Editors Note
Accordions Worldwide Office Manager Tatiana Lanchtchikova will tour New Zealand for the next two weeks with the group "Bravura". Their tour begins in Hamilton in the North Island and continues down to Wellington, then on through the South Island. During this time Tatiana will not be able to check her emails, so if you have any urgent requests please contact Christine at: news@accordions.com

Wayne Knights Webmaster

The Cheltenham International Jazz Festival will be held in the Pillar Room in Cheltenham from May 2nd to 6th and ranks among the top British festivals of its kind, with a reputation for innovation and creativity. This year's Festival will see more music from big names on the international jazz scene and will also launch a new venture for 2002, Jerwood Rising Stars, supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation and featuring some of today's hottest young jazz talent. The series is devoted to presenting and promoting up and coming jazz musicians with the specific aim of giving them the boost they need to move to the next stage of their careers. Accordionists Guy Klucevsek and Alan Bern will be performing at this prestigious festival on May 5th.

For details phone: +44 1242 227979

Russian bayanist Anatoli Senine will perform at the "Het Gebouw Zang & Vriendschap" in Haarlem Centrum, Nord-Holland on April 27th. Senine has performed over 2,000 solo concerts during his 39 year career and currently teaches in music schools in Maastricht, Haarlem, Zoeterwoude and Delft. For further concert details email: anatolisenine@wanadoo.nl

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

On April 7th Victor Prieto took the stage at the New Jersey Performing Center with the legendary Paquito D'Rivera. Prieto (a native of Spain) has recently established himself as a revolutionary musician. With Paquito D'Rivera, Victor Prieto amazed the audience with his outstanding harmonic and melodic control of the music. On accordion Prieto adds the rhythmic spice of Latin and Galician music.

Prieto is also making a great impression with his own trio, featuring Oscar Stangnaro (bass) and Mark Walker (drums).

Contributed by Dr Herbert Scheibenreif Manager of Friedrich Lips Productions

The International Competitions of Val Tidone will be held from June 10th to 16th in Italy. The "Carlo Civardi" Accordion Prize is open to all accordionists born after January 1st, 1964. There will be an Elimination Round (program of your choice with maximum duration of 15 minutes) and a Final Round (program of your choice with maximum duration of 30 minutes). The Jury will include prominent accordionists such as Vladimir Zubtisky, Jean-Marc Fabiano and Ricardas Sviackevicius. For further information email: info@valtidone-competitions.com

Contributed by Jonatan Karlsson

The annual International Reykjavik Accordion Festival 2002 will be held in Reykjavik on June 1st and 2nd. Performers include "Tesco Value" (Denmark) which includes Martin Bennebo (accordion), Czeslaw Mozil (vocals), Linda Edsjö (drums), Daniel Heløy Davidsen (guitar) and Magdalena Entell (double bass), plus performers from Iceland - Karl Jónatansson and band, Hekla Eiríksdóttir, Matthías Kormáksson, Margrét Arnardóttir, Jóna Einarsdóttir, Smárinn Quartet, F.F. Quartet, Eldborgar Quartet, Skæruliðarnir Orchestra and Strákabandið. For further details email: jonatank@isl.is

Accordionist and composer Olexiy Suslow performed his own composition "Concerto Dieptych No 2" and Haydn's "Concerto in D Major" (arranged for accordion and string quartet) in the Pope's Theological Study Hall in Wroclaw recently. In addition the children's orchestra "Harmonica" conducted by Galina Suslow performed works by Tchaikovsky, Strauss and Bizet. This concert was held in conjunction with the opening of the Music School S-Art. in Wroclaw. For further information on the Music School email: Suslov@wp.pl

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Francesco Palazzo, holder of the chair of accordion studies at the "N. Piccinni" Conservatory in Bari, was recently involved in a series of important performances.

From March 18th to 20th he held a series of very successful concerts in New York City (USA), at the Casa Italiana Zerrilli Marimò, the church of St. Paul and the prestigious Halice Tully Hall of the Lincoln Center (as part of the Ibla 2001 Awards).

On April 5th he was in Amsterdam for a recital at the Keizersgraat Church, next to the Italian Cultural Institute. This concert was part of the concert season organised by artistic director Marcello Abbado. The challenging programme of this concert entitled "The Number and the Divine" included Counterpoints # 1-2-6-9 from Bach's "The Art of Fugue" and the Prelude and Fugue in A minor, the "Et ex-specto" sonata and "De Profundis" by Sofia Gubaidulina, a piece for which he was given the "Gubaidulina Special Mention" at the Ibla Grand Prize in July last year. The enthusiastic audience gave Francesco a standing ovation and demanded three encores.

Francesco's next concert will be held at the Teatro Kuursal Santa Lucia in Bari with the Collegium Musicum on April 30th. His program will include Kammermusik N° 1 op. 24 by Paul Hindemith. For further details email: francescopalazzofisa@libero.it

Contributed by Artur Fernandes

Danças Ocultas toured Holland and Belgium last month performing in Velp (Holland) and in Ternat, Leopoldsburgh, Hasselt, Beveren, Borgerhout and Brugge (Belgium). From April 12th to 18th the group toured France playing in Bègles (Bordeaux), Fontenay-le-Comte, Paris (La Maroquinerie) and Limoges.

Accordionist Stanley Darrow returned from his 38th annual concert study tour on April 17th. The following day he presented the first of three faculty recitals of the program he presented in Europe. While there, Mr. Darrow performed for accordion clubs, and societies, gave 35 school assemblies for the Department of Defense-American Dependants in the Military, as well as recorded for radio and television.

Further concerts will be held on April 20th and 22nd in Westmont, NJ. For details email Squeezernj@aol.com

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

A special "International Evening" was held recently in Osimo (very well known for its lyric academy) near Castelfidardo, with guests and artists of music, art and sport from all over the world attending. The event included a typical British dinner prepared by Scottish English teacher Monica Howe and Giorgio Valenta (tenor) with original Scottish music performed by Robert Rolston.

Accordionist Performs with Auckland Symphony Orchestra - New Zealand

New York based accordionist Kevin Friedrich will perform three concerts as guest soloist with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Gary Daverne in New Zealand in early May. These concert will be held at the Auckland Aotea Center (May 5th) and the Bruce Mason Center (May 12th) and in the Town Hall, Dargaville (May 11th). Kevin will play the "Rhapsody for Accordion Orchestra" (Gary Daverne) as well as premiere a new work for Accordion and String Orchestra entitled "The Gem of the Kaipara" (also by Gary Daverne). Providing great exposure for the accordion, the combined audience for the three concerts will be in excess of 3,000 people!

The new work "The Gem of the Kaipara" is written in honor of long time accordion and arts supporter and life time member of the New Zealand Accordion Association, the late Jenny Cocurullo. A pillar in the Kaipara community in the northern region of New Zealand, Mrs Cocurullo had always promoted the Kaipara as the "Gem of the North", however, she in turn was considered "The Gem of the Kaipara" which is also the title of this new work by Gary. For further concert details email: accordion@compuserve.com

Accordionist Jon Hammond was guest performer at a popular jazz session in Harlem, New York, hosted by Seleno Clarke recently. Jazz sessions have been held at this venue every Sunday for the last five years, and many musicians "drop in" and play with the band. Great atmosphere!

On April 12th Jon played with a quintet at the very popular restaurant/bar in "Capp's Corner", San Francisco with Lisa Pollard (tenor sax). Lisa is the conductor of an unusual marching band - the Chinese Funeral Marching Band! Every weekend they stage funeral processions through the streets of North Beach. At the restaurant Jon and Lisa played a "little more lively" program!!

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Accordionist Ivano Battiston will perform with Daniela De Santis (piano) at the Teatro dell'Istituto Vittorino da Feltre in Genova on April 24th. Their program will include works by Molique, Bartók, Stravinsky and Piazzolla. For further details phone: +39 010-2464926

On April 13th accordionist Yuichi Otsuka held a successful concert with Yoshihiro Harada (steel pan) and Kazuhiko Obata (guitar) at "Otoya Kintoki", Nishiogikubo station. Yuichi's next concert will present popular duets with accordionist Yoshiaki Sato at "Corcovado", Takatanobaba Station on May 26th. For details phone: +81 3 3209-2334

Steve Ripley would like to know if there was ever an accordion built that had "left and right" keyboards instead of buttons and a keyboard? Email: ripley@thetractors.com

Yves Noulez is researching the Duo of the Sabatier sisters. If you can help with information please email: yves.noulez@laposte.net

Thomas Hallam would like a recording of "Tiger Rag", which he heard in the 1940's on concertina. Email: hall2001@accesswave.ca