Editors Note
This week we have the new Weekly News design online in the German language. This new page includes a submit form to make it easier for readers to send in news items.

Wayne Knights Webmaster

Contributed by Kimmo Mattila

The Lasse Pihlajamaa Accordion Competition (for accordionists aged 30 years and under) will begin on September 18th and run until the 22nd in Ikaalinen and Tampere Finland. Three rounds of competitions will be held during the event with competitors playing works by Bach, Grisey, Hosokawa, Jokinen, Scarlatti, Soler, Piazzolla, Cimarosa and Seixas.

Jury members include Chairman Harri Wessman (Finland), Merja Ikkela (lecturer at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki), Professor Stefan Hussong (Professor at the Würzburg Music University, Germany), Max Bonnay (France) and Vladimir Cuchran (Professor at the Kosice Conservatory, Slovakia).

Finnish accordionist Mika Väyrynen will give a recital of the seldom heard "Sonata No 1" by Vladislav Zolotarjow and new Finnish music with cellist Marko Ylönen.

For further details email: competition@harmonikkainstituutti.net

Contributed by Dr Herbert Scheibenreif Manager of Friedrich Lips Productions

The period from August 26th to September 8th was dedicated to workshops and entertainment by musicians, clowns and artists in Imst (near Innsbruck), Tyrol. The workshops, which were open to the public covered jazz (piano, bass, drums, violin), Austrian march music (all instruments) and classical music (violin, piano and accordion). Accordionists Friedrich Lips (from the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow) and Roman Pechmann (Conservatory of Klagenfurt, Austria) gave solo lessons and taught chamber music.

Lips also gave a solo recital, which included works by Podgaiz, Mozart, Katchaturian, Schubert, Shenderiov and Rossini and was acclaimed by the public. The whole event was so successful that it will be held again in 2002 at about the same period. For further information email: info@imst.at

Contributed by Kevin Friedrich

This year the Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes (CIA) Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships will be held at the Cumberland Hotel in Central Harrow, London, hosted by the National Accordion Organization of the United Kingdom (NAO). All activities take place at either the Cumberland Hotel, or in Halls close by, including the magnificent Church Hall. This is the first time the event has been held in the UK since 1984 and this years Coupe Mondiale promises to be an exceptional event, not to be missed!

Young musicians worldwide will be given the opportunity to compete for the distinction of winning the world title in a variety of categories which has grown to include:
Coupe Mondiale, World Accordion Championships
Junior Coupe Mondiale, World Accordion Championships
Virtuoso Entertainment Music Competition
Junior Virtuoso Entertainment Music Competition
NAO/CIA Piano Accordion Competition
Chamber Music Competition (to be introduced in 2002)

To date (with more arriving each day), the competition has attracted a record number of entries as follows:

Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships: 21
Junior Coupe Mondiale, World Accordion Championships:17
Virtuoso Entertainment Music Competition: 11
Junior Virtuoso Entertainment Music Competition: 8
Piano Accordion Division: 18

The event will also include a concert recital by Alexander Dmitriev, a final "Gala Concert & Prize Presentation" and the CIA Congress. For further details email: nao@accordions.com

Duo 2000 will perform at St. Johns Priory in Westcliff on September 30th. Their program will include a variety of works such as Sleeping Beauty Ballet (Tchaikovsky), "Granada" (Albéniz) and "Sleigh Ride" (Leroy Anderson). For further details email: duo2000@global.co.za

Contributed by Johnny Lebigot

A trio which includes accordionists Pascal Contet & Denis Tuveri, plus pianist Andy Emler will perform at the Auditorium of the Municipal Music School in Stains on October 12th. The trio play a mix of contemporary, musette, jazz and improvisation by composers such as Cavanna, Drouet, Globokar, Rebotier, Françaix and Berio. For further details email: epe.stains@free.fr

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

After a hiatus of several years, the "Golden Accordion" National Competition has returned. This event, inspired by Peppino Principe, used to be organised by the Excelsior Accordions firm, and enabled some of the best accordion soloists of the country to prove their talent. This year's competition, which was held in Benevento on September 1st and 2nd, benefited from the support of the Benevento Provincial Council and the Provincial Tourism Board, which included this event in the programme of the 3rd annual "Sannio Estate" festival.

The greatest single contribution came from the Right Honourable Carmine Nardone, President of the Province of Benevento and a passionate accordion enthusiast. Event organizers were Dr. Buratto, Luigi Febbraro and Artistic Director Paolo Picchio, who was helped along the way by Francesco Abbracciante and Paolo Rozzi. The event was sponsored and supported by Excelsior Accordions, which offered the main prize - a limited edition professional accordion known as 911 Millennium.

Winner of the "Golden Accordion" was Angelo Miele (student of Massimiliano Pitocco). The 2nd Provincial Accordion Festival was won by promising player, Edoarda Iscaro. The event was also unique in that participation was free of charge.

During the event, the magnificent Provincial Palace hosted an accordion exhibition. In addition a magnificent concert was held (at a venue on the hill overlooking the city) with performances by Giuliano Cameli (hurdy-gurdy) and Sylvia Pagni (classical accordion).

A closing event was held the following evening at the PalaSannio with performances by prizewinners along with the Fancelli Accordion Orchestra (Crosia), the duo of Vladimir and Natalia Zubitsky (piano and accordion) and Peppino Principe with his Trio. In the course of the event Peppino Principe received the 1st International "Sannio d'Oro" prize for his contribution to the promotion of the accordion.

Contributed by Vagn Jacobson

The Duo Paris Moscou (France) will perform concerts at the Eflise de Give in Denmark from October 1st to 3rd. For further details phone: +45 97175127

The Handharmonika-Spielrings Stuttgart-Möhringen will perform at the Martinskirche in Stuttgart-Möhringen on October 1st and 7th. Their program will include "La Storia", "Schindlers List" and "Spring". For further details email: hsm-online@gmx.net

Contributed by Toru Katou

On September13th, violinist Kazuko Kato and accordionist Stefan Hussong (Germany) held a concert at Kioi Hall, Yotsuya, Tokyo. Their program included works by Bach and Piazzolla.

The following day (14th) accordionist Yuki Makita will perform "chamame" and tango tunes at "El Patio", Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. For further details phone/fax: +81 3 3363-6931

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

On September 15th, Ivano Battiston (accordion) and Mario Brunello (cello) will perform duo works at the Palazzo Garibaldi, Centro Culturale Polivalente in Stradella. For further details email: ivanobattiston@tin.it

Successful Orchestra Tour - Australia

Contributed by Christine Adams

The North Shore Accordion Orchestra (conducted by Lionel Reekie) have just returned from a successful tour of the Gold Coast in Australia this week. The orchestra performed a well received concert to over 800 people at the popular Sea World fun park. The following day the group performed solos and orchestra pieces in Surfers Paradise at a concert organised by the Queensland Accordion Club. Members of the QAC and guests also entertained at the event. That evening the club organised a dinner at an Italian restaurant for the orchestra with impromptu entertainment provided by Lionel Reekie and orchestra members.

Accordionist Dr William Schimmel will give four performances of "Wozzeck" by Alban Berg (conducted by James Levine) at the Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, New York from September 26th to October 6th. He previously appeared in the Geneva opera company production of Wozzeck at the Spoleto Festival held in Charlston, SC in May and June this year.

Schimmel will also appear in the world premiere of Jason Huang's new opera, "The Floating Box", which is about Chinese immigrants in America. These performances will take place from October 25th through to November 7th and will be presented at the Asia house in New York.

This is Schimmel's second collaboration with Jason Huang. The first was Schimmel's performance in the Martin Scorsese film "Kun-dun", in which Huang prepared the adaptations of authentic cultural revolution music. For further details email: GWILLIAMANDMICKI@aol.com

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

This year the Accordion Ensemble of L'Ill de Strasbourg Robertsau will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its inception (in December 1961). The ensemble (which is managed by George Schwing and Rene Chalot) is well known in Europe through its concerts and cultural exchanges in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Austria, the UK and France.

Very concerned with interpretation quality, the 20 voluntary musicians with their director Denis Daeffler, play a variety of music such as traditional, modern, original music, haversack and others. With a repertoire that is renewed annually, the EAI accordionists convey their love of music which is intended to please a large audience.

This year French accordionist Jean-Louis Noton and the Accordion Ensemble have given performances that show that the accordion is a modern instrument with a real potential for the future. For further details phone: +33 3 88 30 11 50

Contributed by Daire Bracken

The Cork Folk Festival was held in Cork, Ireland last month. "Slide" (which includes concertina player Aogán Lynch) performed to an enthusiastic crowd on August 31st. Their program included a set of reels, a set of slides (which were particularly lively and popular), "The North Sea" set and "Stay a While" (a song from their CD). The group was so popular the audience called them back for an encore.

Concertina player John Watcham will accompany Shirley Collins when she gives a talk entitled "In Praise of English Folk Music" at the Royal Oak" in Lewes on September 20th. The talk will span the two great folk music revivals of the twentieth century and will be illustrated by recordings and by the concertina playing. For further details email Vic & Tina Smith at: tinvic@globalnet.co.uk

Accordionist Bruno Maurice performed three concerts at the Poitou Clavier Festival in Poitiers from September 7th to 9th. His next concert will be held on September 21st in honour of Barbara (who has now passed away), well known for her emotion and sensibility in her texts and personal compositions. Bruno will perform in a trio with the contrabass and piano. For further details email: Bruno.maurice@mageos.com

Contributed by Joyce Clyde

"Brass Menagerie", which includes accordionist Randy Trigg as well as drums, vocals, tuba, trombone, clarinet, trumpet and saxophone, entertained at the Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center in Berkeley on September 4th. The group played Balkan music for dancing.

Jean-François would like information such as a contact address for the manufacturer of Ranco accordions. Email: jeanfrancois.hecq5@yucom.be

Marcus Dodd would like information on the Santianelli accordion (pictured). Email: mdoddandsons@localdial.com

Alexander would like information on the manufacturer of a 120 bass Royal King accordion which he believes is about 40 years old. Email: dprokop1@tampabay.rr.com

Gordon Jansky would like information on a Pancotti piano accordion with the words "Macerata Italia" and "Mod: 1493" on it. Please email: Gjansky@Bellsouth.net