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"A
to Z of Accordion" Book by Rob Howard - UK
The
"A to Z of Accordion", a book by Rob Howard is a very impressive
must-read and must-have for every accordionist and enthusiasts wanting
to learn more about accordion in Great Britain.
Retailing at £15, plus £4 postage, the book is the first
its kind and is proving popular in the United Kingdom. Written in
the format of an encyclopaedia, the "A to Z of Accordion"
covers all sorts of UK accordion related material from player biographies,
definitions of instrument types, archive magazine articles, contemporary
articles to lists of British solo accordion champions since 1935.
For further information, email robaccord5@hotmail.com
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World
Premiere - Finland
Contributed
by Kevin
Friedrich
 Accordionist
Mika Väyrynen
will be participating in the world premiere of 'Barabbas Dialogues'
by world famous composer Aulis Sallinen on the 11th June in Naantali.
This new work is for 7 players and 5 singers and is a very big work
of over 50 minute's duration.
The accordion has a very central part in this piece and the musical
material is partly the same as Sallinen used in his Concerto 'Barabbas
Variations' for accordion and orchestra. After this world premiere,
this piece will be recorded for the German Label CPO. The performance
includes, among others, such world-class musicians as Arto Noras (cello)
and Ralf Gothoni (conductor and piano) .
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Fort
Bend County Accordion Club Activites - USA
 The
Fort Bend County Accordion Club, Texas, founded in December 2003 by
Mario Pedone has just launched its new website. The club aims to bring
together accordion players and music lovers in the southwest Houston
Area so that they can increase public awareness of the accordion as
a serious musical instrument, encourage accordion players of all skill
levels to continue their progress, promote performance of all types
of music on the accordion and promote the accordion through public
service and performances. The FBC Accordion Club next meets on 6th
June, 2 pm, the Terrace, First Colony at Lexington Boulevard, Sugar
Land. They meet and again on 1st August.
For further information, email jregina@houston.rr.com
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Stockport
Accordion Club June Events - UK
The
Stockport Accordion Club from Cheadle Heath, Stockport has some interesting
events lined up for the coming months.
15th June - SAC plays host to a demonstration evening for the Roland
organ company, displaying the V Accordion at 8pm, St John Ambulance
Brigade HQ, Edgeley Road, Cheadle Heath. The demonstrator is Romano
Viazzini.
13th July - Ken Astin, well known in Blackpool as an organist, but
whose first love was the accordion, makes his debut as guest artist
for the club.
24th to 28th September. The SAC Orchestra has been booked to appear
at the next Pakefield Accordion Festival.
For further information, email Rob Howard robaccord5@hotmail.com
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Café
Accordion Orchestra Tour Dates - USA
 The
Café Accordion Orchestra (CAO), popular for its eclectic mix
of French musette, vintage swing, Latin and European dance music styles
have released their gig schedule for the next few months. CAO's repertoire
is that of a "Bal Musette" orchestra, through which they
recreate the music that was popular in Parisian dance halls, cafés
and bistros in the 1920's through 1950's.
Café Accordion Orchestra is lead by Daniel Newton on accordion
and vocals, with Brian Barnes on guitar and vocals, Eric Mohring on
mandolin, fiddle and vocals, Erik Lillestol on bass violin, and Joe
Steinger on percussion. The members have a combined total of over
a century of experience and they now have four CDs including their
most recent release, "Live!"
June Concert Dates:
- June 4 Friday, 2:30-4, Edina Art Fair, 50th and France,
Mpls
- June 5 Saturday, 8:15-8:45pm, Acadia Cafe-"One Week
Live at Beaner's" 1931 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis
- June 9 Wednesday, 8:30-11pm, Dixie's on Grand, St.Paul
- June 11-13 Friday-Sunday, Smoky Hill River Festival, Salina,
Kansas
- June 18 Friday, 7:30pm, The Chickadee Cottage Restaurant
in "The Roost", Woodbury, MN
- June 22 Tuesday, 7:30pm, Lake Harriet Bandshell, Minneapolis
- June 25 Friday, 8:00pm, Norshor Theater, Duluth, MN
- June 26 Saturday, 12:30-2:30pm, Polkafest- Ironworld, Chisholm,
MN
- June 27 Sunday, 12noon-1:00pm, Hot Summer Jazz Fest,13th
& Nicollet Mall, Mpls
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Traditional
Music and Dance Workshops by Carrefour mondial de l'accordéon
- Canada
The
Carrefour mondial de l'accordéon presents the Traditional Music
and Dance Workshops to be held at Ireland, Québec from 31st
August to 3rd September. The Workshops are a lead up to the 16th annual
edition of the Carrefour mondial de l'accordéon to be held
in Montmagny, Quebec the following week.
The dance workshops will be unique in that it will allow participants
to improve their playing style and rhythmic forms on the accordion,
violin, jig and dance.
The program offers participants the opportunity to experience and
discover the strong history of music from the Montmagny region. Guest
artists participating in the event include John Whelan on the accordion,
Eric Merrill on violin, Dance and Jig artist Maureen Berry, Béatrice
Fontaine and Patrick Morency. They guest artists will offer classes
where participants can expand upon their existing knowledge, perfect
their style, develop new techniques and widen their repertoire. All
classes will be held in locales situated in Old Montmagny. Created
in 1989, the Carrefour mondial de l'accordéon is a non-profit
organization whose mission it is to make all of the many forms of
the accordion know by showcasing the plethora of musical styles it
is associated with.
For further information, email accordeon@montmagny.com
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Accordions
on the Water! - Lithuania
Contributed
by Raimondas
Sviackevicius
 The
Lithuanian public were treated to a rare form of music recently when
a group of accordionists staged the "Music For Accordions on
the Water" last weekend. This project, organised by the Lithuanian
Composers Union in collaboration with Raimondas
Sviackevicius began at a recent contemporary music festival called
the "Druskomanija '04". The idea was to promote Lithuanian
modern music as well as contemporary repertoire for accordion.
 A
group of accordionists led by Sviackevicius
and including Modus Quintet and students of the Lithuanian Academy
of Music played works by Lithuanian composers such as Feliksas Bajoras,
Loreta Narvilaite, Jonas Tamulionis, Antanas A.Budriunas while travelling
in water bikes and boats on the water. The compositions were played
in canon, unison, and continuously amongst the performers using the
echo of the lake and wind to amplify and carry the music.
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Zanchini
Concert Dates - Italy
Contributed by Holda
Paoletti-Kampl
Italian jazz accordionist Simone
Zanchini has released his new concert dates for the next three
months.
Concert dates are:
June 6, Imola, Terre di Mezzo Quintetto
June 10 Milano, Catholic University 5.00pm, Zanchini-Marzi Duo
June 15 Bologna, Chiostro Chiesa S.Stefano, Tere di Mezzo Quartetto
July 9, Bergamo, Terre di Mezzo Trio
July 15 Zara, Tamara Obrovac Transhistria Ensemble
July 16 Grado, Tamara Obrovac Transhistria Ensemble
July 18 Legnano, Terre di Mezzo Trio
August 8 Trento, Quartetto di sax
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Airbag
Festival - Belgium
International composer/accordionist Guy
Klucevsek will make three appearances at the Airbag Accordion
Festival in Brügge, Belgium next week.Klucevsek's
performances include a solo concert on 8th June, a duo concert with
composer/saxophonist Phillip Johnston on 15th June and a performance
with Phillip Johnston's score for F. M. Murnau's silent-film classic
Faust on 16th June. Surrounding those dates, Klucevsek
and Johnston will tour Europe with the duo and Faust projects, with
stops in Bremen, Venice, Rome, Ljubljana and Antwerp. The Airbag Festival
is currently well on its way with performances almost every day for
a month. The festival also has an exhibition about Belgian accordions,
famous Belgian players and Belgian accordion publications.
For further information, email karl.catteeuw@ped.kuleuven.ac.be
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Anna Massie's
"Glad Company" CD - Scotland
 The
all girl folk band Anna Massie, awarded last year the BBC Scotland
Young Traditional Musician Award, have just released their debut CD
"Glad Company". With leader Anna Massie on guitar, fiddle,
mandolin and similar stringed instruments, Jenn Butterworth on vocals
and Maiearad Green on accordion, the CD combines traditional music
with formal training. These young Scots seem to have worked out a
way of mixing the two so the traditional music is only enhanced. The
sets of tunes have all been arranged inventively by Massie and her
two band-mates who look about sixteen on the record cover but are
a few years older.
Story by Graham McDonald of the Canberra Times.
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Dan and
Kim Christian
Survey - USA
One thing the accordion needs is an audience and while we have excellent
teachers and performers, we need to expand our musical outlets. This
is a chance for accordionists in North America to support those who
want to make a living playing the accordion.
Dan
and Kim Christian are in the process of booking a permanent stage
which features accordion live music in Branson, Missouri. Although
they plan to be the mainstay performers, the Christian's
intend to invite other artists regularly. Dan
and Kim have done their homework and have the ball rolling but
are now faced with a feasibility study for which they need help from
accordion enthusiasts.
Your job - if you live in North America or might visit the USA in
the near future: Go to the following site; http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2JU7A5SS2
and fill out the marketing survey. Answer it the best you can because
if the results look positive, the Christian
Family will continue working on this project. Otherwise, it dies.
For further information, email david_m_klein@msn.com
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Accordion
Club Centre 50th Birthday and Paris-Moscow
Duo - France
 The
Paris-Moscow
Duo of Domi
Emorine and Roman Jbanov are still hard at work touring France
with their latest stop being at the Accordion Club Centre on 22nd
to 23rd May for the clubs 50th birthday celebrations.
The Duo
performed as did the ACC group directed by Mr. Leger. Along with Jean
Cocteau de Monts, the Paris-Moscow
Duo conducted a master-class workshop for the Centre's younger
members.
During the master-class, the duo focused on equating accordion sound
with expression. The master-class ended with a highly successful concert
directed by the ACC's Michel Dien.
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Large
Crowds Attend Toowoomba Accordion Festival - Australia
Contributed
by Allan Polley
Toowoomba, Australia's largest inland city hosted the largest gathering
of accordionists and enthusiasts seen in Australia in recent years
at the Toowoomba Accordion Festival organized by Allan Polley. The
accordion communities were treated to exciting concerts which drew
large crowds, workshops, jam sessions and dancing on the weekend of
1st to 3rd May.
Of particular significance was a workshop on the history of the accordion
for which well known accordionist Bernadette
Conlon demonstrated a range of instruments from an authentic Chinese
Cheng, 1848 Wheatstone concertina, mini Wheatstone, French busson
flutina, busson lap organ, diatonic, chromatic, piano and MIDI accordions,
while Allan Polley outlined their contribution towards the development
of the instruments of today.
 Saturday
night's main event was a dance which featured Australian Bush Dancing
to the accompaniment of John Colville (accordion) and a Bush Band.
A highlight of the weekend was the Sunday concert featuring:
-Bernadette
Conlon on MIDI accordion performing requests and launching her
2 new CDs of 37 originals and arrangements by the great Pietro Frosini.
-John Colville and band.
-An orchestra of 25 diatonic accordionists.
-Swiss, German, Italian, Scottish and Irish folk items from various
accordionists.
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Join
USAF Strolling Strings - USA
 The
United States Air Force Band has an opening for an accordionist with
the Air Force Strolling
Strings.
The Air Force Strings
is one of the most diverse and flexible units of the United States
Air Force Band which is regularly providing an enjoyable experience
for VIP audiences visiting the USA. A key element of their mission
is to entertain audiences at high-level protocol events in a formation
known as The United States Air Force Strolling
Strings, often at the White House. On other occasions it performs
as The United States Air Force String
Orchestra. Members of The Air Force Strings
appear regularly as soloists, and in duo, trio and string quartet
ensembles, to present chamber concert performances, and provide quality
entertainment and ambient music for official protocol functions.
The
United States Air Force Strings
is comprised of 22 world-class musicians, each of whom are outstanding
performers who have studied and perfected their craft at leading colleges,
universities and music conservatories around the world. Accordionists
between the ages the ages of 17 and 35 who are interested in joining
are to get in touch with Lou
Couppola with their qualifications and he will put them in contact
with the proper authorities.
For further information, email Loucoppola@aol.com
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Quote
of the Week
Teaching Quote of the Week Edited by Willoughby
Walshe
"Sata-Hame Soi Accordion Festival held annually the first week
of July in Ikaalinen, is Finland's largest accordion festival. Part
of the festival is devoted to the Golden and Silver Finish accordion
championship finals. The competition has become such an important
part of Finish culture that it is televised and broadcast lives nationwide."
Find
out more... "Walshe
Essential Guide to Accordion and Harmonica Events"
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Contributed
by 
Special
Guest Artist Pavel Mangasarian of Russia performed a variety program
that had the enthusiastic audience on their feet applauding. 