event included performances by Sergei Voitenko and his quartet "Non Stop". The enthusiastic public showed their appreciation.

http://www.accordions.com/asa Information on the Accordion Society of Australia, including their 2001 festival in July

http://www.accordions.com/ravaglia Updated information on Italian accordionist Daniele Ravaglia

http://www.fisitalia.com Updated information on Fisitalia accordion manufacturer with new models and photos available

http://www.borsini-accordions.com Updated information on the Borsini Accordion Factory based in Castelfidardo, Italy

http://www.accordions.com/rastelli Updated information on Italian accordionist Emanuele Rastelli

A reader is looking for old Paris/French or Vienna-Venice/Italian Cafe music, especially old traditional pieces that you would hear in a Café around the turn of the 19th century. Email: visum7@netzero.net