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This
Weeks News
- Viacheslav
Semionov in Concert, Wisconsin - USA
- Accordionists
Perform at the Royal Academy of Music, London - UK
- Accordion
News, Hanoi - Vietnam
- Concert
Involving Accordion Quartet, Valladolid - Spain
- Accordion
Courses, Scotland - UK
- International
Entertainment Competition for Accordionists, Michigan - USA
- CD
of New Accordion Works - Macedonia
- Feng
Lei's Accordion Concert, Xi'an - China
- Folk
Dance Party, San Francisco - USA
- Accordion
Concert, Cranleigh - UK
- Viktor
Romanko honoured for his concert-activities
- Accordionist
in Jazz Concert, London - UK
- A
New Audience for Accordion: Pakistani Taxi Cab Drivers!, New York - USA
- James
P. O'Brien New Compositions for Accordion - USA
- Instrument
sought - Titano Royal, circa 1962
- CD
Review
- New
and Updated Sites
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Viacheslav
Semionov in Concert, Wisconsin - USA
 On
March 19th, at 7pm, Russian accordionist Viacheslav
Semionov is in concert at the Harrington Arts Center, Superior, Wisconsin.
Semionov's program will include a performance of a new composition (for piano
accordion) titled 'Divertimento', a work in three movements - 1) Legend, 2) Nostalgia,
3) Journey. Semionov's performance will be preceded by a short performance by
Carolyn Carver (violin) and Helmi Harrington (accordion). Prior to the concert,
at 5pm, Semionov will conduct a master class. For a full list of Semionov's concerts
on his USA Concert tour, please visit: www.accordionusa.com
Viacheslav Semionov
(b. 1946) has taught the accordion since 1968, and has performed in more than
thirty countries. He often appears in concert with his wife, Natalya Semionova,
who plays the domra (a traditional Russian folk instrument), and has made many
recordings of classical and Russian folk music.
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Accordion News, Hanoi - Vietnam
Contributed
by Christine Adams
 On
March 1st and 2nd, the French accordionist, Aude Giuliano, performed two concerts
at Hanoi National Conservatory of Music. Her program of classical music included
works by J.S.Bach, Scarlatti, Rameau, Zolotaryov, Semyonov, Angielis and Kurmangazi.
The Hanoi audiences were impressed by her sophisticated performance, especially
of the pieces by Scarlatti and Angielis. Ms Giuliano also had a meeting with teachers
and students of the Accordion and Guitar Departments at Hanoi Conservatory.
French
colonialists and Western missionaries introduced the accordion into Vietnam in
the late 19th Century. The Hanoi Conservatory Accordion Department was founded
in 1956, and currently has eight teachers and an annual intake of between 35 and
40 students. In October 2003, the Accordion Department at Hanoi Conservatory became
a voting member of the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes.
Vietnam is represented at the CIA
by represented Dr Luu Quang Minh, who is Vietnamese Artist of Merit, accordionist
and Deputy Rector of Hanoi National Conservatory of Music.
Accordionist
Nguyen Trong Phuong, brought up in England but of Vietnamese origin, and his wife
Mino, a pianist, will give a concert in Hanoi Conservatory on April 1st. Mr. Phuong
used to be a student of the Accordion Department, Hanoi Conservatory. His program
will include works by Cesar Frank, Saint-Saens, Molique, Motomatsu, Fotopoulos
and Piazzola.
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Concert Involving
Accordion Quartet, Valladolid - Spain
Contributed by
Holda Paoletti-Kampl
The
premiere of 'Apocalypse', an oratorio composed by Augustus Javier Lazarus as homage
to the victims of the terrorist attack in Madrid last year, takes place at Valladolid
Cathedral on March 11th, at 7.30pm. The musicians involved are a Symphony Orchestra,
piano, choir and a quartet of accordionists; soloist is the baritone Savior Baladez.
For
further information email raulalv61@hotmail.com
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International Entertainment
Competition for Accordionists, Michigan - USA Contributed
by Harley Jones
 The
Vivian Vivio Stolaruk Memorial International Entertainment Competition for Accordionists
will be held from July 6th to 10th, 2005 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dearborn,
Michigan. This event is organised by the American
Accordionists' Association. Steve Stolaruk has donated all prizes for the
Vivian Vivio Stolaruk International Entertainment Competition in divine remembrance
of his wife, Vivian Vivio Stolaruk.
Accordionists from all countries
are welcome to enter this competition, intended only for acoustic solo accordion
- either piano accordions or chromatic accordions.
No electronics, amplification
or microphones are permitted. There is no age limit. In addition to musicianship
and a varied, entertaining program, contestants will be judged on basis of originality,
professionalism and stage presence. The basic requirements for contestants are:
to play their own choice program consisting of at least four different compositions.
Each selection should exemplify a different musical style, character and
mood, such as Pop, Jazz, Latin, Blues, Cajun, Zydeco, Musette, Folk, etc, (classical
music is not acceptable in this entertainment competition). A minimum of 12 minutes
and a maximum of 15 minutes playing time are required. The deadline for entries
is May 31st.
For complete rules and an on-line entry form, please visit
www.ameraccord.com or
email AAA1938@aol.com
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CD of New Accordion Works - Macedonia
Contributed
by Anica Karakutovska
On
23rd February, at a Musica Viva concert held at the Concert hall of the Faculty
of Music-Skopje, UKIM FM, second year composition students presented their works,
which had been premiered at the annual festival 'Days of Macedonian Music 2004',
in March last year.
 The
works for accordion solo 'Tri Minijaturi', from Elizabeta Ilievska, performed
by Zoran Kirjakovski (pictured), an accordion student of Professor Zorica Karakutovska,
were very well received by the large audience and also received positive reviews
from the music critics. This is another successful co-operation between Professor
Karakutovska and young composer Ilievska, who is her ex-accordion student. A CD,
which includes accordion works by composition student Elizabeta Ilievska, has
now been issued.
The whole concert was recorded by the students from the
Department of Sonology and has been released on CD. On March 3rd, the same concert
program was performed at the Concert hall at the Music High School 'Todor Skalovski-Tetoec'
in Tetovo.
For further information email anica2206@yahoo.com
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Feng Lei's
Accordion Concert, Xi'an - China
Contributed by Yang
Liu and Lian Jones of Accordion
House
 Feng
Lei, the talented 22 year old student from Keyboard Department of Xi'an Music
Conservatory, recently performed a concert in the Concert Hall in Xi'an Music
Conservatory. He is currently in his last year in the Conservatory, majoring in
the accordion, and his teacher is Xie Yan. Feng studied the accordion when he
was little, and after entered the school in 2001, he was studying under deputy
Professor Tan Yimin. He then studied under Xie Yan on the free bass accordion.
He was a prizewinner at National Chinese Accordion Composition Work Competition.
 On
the night of the concert, Feng played the free bass accordion for the 1st half
of his concert, and his pieces included 'The Gothic Suite, 'The Yellow River Concerto',
and 'Libertango'; then, for the 2nd half, Feng stood up with the stradella accordion,
and played four modern pieces of his own arrangements. The electone (double deck
keyboard) was accompanying, and the audience enjoyed the Latin and Rock n' Roll
music so much, they even clapped throughout. It was very enjoyable concert indeed.
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Accordion Concert,
Cranleigh - UK
Contributed
by Rob Howard
 Terry
Rayfield writes about the concert on February 11th at Cranleigh Arts Centre, Surrey,
England, starring Gary Blair, Harry Hussey (pictured) and the Crawley Accordion
Orchestra:- "Harry Hussey got the evening off to a fine start, playing a
wide variety of music as the audience arrived. This set the scene for the 130
sell out audience to participate, with the crowd vying for Harry's ear to get
their tune played.
Gary Blair was then welcomed on stage by MC John Cumiskey,
this being the start of Gary's '6th Tour Down South'. As always, Gary is a great
attraction at any event and soon he had the audience joining in with him, cracking
a few jokes here and there. He played many of the tunes from his CDs, requests
from the audience and also included favourite tunes that he knew those present
would enjoy, completing another highly successful evening. Our
appreciation must go to Bill Booth (MD of the Crawley Accordion Orchestra) and
the Guildford Accordion Club for their organisation of this very successful concert".
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Viktor
Romanko honoured for his concert-activities
Contributed
by Holda Paoletti-Kampl
  The
well-known Russian Bayan virtuoso Professor Viktor
Romanko performed several concerts in Sweden from 1st to 9th March 2005 in
the cities Pajala, Oeverkalix and Pitea. The last concert Romanko gave was in
the college of music in Pitea, where in the sixties the well-known Danish accordionist
professor Mogens Ellegaard taught the accordion.
At a concert on the 22nd
of February in his hometown of Jekaterinburg, where he teaches at the Conservatory,
Viktor Romanko was honored. He was presented with a prestigious cup and prize-money
award in recognition of his years of concert activity in many different countries.
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 Accordionist
in Jazz Concert, London - UK
Gilad
Atzmon and The Orient House Ensemble, featuring Romano Viazzani (pictured) on
piano accordion, perform at the Pizza Express Jazz Club, Dean Street, London on
March 11th and 12th. The concert marks the launch of saxophonist Gilad Atzmon's
new novel 'My One and Only Love' (Saqi Books).
For further information
email romanoviazzani@btconnect.com
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James P. O'Brien
New Compositions for Accordion - USA
Contributed
by Harley Jones
 James
P. O'Brien has been a Professor of Music at The University of Arizona School of
Music faculty since 1975. Since retirement, he holds the academic rank of Professor
Emeritus. James has been the recipient of numerous grants dedicated to the improvement
of classroom music teaching through technology.
His performance speciality
is the keyboard, and he is also an avid accordionist and an arranger/composer
of accordion music, with over 150 original compositions and arrangements to his
credit. MusicForAccordion.com
is now releasing these O'Brien
compositions and arrangements, and six new works will be released each week.
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Instrument sought
- Titano Royal, circa 1962
Mike
Kerr in Canada is searching for a 40-45 year-old Titano Royal, Stradella bass,
for specific parts, i.e. the entire RH sliding aluminium switch mechanism. Condition
of the instrument is immaterial. Email MJKerr@deerlodge.mb.ca
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 CD
Review
A
new CD
Review of Trio
Solotariev
(accordion) and Francisco Dillon (cello).
Review by Paolo
Picchio. | | | |
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Fisitalia
- New Information/Accordion Colours
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Pascal
Contet - new concert dates for French accordionist Pascal Contet are on his
web-site
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United
States National Accordion News March edition is now online, with news and
future events from around the USA. Site also offers a listing of accordion Clubs
and Association found in the United States.
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James
O'Brien composer, arranger and performer, new site displaying samples of his
new works.
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Accordionists
Perform at the Royal Academy of Music, London - UK
Folk
Dance Party, San Francisco - USA 
New
York-based accordionist Jon Hammond writes:-