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Successful ATG Festival in Chicago - USA
 Contributed
by Kevin
Friedrich
The Accordionists
and Teachers Guild, International celebrated their 63rd Anniversary
with a weekend of music, competitions, performances and workshops
at their annual convention in Chicago from June 25th to 29th.
Four outstanding concerts featured former ATG
Champion Jeff Lisenby, Jazz legend Frank Marocco, Chicago Jazz accordionist
John Simkus, the UMKC
Community Accordion Orchestra (directed by Joan
C. Sommers) who performed with vocalist Whitney Nashville, Italian
concert accordionist and director of the Scandalli
Accordion Factory Mirco Patarini, Trio Bez Ime ensemble featuring
Dee
Langley, and The "K"
Trio.
 Other
performers included Joanna and Stan Darrow, Tony Lovello, Igor Zavadsky
(Kiev), Star-Sera duo (John Simkus and Stas
Venglevski) and The KC Seven.
A highlight of the annual convention is the
Festival Orchestra, conducted this year by Joan Sommers, Janet Millard
and Gary
Daverne (New Zealand). The orchestra performed several times
during the festival including a cameo appearance at the Arlington
Race Track which opened the days racing.
Several competitions were held including some
which qualify the contestants to enter the CIA
Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships in Slovakia and Hungary
in October. The ATG
held two categories on behalf of their sister organization The New
Zealand Accordion Association (NZAA).
As New Zealand citizens residing in the United States competed,
this competition was held on behalf of the NZAA to serve as a qualification
round to represent New Zealand in the Coupe Mondiale.
Winners:
Christine Jarqueo - Junior Virtuoso Competition
Andrea Caruso - Junior Coupe Mondiale
Shanxi Upsdell - Junior Virtuoso Competition (New Zealand)
Shanxi Upsdell - International Competition for Piano Accordion (New
Zealand)
For further festival information see the Accordion
USA National News.
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World Premiere by Peter Soave at Pigini Festival
in Senigalia - Italy
 Contributed
by Holda
Paoletti-Kampl
The Pigini Sirius festival organized by the
Pigini
Factory in Castelfidardo took place on June 20th and 21st in
Senigallia. The event was a celebration for all owners of the "Sirius"
model as they celebrated the manufacture of the 1,000th instrument
in the "Sirius" series.
During the festival Peter Soave (USA) performed
the world premiere of "Tango Furioso" especially written
for string quartet and bandoneon by Venezuelan composer Aldemaro
Romero.
Guests from many parts of the world took part
in the "Special Draw Pigini Sirius" where all owners of
a Sirius qualified for entry. The "Pigini Sirius No 1001",
an accordion made especially for this event was won by Anna Uccelli
from the Hans Brehme Quartet (Italy).
International artists such as Lelo Nika, Friedrich
Lips, Claudio
Jacomucci (performing with dancer Kathleen Delaney), Elisabeth
Moser, Aude
Giuliano, Viacheslav
Semionov, Peter Soave (with the Rucner String Quartet) and Owen
Murray presented not only excellent music, but some of them
also joined together in a Jam Session to the delight of the audience.
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| Peter
Soave & The Rucner String Quartet |
Workshops were held by specialized Pigini craftsmen
regarding tuning, building of the right and left hand of the SBS,
the Alexander Technique (Claudio Jacomucci) and sessions with famous
teachers and musicians. Benjamino
Bugiolacchi conducted the Gala Concert at the Fenice Theater
and Paolo
Picchio supervised the workshops.
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2nd International Competition d'Escaldes-Engordany
- Andorra
The 2nd International Competition d'Escaldes-Engordany
will take place from July 13th to 16th in Andorra, directed by Roser
Palomero Vendrell. The competition will include three categories:
Senior, Junior and Variete, where competitors will play works written
prior to 1900, a sonata by Scarlatti and own choice works. Prize
money totaling 6,500 € will be presented.
The international jury includes Vladimir
Zubitsky, Pedrag Kostovich, Jean Marc Fabiano, Roman
Jbanov, Dominique
Emorine, Carlos Iturralde and Miroslav Kosnar.
During the competition the Paris-Moscou
Duo will give a concert on July 15th. For further information
phone: +33 6 10 56 31 81
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 American
Accordionists Association 65th Anniversary Competition & Festival
- USA
The American
Accordionists Association 65th Anniversary Competition &
Festival will be held at the Marriott Hotel, Philadelphia International
Airport from July 9th to 13th. The festival includes competitions
for all ages with cash prizes and awards, a sight seeing tour and
massed band performance, Festival Orchestra performance, workshops,
exhibits, Luncheon Concerts, World of Accordions Traveling Museum,
Endless Performance Ballroom, Polka Fest, 65th Anniversary Gala
Banquet Celebration and many featured guests.
Workshops include "The Music of Astor Piazzolla"
presented by Manny Bobenrieth, "Physical Aspects of Accordion
Performance" presented by Linda Griffith, "Build It, They
Shall Come" (starting a Club) presented by Karen Adam (President
Florida
Accordion Association), "Unique Accordions of A World of
Accordions Museum" presented by Dr. Helmi Harrington, "It's
Never Too Early - The Accordion in Pre-School Music Classes"
presented by Mary
Tokarski, "The Dim7-V7 Progression - Establishing Tonality"
presented by Eddie Monteiro and a "Sibelius Computer Program
Clinic".
In addition a Gala concert will be held featuring
a fabulous array of accordion artists including Eddie Monteiro,
Tony
Dannon & Joe Cerrito, The
"K" Trio, Alexander
Poeluev and The Busso Trio. A "Competition Awards Concert"
will also be held featuring the Accordion Pops Orchestra (conducted
by Dan Desiderio) and popular soloist Tony Lovello.
For further festival information email: ameracc@aol.com
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Kristupo Vasara Summer Festival - Lithuania
Contributed by Holda
Paoletti-Kampl
Accordionist Raimondas
Sviackevicius will perform at the old rococo style "Sv.
Kotrynos" Church in Vilnius as part of the Kristupo Vasara
Summer Festival on July 14th. Sviackevicius will perform a variety
of compositions by Lithuanian composers Bajoras, Valanciute and
Senderovas as well as Gubaidulina, Valpola, Bronner, Jokinen and
Ganzer with well known cellist Edmundas Kulikauskas. For details
email: sviaraim@takas.lt
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Accordionist Performs with Plural Ensemble - Spain
 Contributed
by Holda
Paoletti-Kampl
On June 25th, accordionist Angel Luis Castaño
performed at the National Auditorium of Music in Madrid (Spain)
with the Plural Ensemble conducted by Argentinean Fabian Panisello.
Their program included the world premiere of the chamber piece "Cámara
Lenta" (Camarero) for accordion, flute, percussion and soprano
plus a solo piece "Luz Azul" (also by Camarero).
About 250 people attended this interesting concert,
including composers de Olavide, Torres, Arias and del Puerto. The
accordion is very popular and is currently holding a very important
place in contemporary music in Spain.
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"Tango Project" Midday Concert - USA
Accordionist Dr. William Schimmel will perform a free
midday concert with his Grammy nominated group, "The Tango Project"
at the Hudson Square Music Festival in Manhattan on July 9th (sponsored
by the Trinity Church). The Tango Project will perform an hour of non-stop
tangos as well as music from the film "Scent Of A Woman", where
they appear with Al Pacino in the now famous tango scene as well as the
underscoring for much of the movie.
The group has also supplied soundtracks for HBO's
television program "Sex And The City" and "Real Sex"
plus they performed in a tango episode on "Sesame Street". Their
first album was number 1 on the billboard classical charts and won a stereo
review album of the year award. For concert details email: GWILLIAMANDMICKI@aol.com
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New CD of Works by Spanish Composer
Contributed by Dr
Herbert Scheibenreif Manager of Friedrich
Lips Productions
A CD of works by Spanish composer Joan Guinjoan
(Riudoms, Catalonia, 1931; Premio Nacional de Música, 2002)
was released recently. Among others, the CD includes the work "Phobos",
for accordion, piano and percussion performed by accordionist Ricardo
Llanos. This work will be broadcast on July 17th at 9.30pm by Radio
Nacional de España-Radio Clásica.
For further CD information email Columna Música
at: columnamusica@canal21.com
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Successful
Moscow Concerts - Russia
Accordionist
During
his recent tour of the USA, accordionist