Editors Note

MusicForAccordion.com site is reporting new compositions and arrangements starting to arrive each week. To highlight these new additions, there is now a New Releases page that is updated weekly.

Composer and semi professional accordionist David N. Gordon of Wiltshire, England has his new works being published this week on MusicForAccordion.com. Check them out on the New Releases page.

Wayne Knights Webmaster

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

On July 19th the agricultural tourism resort "Il Rustico" in Lapedona (province of Ascoli Piceno) hosted the first "Organetto d'oro" diatonic accordion competition. The event was organised by Excelsior Accordions in collaboration with Il Rustico and the Radio Aut Marche radio station.

The competition was won by Nicoletta Agostini of Acquaviva Picena (province of Ascoli Piceno), who was awarded an Excelsior diatonic accordion with three silver plaques. The instrument was presented to the winner by Nello Gabrielloni, managing director of Excelsior Accordions - Cemex Srl.

During the evening Beniamino Bugiolacchi compeered a show featuring a number of musical guests: Roberto Lucanero on diatonic accordion, accompanied by Stefano Amici (tambourine); Armindo Luciani and Elio Silenzi (both on diatonic accordion, the latter in duo with vocalist Dante Capponi); Giuliano Cameli on diatonic accordion, and finally Sergio Castelli and Valentino Lorenzetti. Valentino also received (alongside Giancarlo Guardabassi of Radio Aut Marche), the Rustico d'Oro 2002 award. This was presented by Peppino Principe, Guido Basili (owner of the resort) and the Mayor of Lapedona.

Miss Cybelvis Monroe will entertain at the 25th anniversary of the untimely passing of Elvis Presley at The Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon on August 16th.

Miss Cybelvis Monroe "A Hunka' Hunka' Burnin' Blonde" will appear on stage dressed in a pink & black jumpsuit to interpret Elvis Presley's hit songs, accompanied by "Botielus" on accordion & sequencer.

The duo have performed at venues with "Those Darn Accordions" and at a variety of other events including the Cotati Accordion Festival in California. They were recently on "Oregon Art Beat" on OPB (Oregon's PBS TV station), in a feature story by Tom D'Antoni. The story was a 16 hour documentary entitled "The Definitive Elvis: 25 Year Anniversary".

For further concert details email: Cybele@funduo.com

Contributed by Li Cong

The 2nd Button Accordion Teachers Training Class was held at the end of July in the Seaside Resort in Hulu Island, Liaoning Province with 20 accordion teachers attending this year. The event was organized by the Beijing Office of the Chinese Accordion Association. Director, Chen Shihuan said that many teachers who attended the 1st course in 2001 have benefited greatly and are now teaching the button accordion in their own areas.

Tutors included Zhang Xiangmin and Xu Dawei. Zhang has over 100 students in her home area of Yueyang City, Hunan Province including her daughter Zhang Xiaoyi who won her age class at the 2001 Beijing Accordion Competitions and Festival. Deputy Professor Xu teaches at the Jili Province Art School and completed his button accordion studies in Russia. Two of his students, Liu Lanting and Liu Rui gave performances during the training class.

The 7th Accordion Camp was held at the same time as the teachers course, with almost 100 children attending. Events during the week long camp included accordion training and fun games, with exams at the end.

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Accordionist Renzo Ruggieri accompanied Antonella Ruggero (one of Italy's leading vocalists) when she performed "Vacanze Romane" last month. The stunning backdrop (shown in the photo) is that of the largest ever outside broadcast by RAI TV in Gallipoli harbor. The concert was broadcast live as part of RAI's summer season.

3rd European Festival of Accordion Orchestras Prague 2004 - Czech Republic

Contributed by Pavel Svarc

The 3rd European Festival of Accordion Orchestras Prague 2004 will be held in the beautiful halls of the Vinohrady National House in Prague from April 7th to 11th, 2004 organized by the Czech Accordion Association and the Concert and travel agency CTA Prague. Accordion orchestras from all over the world are invited to this great international music show.

Categories include Junior Accordion Orchestra, Classical Music and Light Music. Prizes include certificates and financial prizes totalling CzK 58.500

Winners will be invited to perform at the closing concert. Applications must be received by December 20th, 2003. For further details email: cta@iol.cz

Accordionist Karen Street will perform at the Cafe Royal Fringe Theatre in Edinburgh with Kevin McKenzie (guitar) and Andy Tweed (saxophone) as part of the Edinburgh Festival from August 12th to 18th. Their program will include a variety of original compositions from Karen's CD "Finally .... a beginning", which contains elements of jazz folk and tango. For details email: mail@karenstreet.com

The Orquesta De Cámara De Acordeones "Claroscuros" (directed by Angel Huidobro) will perform in Béjar on August 28th. The repertoire includes "Four Seasons" (Vivaldi), "New World Symphony" (Dvorak), plus works by Albinoni, Bach, Mozart, Bizet, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich and Kachaturian. For concert details email: profauno@hotmail.com

Contributed by Christine Adams

The North Shore Musicale Ensemble (New Zealand) will tour China from August 16th to 26th giving concerts in Xiamen, Putian and Shanghai. Prior to their departure the ensemble will perform at Orewa College on the Hibiscus Coast (North Auckland) on August 4th. Their program will include "A Whiter Shade of Pale", "Beatle Magic", "Country Accordions", "Espana Cani", "Invercargill March" and Overture to La Scala Di Seta.

Soloists include Bernadette Conlon (Australia), Campbell Bettridge, Grayson Masefield, Jenna Murray, Lian Jones, Lionel Reekie, Maurice Jones and Silvio De Pra.

The 16th Annual Milwaukee Irish Fest Summer School will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from August 11th to 16th. The summer school provides a week of music workshops and courses prior to the festival. Tutors include Paddy O'Brien (button accordion), Jacqueline McCarthy (concertina) and Jimmy Keane (celtic piano accordion).

The Irish Fest Weekend will be held on Milwaukee's beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, from August 15th to 18th and is one of the world's largest Irish cultural festivals. The event will showcase Irish music, history, dance, drama, sports and culture. Over 100,000 people are expected to attend the event.

Performers include "Cherish the Ladies" (includes accordionist Mary Rafferty), "Patrick Street" (includes accordionist Jackie Daly), "The Kilfenora Ceili Band" (includes accordionist Conor McCarthy), "North Cregg" (includes accordionist Christy Leahy), "Bohola" (includes accordionist Jimmy Keane) and many others. For further information email: joheidt@uwm.edu

Contributed by Jutta Menn

Accordionist Viktor Romanko will tour Switzerland from September 11th to 22nd. During the tour he will perform at the Musikschule Schaffhausen (September 11th), in Berneck, Eschlikon, Brüttisellen, Kloten and Dietlikon. For further tour information email: Jutta.Menn@t-online.de

The Accordion at the Theatre - Italy

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

The accordion and violin duo of Giampiero Caponi and Fabio Colaceci (student of Ivano Battiston) performed recently at the Nettuno Police Academy Hall during the three-part stage drama by Giovanni Isaia entitled "Perché Maria..." (Why Mary). The subject of this work is the story of martyr Saint Maria Goretti, who was born in Nettuno. For further information on the work email: FCOLACECI@libero.it

The Chemainus Accordion Festival will be held from August 16th to 19th in Chemainus, a tourist town famous for its outdoor murals. The festival was initiated by Eric Oscar and Sheila Miller-Bower, who will perform with Ken Olendorf and Bonnie Birch. Other events include an August 17th dance with Toby Hanson and the "Smilin' Scandinavians", workshops by Eric (button accordions), Sheila (improving your playing) and Ken (improvisation), various open stage events, accordion playing at outdoor venues throughout the town and a trade/exhibit area. For further details email Shelagh Armour-Godbolt at: shelaghag@shaw.ca

Contributed by Alexa Ventimeglia

Accordionists Dominic Karcic and Mike Zeppetella will perform with drummer Phil Battiston at a free concert of musette music held as part of the Floral Park Arts Series. The event will be held in Memorial Park, in the city of Floral Park, New York on August 16th. For further details phone: +1 516 437 8138

Traditional singer and accordionist Emily Smith, (winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2002 Award) is currently recording her first CD for Foot Stompin' Records. The CD will be released in September. Unfortunately Emily suffered a "musician's nightmare" when her precious accordion was badly damaged during an airline transfer while she was returning from a recent tour of Germany and Denmark. For CD details email: info@footstompin.com

Contributed by Olga Kopylova

Accordionist Sergei Voitenko and Galina Khomchik (vocals) presented their new CD "Unexpected Alliance" at the recent 29th festival of songwriters held in the picturesque lake area near Samara. The CD, which includes works by Russian composers such as Vizbor, Egorov & Suhanov and young composers Reshetnyak, Kucher & Voitenko, received enthusiastic applause from the audience.

The duo will perform future concerts promoting the CD in Moscow (September 27th), Polytechnic museums (October 18th), St. Petersburg (October 19th), and in Samara, Ufa, Kazan, Ulyanovsk and Chelyabinsk during December. For CD information email: servoit@hippo.ru

Accordionist Karen Tweed and Andy Cutting (melodeon) will release their new CD "Under One Roof" (with Fyasco Records) in mid August. The CD features traditional pieces from Ireland, England, France and Sweden with new works by Chris Wood, Jan Ekedahl, Carina Normansson, Donald Shaw plus Karen and Andy. Guest performers include Ian Carr (guitar) and Martin Green (accordion). For CD details email: andy@cutting-tweed.demon.co.uk

New Information on the history of the accordion in Argentina contributed by Carlos Koester is now online in our History section.

Joyce French is currently writing the biography of Eddie Calvert (trumpet) and would like to contact South African accordionist Nico Carstens who wrote "Zambesi" in 1956. Nico is a most revered composer and performer and is known as the "King of Boeremuscek" having well over 100 recordings to his credit. Eddie Calvert died in 1978 (at only 56 years of age). Joyce would like to include some information and comments from Nico Carstens in the book, as Eddie Calvert is more closely associated with his composition "Zambesi" than any others. If you can help please email: jobofrench@prodigy.net

www.accordions.com/ivanopescari Updated information on Italian accordion entertainer Ivano Pescari, including details of upcoming concerts

www.accordions.com/atg Updated information on the ATG Festival in Orlando, including pictures and details on the 84 piece ATG Festival Orchestra, information on the Festival Competitions and details of the 2003 Competition and Festival in Chicago.

www.accordions.com/soprani Updated information on accordionist Joseph Soprani and his recent activities including performances with famous tenor Russell Watson and pop star Jon Bon Jovi.

www.accordions.com/garydahl Updated information on music available by Gary Dahl, including his newly released "15 Louisiana Cajun Classics" published by Mel Bay Publications plus information on ordering this new book and other publications.

www.accordions.com/stas Updated information on Stas Vengslevski including information on his newly released CD entitled Seasoning with ordering information, plus upcoming concert dates including concerts with visiting artist from Moscow and former teacher of Stas, Friedrich Lips.

www.accordions.com/contet Updated information on accordionist Pascal Contet include details of his upcoming concerts