Successful American Accordionists' Association Annual Convention - USA
Contributed by Kevin Friedrich

The American Accordionists' Association (AAA) hosted their annual competition and festival at the Quincy Marriott in Boston from 11th to 15th July with aims to promote high standards in all aspects of the accordion community.

The festival featured competitions for all ages and abilities, workshops, exhibits and other accordion related features, which included a display by Dr. Helmi Harrington from A World of Accordions Museum in Superior, Wisconsin. A highlight of the festival was the Vivian Vivio Stolaruk Memorial International Entertainment Competition for accordionists offering both Junior and Senior categories.

The results of the competition was;
Vivian Vivio Stolaruk Memorial Senior Entertainment:
- 1st-Havard Svendsrud - Norway $5,000 first prize
- 2nd-Andrea Caruso - Dearborn Heights, Michigan - USA
- 3rd-Sammy Thomas - Cheney. Washington - USA

Vivian Vivio Stolaruk Memorial Junior Entertainment:
- 1st-Andrea Caruso - Dearborn Heights, Michigan - USA $1,000 first prize
- 2nd-Sammy Thomas - Cheney. Washington - USA
- 3rd-Anthony Falco - Johnston, Rhode Island - USA

The Festival Massed Band under the direction of Frank Busso performed the home-town "Theme from Cheers" outside the famous downtown Boston Quincy Market, while the festival orchestra under the direction of Lana Gore performed at the Gala Banquet and Concert.

The 2002 Coupe Mondiale winner of both the Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships and the International Competition for Piano Accordion - Alexander Poeluev from Russia, brought the house down with his outstanding performance at the Gala Concert. He received a total of five standing ovations and his trip to the USA was sponsored by the American Accordionists' Association (AAA) and its sister CIA member the Accordionists and Teachers Guild International (ATG) . Alexander Poeluev is also performing at the ATG Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this weekend.

Other performers included the family ensemble The Busso Trio (Frank Sn., Frank Jr., and Christina Busso), Tony Dannon and Joe Cerrito, Dee Langley and Greg Dagoumas, Janet Todd, John Culpo, Jazz great - Frank Marocco, Eddie Monteiro, John Scaffeo, Tony Lovello, Ray Battani, Phoebe Legere and others.

Workshops were provided by AAA Officers, members and guests such as Manny Bobenrieth , Sam Falcetti, Dr. Helmi Harrington, Robin Hodson, Joan Grauman, Frank Marocco, Joe Cerrito Karen Adam and Tony Lovello.

Click here for pictures from the AAA Festival in Milwaukee.
 

Inaki Alberdi Concert - Spain

Inaki Alberdi will perform on July 30th at the "I Edició Concerts de Mitjanit Aiguadolç" in Port de Sitges, Catalunua.

The successful soloist will form the works of Bach, Mayo, Lecuona, Scarlatti, Gubaidulina, and Albéniz.

For further information, email akoncert@ya.com
 

Tàngheri's New CD "Historias del sur" - Italy
Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

A new CD called "Historias del sur" has been released by the young group "Tàngheri". This group, originally from Bari, have been together for only 2 years. They have a repertoire of Argentine tàngheras inspired by Piazzolla and Gardel, as well as some Valse Musette, traditional South American rhythms, film soundtracks and original pieces.

The group's accordionist is the young and talented jazz artist Vince Abbracciante accompanied by Davide Penta on the Contrabasse and Antonio di Lorenzo on the drums. Their show also includes the actor and vocalist Rocco Chiumarulo as well as Gaetano and Angela Donatone (tàngheri professionals)

For further information contact abbracciante@libero.it
 

SEM Accordion 's Opens France Branch - Italy, France
Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Menghini S.r.l., based in Castelfidardo (Italy), manufacturer of accordion brands SEM, Scandalli and Paolo Soprani , announce the appointment of a new agent - SEM France, that will be assigned henceforth to distribute all their SEM models on the French territory. The SEM-France Agency is based in Nice and managed by Bahman Farzad (management, administration). Ronan Jaouen, French News Translator of Accordions Worldwide is in charge of the commercial relations with the stores and the accordionist Bruno Tairua is responsible for the artistic domain.

The main target of this new agency is to install a permanent, quick and easy collaboration between Menghini S.r.l. and its dealers.

For further information pls contact www.semaccordeons.com or email ronan@semaccordeons.com
 

Veli Kujala at Pori Jazz Festival - Finland

The winner of the 1st International Lasse Pihlajamaa Competition, accordionist Veli Kujala will play with the Pekka Pohjola Band at the Pori Jazz Festival on 25th July in the Kirjurinluoto Concert Park. Kujala will also perform Pohjola´s "Bayan" (concerto for accordion & chamber orchestra) as a soloist of Pori Sinfonietta.

Pekka Pohjola has often been described as the "Sibelius" of fusion rock music. He is the master of the electric bass guitar and is a remarkable composer who's majestic melodic and occasionally playful music melts jazz, rock and classical ideas into a distinctly Finnish blend.

For further information, email vkujala@siba.fi
 

Lips Accordion Workshop - Austria
Contributed by Dr Herbert Scheibenreif Manager of Friedrich Lips Productions

For the fourth time the city of Imst located in Tyrol, near Innsbruck has organized workshops for musicians and artists of different styles which took place last week.

Participants had the opportunity to combine some relaxing days with artistic activity which included solo lessons from famous artist and teacher Friedrich Lips from the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow.

Along with Roman Pechmann of the Conservatory of Klagenfurt, Austria, Dr. Lips taught solo lessons and chamber music. The workshops were so successful that another program has been scheduled for 11th to 15th July 2005. Dr. Lips will give probably give a recital on 10th July, 2005 in the "Laurentius" church.

For further information email: herbert@accordion-cd.co.at
 

San Francisco World Music Festival - USA

Door Dog Music Productions presents the 5th Annual San Francisco World Music Festival which will be held from the 17th September to 3rd October in California.

The works of Rahman Asadollahi, Xi Pei Kun and others will be performed. Asadollahi of Azerbaijan is a successful composer and accordionist.

"This concert is a metaphor for cultural understanding and communication" said organizer Michael Santoro. "All of the different compositional components and all of the respective cultures uniting is not an easy task and through this process, new territories will be explored providing insight and enrichment." The Azerbaijani Music Lecture & Demonstration by Asadollahi will be held at the Asian Art Museum on 23rd September.

For further information, email info@sfworldmusicfestival.org
 

St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble - Russia

The St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble are performing regularly promoting the accordion. The Ensemble began as a duet of Vladimir Ushakov and Sergei Likhachov in 1984 in Leningrad at the M. Mousorgsky Music College. Since 1989, the ensemble has performed with a rhythm-section consisting of guitar, bass-guitar and drums and became known as the St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble after the inclusion of new soloist Svetlana Stavitskaya from Daugavpils (Latvia).

The St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble are available to organize and participate in variety concerts, New Year and National celebrations for French, German and Finnish events amongst others. The group's soloists have toured France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Gibraltar, Italy, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, USA and Great Britain.

Since 1998 the Ensemble has been organizing concerts that educate its audiences. They also offer seminars, masterclasses, workshops, conferences and lectures. The St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble have a full catalog of music and other items for accordion enthusiasts.

For further information, email v-ushakov@infopro.spb.su
 

Milwaukee Mayor Proclaims ATG Event "Accordion Week" - USA

The Mayor of Milwaukee has proclaimed 21st to 25th July to be the "Accordion Week" in his city as accordionists from around the globe flock there for the 64th Accordionists and Teachers Guild International Festival at the Best Western Milwaukee Airport Hotel. Some of the highlights of the festival include appearances by 2002 world champion classical accordionist Alexander Poeluev from Russia, Jerome Richard the virtuoso extraordinaire from France and USA jazz legend Art Van Damme.

Shirl Barry, an organizer of the ATG Milwaukee event, said there will be some super exciting overseas and local performances. "In addition to our soloists we will also feature three outstanding accordion orchestras; the K&S Accordion Orchestra from Ireland, the Jarosh Accordion Orchestra from Canada and the famed University of Missouri-Kansas City Community Accordion Orchestra."

During the festival, participants will form the ATG Festival Accordion Orchestra, a 75 piece accordion orchestra under renowned conductor Joan Sommers. The orchestra will present the fruits of their efforts at an outdoor appearance at the Peck Pavilion as well as at the Gala Banquet and Concert at the end of festival. Other events at the ATG festival include competitions, seminars, concerts, trade show exhibits and an impressive accordion museum display.

For further information about the ATG and the 2004 Festival please visit www.accordions.com/atg
 

Yuri Medianik's Debut CD - Russia

Yuri Medianik, a student of Professor Semionov has just released his debut bayan CD, titled "Images of Three Centuries". The recording was made in The Moscow State Radio House which is the same studio where Prof. Semionov recorded his last CD "Semionov Plays his Transcriptions" and Y. Shishkin recorded his CD "Romantic Bayan". The bayan Yuri played during the recording was a "Yupiter" model which had been built especially for Mr. Semionov by Master Volkovich.

Some of the recordings on "Images of Three Centuries" had been made when Yuri was 17 years old and some he recorded two years later. Although most of the transcriptions of the CD was by Yuri, there are also some pieces by Rameau, Couperin, Ibert and Tchaikovsky. The bonus track is "Milonga para tres" by A. Piazzolla which Yuri plays with his ensemble Piazzolla-quintet.

For more information on how to buy the CD, email yuri@yurimedianik.com
 

Maria Kalaniemi to play in BBC Orchestra - Finland, UK

Finland's popular accordionist Maria Kalaniemi will be the soloist at a concert of Finnish folk, jazz and classical music presented by the BBC Concert Orchestra and Finnish folk string group JPP at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London on 30th September at 7.45pm.

Maria, a master of the free-bass button accordion has brought Finnish folk music and accordion-playing to the world's attention through her broad minded, adventurous and borderless attitude towards music.

Her many collaborations include an all-woman accordion group called the Helsinki Melodeon Ladies; a five-country quintet called The Accordion Tribe and and her own band Aldargaz. Maria will be performing works by her long-time collaborator, pianist and JPP founder Timo Alakotila.
 

Composer/Accordionist Guy Klucevsek on Broadway - USA

Composer/Accordionist Guy Klucevsek can be seen and heard once a week playing in the orchestra for "Fiddler on the Roof" on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City. The show first opened for the year from 23rd January to 26th February and is currently on its second run with shows daily. Guy Klucevsek is substituting for the shows regular accordionist Elaine Lord for these final shows. 23 July 8pm, 24 July 2pm and 8 pm, 25 July 3 pm.
 

Spanish Book on Accordion - Colombia

A new book about the accordion is currently on sale, written by successful Colombian accordionist Lacides Romero. The book, titled "Teclado Armonico" or "Harmony for Keyboard " (piano, accordion, organ) was published in June.

Lacides Romero teaches at the University in Bogota and Medelin. He has created arrangements for accordion with influences of music from the Baroque period through to the 20th century. Reviewers in Colombia have called Romero's book, "a contribution to the progressive development of accordion."

For further information, email lacidesromero@yahoo.com
 

Stockport Accordion Club - UK

The Stockport Accordion Club's July Club Night could best be described as a concert of music for a summer evening, club members reported this week.

The evening included a variety of music including Latin, continental and jazzy flavour performances by Rob Howard, Rocky Howard/Derek Hulme, John Adams, Betty Molloy/Peter Whiteley and SAC President Johnny Coleclough. The guest artist was Ken Astin

Ken with his well-practiced brilliance performed such numbers as Espana, History of Love, This Masquerade, Luci E Ombre, a foxtrot medley, Laura and The Girl From Ipanema - the last piece in duet with club Vice President John Nixon on the English concertina. By the end of the evening, Ken had sold quite a few copies of his debut CD "My Accordion Favourites."
   

Giorgio Dellarole Concerts - Italy

Giorgio Dellarole continues his busy schedule of concerts with a solo performance on 11th September at the Church of S. Colombano - Vaprio d'Adda. Works include Scarlatti, Pachelbel, Pozzoli and Piazzolla.

Dellarole has an intense teaching and performance schedule, often playing with other instrumentalists and small groups, classical and contemporary music. He frequently collaborates with the "Akkordeon Ensemble di Aosta" and with the "Trio Klezmer."
 

"Shabyt-Inspiration" International Competition - Kazakhstan
Contributed by Vladimir Zubitsky

The "Shabyt-Inspiration" International Competition will be held in Astana from 25th to 30th October. The event is organized by the Astana City Authority in collaboration with the Department for Culture and the Yazakh National Academy of music. Awards include a Grand prize of $1500 with an Honorary Diploma, 1st prize of $1000 with an Honorary Diploma, 2nd prize of $700 with a Honorary Diploma and 3rd prize of $500 with an Honorary Diploma. The competition is in three sections, contestants must be under 35 years of age and play from memory. Entries close on 25th September.

For further information, email kaznam@rambler.ru
 

Christian Di Batiste Is Ruggierri's First Graduate - Italy

Successful accordionist Renzo Ruggierri announces the first student to graduate in his classes in modern accordion playing; Christian Di Batiste. On the 5th of July the young accordionist Christina Di Battista got his degree in modern accordion after presenting his thesis regarding the famous english band Pink Floyd under the guidance of his teacher Renzo Ruggieri . The judging commision were the Meastri Mirco Patarini, Salvatore Cauteruccio and Riccardo Galimi.

The Music Accademy Voglia d'Arte hoping to make a big step towards new direction regarding the modern accordion proposed the course and in fact they included new directions from modern harmonium to arrangements and musical formation. The young accordionist has performed a very appreciated concert of "accordion and computer" with all own compositions and arrangements.
 

Quote of the Week

Teaching Quote of the Week Edited by Willoughby Walshe

"To further cultivate the concertina and bandoneon, which have their origins in Saxony, the Bandoneon and Concertina Festival is held in Gruena near Chemnitz (Germany) in September each year. Since its inception in 1999, the event has gained increasing popularity…."

Find out More…The Art of Bayan Playing or Playing the Accordion Artistically by Friedrich Lips.
   

CD Review


A review of a video titled, "Accordion Evolution" at the International Accordion Convention in Las Vegas".
Reviewed by Professor Joan C. Sommers.


 

New & Updated Sites

www.accordions.com/logic - updated with new information, prices, etc.
www.guyklucevsek.com - information about Guy's upcoming concerts and appearances.
www.ameraccord.com - updated information and results from the American Accordionists Association Festival that took place two weeks ago.
www.accordions.com/atg - information about the Accordionists and Teachers Guild Festival and Competition that is happening in Milwaukee this weekend.
www.accordions.com/interviews - a new celebrity interview of Coupe Mondiale winner, Russian accordionist Pavel Mangasarian.