South Pacific Accordion Championships and the New Zealand Accordion Championships and Festival
Contributed by Harley Jones

The New Zealand Accordion Association web site has got online all the information about the 2005 South Pacific Championships and New Zealand Accordion Championships. The event will be held in Auckland, New Zealand. Rules for the event, test music and entry forms are all online. Entries close April 30th.

This is the largest annual accordion event in the Southern Hemisphere with over 350 accordionists participating, and has been held continuously since 1972. President John Statham says: "We particularly wish to encourage increased numbers of Festival participants, both New Zealand and international, in solo, group, band and orchestra formats. We have warm appreciative audiences for all types of music and the variety of these performances is always enjoyed."

The weekend commences on the evening of Friday June 3rd with a 'Mix and Mingle' social. Throughout the weekend there will be festival items and competitions. The Guest Artiste for the event is the 2004 Coupe Mondiale International Competition for Piano Accordion winner, Evgeny Kochetov, of Russia. On Sunday afternoon there will be a concert featuring selected class winners and guest artistes, and on Sunday evening there will be a 'Formal Dinner' with entertainment and dancing, to round off what promises to be a most exciting weekend.
 

Nikolai Ryskov Concert, England - UK
Contributed by Rob Howard

London-based Russian accordionist Nikolai Ryskov appears at North Staffs Accordion Club on February 15th, at 8pm. His repertoire will include some pieces by Pietro Frosini, French musette, Russian traditional pieces, international and classical music.

For further information email stevehg@tomstiles.co.uk
  

Kevin Friedrich in New Zealand
Contributed by Heather Masefield

Kevin Friedrich is to return home to New Zealand over the next few days, and will be involved in accordion activities involving members of the North Shore Accordion Orchestra and others. Brief details are outlined below:-

February 14th - Master Class with Kevin Friedrich - open to accordionists of Grade 8 standard or higher. Topics will include: 1) Presentation in International Competitions (stagecraft, dress, program choice, preparation, etc); 2) Bellows: (the importance of bellows work); 3) Repertoire (some of the recent accordion composers and their works); 4) Masterclass teaching (some students will be given short lessons). The venue is Sunnybrae Primary School, Sunnybrae Rd, Northcote, from 8pm until 10pm.

February 15th - Musicale Dinner with Kevin Friedrich & other guests. The event is a barbeque, at 292 Hurstmere Rd, Takapuna, from 7pm onwards.

February 16th - The North Shore Accordion Orchestra rehearsal has been cancelled due to the school where practices take place having an open night. Instead the NSAO will be using one classroom to run the DVD shown by the Citte di Castelfidardo at their International Festival in October. Whilst the DVD is a history of Farfisa it also gives an in depth description of how the accordion developed in Castelfidardo.
 

New Book About the Accordion - Italy
Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

The Italian musicologist and Accordions Worldwide CD-Reviewer Paolo Picchio has decided to break from tradition and to officially present his newly published book titled 'la fisarmonica da concerto ed il suo repertorio' exclusively online in our Accordions Worldwide News. This is to co-incide with the opening of a new website by MusicFor Accordion.com where you can purchase the book online using secure credit card payment in US$ or Euro.

On November 18th 2003, as part of his Bachelor in Musicology degree, Paolo Picchio - his thesis titled 'The Accordion as a Concert Instrument' - discussed his work at the University of Bologna as part of the history of musical instruments. This thesis was the final part of his Bachelor in Musicology. Since then, Paolo Picchio has developed the thesis into the book titled 'la fisarmonica da concerto ed il suo repertorio', written in the Italian language.

This book is structured like a route that invites the reader to discover the instrument, starting with its repertoire. Some 40 compositions have been selected that correspond to 40 various composers, covering a period of 40 years (from the 1960s to the new millennium). Analysing some passages of these works, readers will find out "how to write" for the accordion but also - at the same time - to search for the technical, expressive and acoustics possibilities of the instrument.

Paolo Picchio decided to have the official presentation on the Internet "because the world-wide community that is interested in our instrument is less and less a 'physical' community but more and more a community on-line. With this choice I would like to give a signal. This book is most interesting to read for composers but also for musicians wanting to start a concert activity with the accordion. I have written carefully, so that enthusiasts as well as professionals of our instrument can take advantage of this book. Therefore I would like to thank 'Accordions Worldwide' for giving me the space and opportunity to present my book to a worldwide accordion community."
 

Accordion at the Official Cocktail Party, Cairo - Egypt
Contributed by Lian Jones of Accordion House

The year 2005 is the Chinese Lunar Year of the Rooster. The Chinese ambassador in Egypt, Wu Sike, hosted a New Year Cocktail Party at the Chinese Cultural Center last week. The Chinese Little Angels Art Ensemble, who happened to be in Egypt at the time for an international singing competition, were invited to the party.

The Art Ensemble performed traditional songs and dances to over 120 envoy guests from over forty countries. The four five-year-old children from the Art Ensemble played music arranged for groups on accordions. This was considered to be the highlight of the evening by all in attendance.
 

Musselburgh Festival, Scotland - UK
Contributed by Rob Howard

The 31st Musselburgh Festival takes place at the Brunton Halls, Musselburgh in the south border area of Scotland on March 5th, from 10am onwards. This large-scale festival is organised by the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs, and includes a wide range of competition categories for Scottish traditional and classical music for both accordion and fiddle.

The accordion adjudicators include Duncan Black, Colin Dewar, Charlie Kirkpatrick, Neil Copland and Djordje Gajic.In the evening, there is a concert (6.15pm to 8.15pm) followed by a dance (9pm to 12pm), to the music of the Graeme Mitchell Scottish Dance Band. The concert features the winners of the various sections plus play-off contests for the senior accordion and fiddle sections.

For further information email Postmaster@naafc.fsnet.co.uk
 

Award Winning Works Concert - China
Contributed by Lian Jones of Accordion House

The Students Award Winning Works Concert was on show at the Music Conservatory of Northeast Normal University on January 20th. The audience filled the concert venue, with many people were standing throughout the concert. Li Fei played the accordion solo of Russian Folk Song 'Dark Eyes', Li being the 3rd place winner in the Adult Solo Class of China 1st Accordion Gala & Solo Competitions. Other fellow students also performed dance, vocal and piano numbers during the concert.
 

New & Updated Sites

http://www.accordion.co.nz - New Zealand Accordion Association site, newly updated with the 2005 South Pacific Championships and New Zealand Accordion Championships Prospectus, test music and entry forms. This is the largest annual accordion event in the Southern Hemisphere with over 350 accordionists participating, and has been held continuously since 1972.
 

http://www.accordions.com/zanchini - with new information/concert dates in February of the Italian jazz accordionist Simone Zanchini
 

http://accordions.com/picchio - Paolo Picchio, Musicologist, CD Reviewer, Artistic Director of the International Competition 'Città di Castelfidardo' for Solo Accordion Players and Accordion Ensembles. Site update includes information about his new book 'la fisarmonica da concerto ed il suo repertorio'.