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'Battle of the Accordions'
- USA
The accordion was
the star of the show at the Texas Hill Country Concert, Fredericksburg, on August
14th, held at the Pioneer Museum Complex. Host Rolf van Hasz commented beforehand
"We are not having a battle between accordion players, but a battle to bring
out the full range of the accordion as an instrument".
Accordionists
participating included Rolf von Hasz, Fritz Morquecho, Robert Atwood, Hanni van
Zandt, Helmi Herrington, Krystal Wolfe and Charles Harrington. The musical styles
included everything from polka, tango and Dixieland jazz to classical. This concert
was part of a series called American Music.
For further information,
e-mail gchs@ctesc.net
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The Second Annual
Rock Accordion Summit of New York City - USA
Guest
artistes include: Movers & Shakers, Corn Mo (w/.357 Lover), Flaming Fire,
Myla Goldberg, Jason Webley and Murderizer, September 18 at Rothko's, 116 Suffolk
St, between Delancey & Rivington, 8 pm Contact: Camille Acey 646-541-7781
Concert promoter Joe Exley enthused: "The Rock Accordion Summit returns
for one night of ear-splitting squeezebox mayhem. New York¹s most talented
rock accordionists are once again joining forces to strut their stuff, so let
the free-reeds ring! Last year's event was a complete sell out, and the four acts
rocked and screamed until the early morning. The Summit brought together hipsters,
punks, accordion enthusiasts, and the accordion-curious. They drank, cheered,
sang along, and left knowing this: the accordion rocks."
.
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Gary Blair releases
6th Annual Tour Schedule - UK
 Successful
concert artiste, Gary Blair has released a busy schedule for his 6th Annual Tour
down South to take place from 11th to 20th February 2005.
Gary's itinerary
is follows: -
11th February - Gary Blair and Crawley Accordion Orchestra,
with Harry Hussey - Cranleigh Arts Centre, Surrey.
12th February - Mid Sussex Caledonian Society-Ceilidh/Dance - Ditchling Sussex.
13th February - Basingstoke Accordion Club - Ceilidh & Concert.
14th February
- Uxbridge Accordion Club - West Drayton, Middlesex.
15th February - Club
Accord, Birmingham
17th February - Harlow Accordion Club - Concert - Harlow,
Essex.
18th February - Accordion Variety Show - Allendale Centre, Wimborne,
Dorset.
19th February - Ovingdean Village Hall - Village Ceilidh - Brighton,
East Sussex.
20th February - Gary Blair's Scottish/Cockney Fun Party Night
at Burgess Hill, West Sussex also featuring the brilliant Ricky T Sargent &
Shaz "Cockney Capers".
For further information, e-mail accordionfriends@aol.com
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Acclarion Releases
Debut Album - Canada
  After
a year of musical adventures, Canada's only classical accordion and clarinet duo,
Acclarion, is set to record their debut album. David Carovillano and Becky Sajo,
who were recently engaged, have worked diligently to assemble the musical selections
for the album.
Becky
and David felt that recording their CD would also allow them to reach a larger
audience. They are particularly interested in reaching out to those individuals
who may not normally listen to classical music. "We feel that our music will
at once be entertaining and enjoyable," states Becky. "All of the selections
that will appear on our CD have the sophistication of classical music, with the
fun and catchiness of pop tunes."
When
asked how best to sum up their music and this CD project, Becky and David both
looked at each other, before smiling back at me and saying, "It's music to
tickle your ears!"
For further information, e-mail acclarion@yahoo.ca
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Cirque du Soleil
seeks Accordionist - Canada, USA
Cirque
du Soleil, the multidisciplinary show company combining circus arts, acrobatics,
music, singing, dance, and theatre is urgently seeking an accordion player for
its two new Las Vegas-based productions.
The contract is for two years
and the shows casting department is now accepting submissions and applications
before they choose applicants for an audition at a later date. The successful
applicant will join Cirque du Soleil in September as the new production prepares
for its premier at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in December.
The new
theatrical show combines acrobatic performances, martial arts, puppetry, multimedia
and pyrotechnics to illustrate the lives of a pair of twins who were once separated.
The music is composed by René Dupéré, and the band is made
up of seven musicians: keyboards and bandleader, keyboards and voice, guitar,
drums and percussion, cello and voice, singer, and piano accordion.
Cirque
du Soleil is looking for an accordionist who is a professional and versatile musician.
The artiste also needs to have had academic training and extensive experience
of jazz, pop, contemporary and ethnic musical styles.
Owner, Guy Laliberté
got his start playing an accordion for tips on the streets of Montreal. Today
his act is one of the most lucrative ventures in live entertainment. There's
no escaping him. People flock to his show at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
In Las Vegas, where he operates in three different casinos, his shows have become
Sin City's biggest draw. His five touring productions travel the globe, performing
in such locations as Spain and Japan. His outrageous acts and colorful characters
are celebrated in newspapers and magazines and have even appeared on a reality
TV show.
For
further information, e-mail yves.sheriff@cirquedusoloeil.com
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And the Beat Goes
On - USA
On Saturday evening,
July 24th 2004, five of Tejano's (a.k.a. Tex-Mex) top acts took to the stage for
a lively and colourful show known as 'Tejano Jam', at the Municipal Stadium, Kansas,
USA. Accordion sounds were very much a central feature of the Tejano music, with
everything from raucous dance tunes to subtle and sentimental songs providing
a programme of great variety and entertainment value.
A
report by Paul Horsley in The Kansas City Star told how "Multicolored lights
flashed and spun as dancing couples dipped and swirled the night away. Who could
resist the driving beat of these cumbias, polkas and rancheras?" Artistes
included the charismatic Emilio Navaira, Shelly Lares, Little Joe & La Familia,
Ruben Ramos & the Mexican Revolution - whose traditional band supplemented
with two trumpets and saxophone, and, according to Paul Horsley, provided the
classiest ensemble playing of the evening - and David Lee Garcia & Los Musicales.
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Mika
Väyrynen at World Renowned Music Festival - Finland
Contributed
by Kevin Friedrich
 In
July, Finnish accordionist Mika
Väyrynen was a guest artiste at one of the most important music festivals
in the world, the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, which was celebrating its 35th
year. At the opening concert of this prestigious festival, Mike performed the
Aulis Sallinen work entitled Chamber Music V, Op. 80 "Barabbas Variations"
(composed in 2000) with the Jean Sibelius Quartet - Parviainen. At this festival,
an event that attracts some of the world's finest musicians, he also performed
excerpts from the Goldberg Variations by J.S Bach, and Sequenza No. X111 for Accordion
"Chanson" by Luciano Berio.
Last week, Mika performed at the
Tuusala Lake Chamber Music Festival, organised by the Sibelius Society, where
he performed the complete Goldberg Variations. At this festival, he also performed
on bandoneon as well as presenting the Barabbas Variations by Sallinen with String
Quintet, and also the work "A Little Something", at the closing concert.
In addition to these two high profile world class chamber festivals, Mika recently
performed a concert with cellist Jan-Erik Gustafsson in Koski, at the main church,
where their program included Bach, Piazzolla, Scriabin, Handel, and more.
To date, Mika Väyrynen has recorded thirteen CDs, which include around
100 compositions, the most recent of which was released in June 2004 - a recording
of Bach's Goldberg Variations. This CD was chosen as 'CD of the Month' by the
Finnish classical music magazine 'Rondo Classica'.
Mika
Väyrynen's repertoire is exceptionally broad, including contemporary
accordion music, transcriptions from various periods, new tango, concertos and
chamber music, and most recently now includes performances on the bandoneon.
For more information on Mika and his recordings, please visit www.accordions.com/mika
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Accordionist Named
One of Six Super Seniors - USA
 Robert
Troxel, 79, was named one of Six Super Seniors by West Coast Bank, as part of
festivities for this year's Lincoln County Fair, Oregon, USA. Mr Troxel, from
Newport, is well known throughout his county for his playing, and has entertained
people for many years. He has, for example, played accordion once or twice a month
for 31 years at Newport Rehabilitation and Special Care Center, and has also played
for local talent shows, dances, church services, socials, local libraries and
the Lincoln County Fair.
Robert
Troxel has been playing the accordion for 70 years, and has also carried out many
instrument repairs. World War Two veteran Robert Troxel, who once survived an
air crash in the Pacific whilst on active service, has played music for most of
his life, and has taught both accordion and piano. Although Mr Troxel accepted
his award with pride, he commented: "I did not do these things in the hope
of any awards. It was just something I could do for other people and perhaps make
a difference in someone else's life. I am 79 now and I will play music as long
as I am able."
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Daniele
Ravalgia in "Town" - Italy
Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl
 Together
in Trio with Giorgio Farina (Pf) and Marco Gerboni (sax), Daniele
Ravalgia found the perfect way to attract accordion enthusiasts to fill the
Alfonsine Town Square for their recent concert. Also for their evening concert
at the Church of San Giovanni Battista in Ravenna. The popular musical repertoire
of Rossini, Mascagni, Bach, Mozart, Rodrigo, R.Korsakov, Pratella, Ravaglia, Albeniz,
Verdi, Piazzolla, Kramer...etc. combined with expert musicianship to attract the
crowds.
Their next concerts are:
31st August in the Rocca del Castello
in Russi (RA)
2nd September in the Piazza del Comune in Piangipane (RA)
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Kevin Burke and Johnny
Connolly - USA
On
Tuesday August 3rd, renowned Celtic fiddle player Kevin Burke was joined by fellow
Irishman Johnny Connolly for a concert of traditional music at the Newport Performing
Arts Center, USA.
Connolly's
dexterity on the two-row button accordion earned him a slot with established Celtic
band Anam at the age of 17, and in 1996 Connolly left Ireland for America by joining
Patrick Ourceau in New York. After touring expatriate Irish communities in New
York, Boston and other places in the US, Connolly visited Portland, Oregon, where
he formed a duo with guitarist Aidan Brennan. This duo has performed with great
success at festivals across the United States. In 1998, Johnny Connolly released
a debut CD Irish Ceili Dances, backed by Eugene Kelly on piano and Paddy Higgins
on drums.
Kevin
Burke, a former member of high profile bands Patrick Street and The Bothy Band,
is one of the most influential players of Irish music today.
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Variety
Show by Fringe Club, organized by Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department,
will be on 2:30 to 4:30pm on 21st August at Hong Kong Cultural Center Foyer. The
program includes accordion music & folksong singing by Hong Kong Accordion
Troupe; jazz & hip hop dance by the ACQ Group; clowning theatre by Hong Kong
Clown Theatre; magic show by Asia Magic. The show has free admission. 
The
10th Annual Master Class and Concert Series will be presented from August 27th
to 29th 2004 at the Tenri Cultural Institute, 43 West 13th Street (between 5th
& 6th Avenue, New York. Lecturer-in-residence of the 
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