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  27 May 2005 This weeks news | Past News  | Send news
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Accordion Jass Chord
  International Accordion Convention, Las Vegas – USA
First International VIP Accordion Show, Pontarlier, France
International Orchestra Competition, Castelfidardo – Italy
Greek National Championships, Athens – Greece
  50th Anniversary Concert, Hanoi – Vietnam
Club Accord’s Concert, Birmingham – UK
  Puerto Rico Accordion Orchestra to tour Argentina
Kimmo Pohjonen Concert, Ferrari – Italy
Uxbridge Accordion Club, England - UK
Marco Ambrosio Performances, Turin – Italy
Masquerade Performances – France
Cajun and Scottish Accordion at Footloose Festival, Matlock – UK
 



International Accordion Convention, Las Vegas – USA
Contributed by Rob Howard

The 2005 International Accordion Convention takes place at The Gold Coast, Las Vegas, from June 26th to 29th. This year’s event features birthday celebrations for three American legends of the accordion – Art Van Damme (85), Myron Floren (85) and Dick Contino (75).

Frank Marocco, Gary Blair, Bernadette Conlon, Peter Soave and Mady Soave, Pete Barbutti, Mike Belitz, Stas Venglevski, Mario Tacca & Mary Mancini, Gina Brannelli, Jerome Richard, Ron Borelli, Gordon Kohl, Julien Labro, and the K Trio are amongst the guests.
The theme for this year’s festival is ‘A World of Entertainment’, focusing on the accordion’s broad appeal.

Artistes and music from around the world will be highlighted, and the festival includes seven concerts and many workshops. The workshops are geared for all players no matter what level of playing.  The LVAC also includes a large trade show, presenting instruments, recorded music, music publications, accessories and merchandise.
 

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First International VIP Accordion Show, Pontarlier, France
Contributed by Kevin Friedrich



French accordionist Mickeal Vigneau narrowly took first prize during an exciting international competition held this past weekend in France.  Ten contestants representing Scotland, Bulgaria, Serbia, France, Portugal, Finland, Russia, Belarus and France took part in the 1st International Accordion Competition in Pontarlier, France.  This invitational competition finished in dramatic style, with the top four candidates being separated by less than one point!

After the tremendous success of the recent CIA Coupe Mondiale in Pontarlier, city officials collaborated with Frederic Deschamps to host this exciting interactive accordion event combining the work of the International Jury with the vote of the general public after a live Radio Show and public concert.

The aim of this new annual VIP World Accordion Show and Competition is to feature the side of the contemporary accordion repertoire that relates to entertainment music. The qualities necessary for this 'popular' repertoire include musicality, technique, feeling and also rhythmic sense, stage presence, rapport with the audience, the ability to work with other instrumentalists, charisma as well as excellent style of arrangements for the pieces chosen.

The members of the International Jury included: Kevin Friedrich - USA (President of the Jury), Nadia Vestica - Serbia and Montenegro, Kimmo Mattila - Finland, Sabrina Guislain - Belgium and Raymond Bodell – United Kingdom.

The opening concert featured local accordionist and 3rd Place Winner of the CIA Virtuoso Entertainment Competition Benoit Chabod, the 2004 CIA Virtuoso Entertainment Champion Phil Bouvier, 2nd Place CIA Coupe Mondiale Winner - Rade Mijatovic from Serbia and Montenegro and the popular Classic Buskers comprising Ian Moore (accordion) and Michael Copley (wind instruments) from the United Kingdom.

Contestants performed three rounds including: (1) an own choice program, judged by the jury, (2) the broadcast of a pre-recorded piece on France Bleu Besançon (Radio) where listeners voted by telephone and text message and (3) a final round where contestants performed one piece with the Jérôme Richard International Orchestra that was judged by both the jury and the live audience.

The Radio Show listeners voted Julien Gonzales (France) 1st, Simon Gachez Mauroz (France) 2nd, and Nenad Ercegovcevic (Serbia) 3rd, while the live audience vote saw the three French candidates Julien Gonzales 1st, Mickeal Vigneau 2nd, and Simon Gachez-Mauroz 3rd.  Combined with the work of the International Jury, the overall top results separated by less than one point were: 

1st: Mickeal Vigneau (France) 191.2
2nd. Julian Gonzales (France) 191.0
3rd. Alex Shirunov (Russia) 190.9
4th. Ann-Marie Kanniainen (Finland) 190.5

Unique to this competition was the fact that all expenses including airfare, hotel and accommodation for the contestants were provided for by the organizers.  Due to the time limitations of organizing this first festival, candidates were invited to attend, however future competitions will be open to application.  Further details will be announced in the near future. 
 
Las Vegas


International Orchestra Competition, Castelfidardo – Italy
Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

The annual International Orchestra Competition takes place in Castelfidardo from May 27th to 28th. This year the participating orchestras are from Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia and China.

In addition to the orchestral competitions, there will be a concert on May 27th, at 9.15pm, featuring Renzo Ruggieri, and an orchestral concert on May 28th, at 9.15pm.


For further information email accordions@comune.castelfidardo.an.it
  

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Greek National Championships, Athens – Greece
Contributed by Harley Jones

The first National Accordion Competition was held in Athens, on May 21st and 22nd, and was deemed to be a great success by all concerned. The Competition Jury consisted of Vladimir Zubitsky (President) Alexander Tchuev, Jasmina Dimitrievic, Spiros Melissanidis, and Giannis Klekedakis.

Winners of competition categories:-
Student (to 14 years)
1. Noutsou Vasiliki (Grevena), Bisiris Dimitrios (Kozani), Goritsas Vasilios (Atalanti)
2. Vavatsika Artemis (Athens)
3. Rozis Mihail (Athens)

Junior (14-19 years )
1. Taskaris Stefanos (Ptolemaida), Zampaklis Georgios (Stavrupoli)
2. Arampatzi Maria (Thessaloniki)
3. Kalogeropoulou Argiro (Atalanti), Pouliou Dimitra (Trikala)

Senior (from 19 years)
1. Garnelis Georgios (Kerkyra), Arampatzis Dimitrios (Thessaloniki)
2. Vougioukas Dimos (Volos), Katsatsidis Stilianos (Athens)



Ensemble and Orchestra
1. ‘Orhistra Pikilis Musikis’ (Ptolemaida)

The Municipality of Grevena has decided next year, at the same time of the year, to organize the First International Accordion Competition, ’Prize of Grevena - 2006’.

For further information alexandertchuev@yahoo.gr
 
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50th Anniversary Concert, Hanoi – Vietnam
Contributed by Rob Howard

The 50th anniversary of the founding of Hanoi National Conservatory (HNC) was celebrated by a concert on May 21st at the Conservatory’s Concert Hall. The program included works for accordion solo and ensemble by great composers like B. Molique, Scarlatti, Ibert, Semyonov, Debyanco, Ganzer, etc. Also performed in this concert was a new work of the Vietnamese composer Nguyen Phuc Linh  - ‘Trio for Accordeon, clarinet bass and double bass’.

Participating on this program were Nguyen Tai Hung M.A.(accordion, teacher of the Accordion-Guitar-Jazz Faculty), Nguyen Huy Phuong, Dr. (piano, teacher of Piano Faculty) and young accordionists Nguyen Thu Huong, and Nguyen Thi Quynh Trang.
 
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Club Accord’s Concert, Birmingham – UK
Contributed by Tracey Middleton

The Birmingham-based Club Accord, founded in 1976 by the late Malcolm Gee, featured Lisa Lee Leslie as their guest artiste for a very successful concert during April.
Before the guest artiste’s appearances, a few of the club’s players performed, including Nancy Lewis, whose pieces included ‘Whispering’, and ‘A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square’. Andy Banks, with his melodeon and concertina, was next, followed by Tony Trentham and Gary Marsden, who joined up in duet to play some popular melodies.

The guest Lisa Lee Leslie used both straight and musette tuned accordions, performing ‘Adios’ (Piazzolla), ‘Invention no 14’ (JS Bach), ‘Tzigan Tango’, ‘La Misma Pena’, and ‘Fantasia no 4’, displaying her technical prowess. Using her musette accordion, Lisa played ‘The Weird One’, ‘Princess Accordion’, ‘Plaisance Fox’ and ‘Perdus Czardas’.

After the interval several other players performed, both solo and combinations. Lisa then returned, and on her straight tuned accordion, began with ‘Caravana Negra’, ‘Prepereuse’, and ‘Gigue and Allegro’. Again changing to her musette accordion, she invited her father John Leslie to join her and together they played ‘Esapade’, ‘We Live in a House’, ‘Valse Militaire’, and ‘Variations’, by Eddie Harris. They ended a sparkling performance with ‘Nanny’, by Colombo. Club Accord’s next evening will be on June 13th, when Russia’s Alexander Korbakov is the guest.

 

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Puerto Rico Accordion Orchestra to tour Argentina
Contributed by Kevin Friedrich

The Puerto Rican Accordion Orchestra, from the Accordion Association of Puerto Rico, will be touring Argentina from June 2nd to13th, in what is believed to be the first international accordion orchestra to tour Argentina.  The first appearance will be in Colonia Caroya (Córdoba) for the First National and International Meeting of Accordionists from June 3rd to 5th, where the orchestra and members will give concerts and workshops. 

A concert on Friday, June 10th at 9pm will be held at the Carlos Gardel Hall in Buenos Aires, sponsored by Dept. of Tourism and A.I.D.A. (International Accordionists Association of Buenos Aires) and the final concert will be given on June 12th, with a performance in conjunction with the 125th anniversary of the Red Cross at San Andrés de Giles.

The Puerto Rico Accordion Orchestra is the musical group representing the Puerto Rico Accordionists Association, a non-profit organization devoted to promoting the accordion.  It was created in 1986 under the direction of Esther Eugenia Bertieaux, a well-known Puerto Rican accordionist and teacher for many years.  It is composed of 18 members, all professionals in many different fields. Included among the members are a flutist recently retired from the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra after 30 years, and two percussionists.

Affiliated with the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, the orchestra performs concerts throughout the Island of Puerto Rico and abroad.  Among the places abroad that it has played are Italy (Rome, Castelfidardo, Parma and Verona), New Orleans, Orlando, two cruise ships (Nordic Empress – Royal Caribbean; Norwegian Majesty - Norwegian Cruise Line) and now Argentina.

In late 2003 it recorded its first CD of Latin American music, which has had great success, and was selected as one of the 20 best productions that year. Their repertoire will include a variety of classical, popular and Latin pieces, which will give the public the opportunity to appreciate the versatility of the accordion.

For further details on this upcoming tour, please e-mail Jane Berkovitz at: janeberkovitz@msn.com

 

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Kimmo Pohjonen Concert, Ferrari – Italy
Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kamp

Finnish accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen, with support from Marita Liulia ‘live multimedia’, Antti Kuivalainen ‘live video mixing’, and Heikki Iso-Ahola ‘sound design’, is to perform a unique arrangement of Sibelius’ ‘Finlandia’, at the Teatro Comunale di Ferrara, Castello Estense, on June 5th at 9.15 pm.

For ticket availability email teatro@comune.fe.it
 

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Uxbridge Accordion Club, England - UK
Contributed by Harley Jones

Uxbridge Accordion Club, based in Middlesex, have announced a list of future guest artistes:-
June 13th - Les Andrews
July 11th - Claudio Allodi
August 8th - Jack Emblow & Tony Compton
December 12th - Christmas Party Night (American Supper)
January 9th - Mauro Carra (Italy
February 13th - Gary Blair
Uxbridge AC meet at The Anglers Retreat , Cricketfield Road, Swan Road, West Drayton, Middlesex – close to M4/J4

For further information email koolaccords@hotmail.com
 

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Marco Ambrosio Performances, Turin – Italy
Contributed by Holda Paoloetti-Kampl

Accordionist Marco Ambrosio appears in two shows, at different venues in Turin. On June 4th and 5th, he is at Teatro Stabile di Torino, appearing in ‘La Regina Degli Elfi’, performing music by Richard Strauss and Kurt Weill. The show begins at 9pm. On June 10th, at 9pm, at the Corso Sicilia, Turin, Marco Ambrosio performs in ‘A Fenesta’.

For further information email Marco Ambrosio: huyiam@tin.it
 

Masquerade Performances – France
Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

The French accordion quintet Masquerade, whose performances of original music by the German composer Ralf Jung have been described as “a spectacle of masks and music”, appear on June 3rd and 4th at the Temple Allemand, Chaux-de-Fonds. On June 10th and 11th, they also appear in Paris at the Festival de Malakoff. The members of the quintet are Jean-Marie Geiser, Frederic Claude, Nicolas Page, Joseph Allimann and Adman Krestalica.

For further information email jm.geiser@freesurf.ch

 

Cajun and Scottish Accordion at Footloose Festival, Matlock – UK
Contributed by Christine Adams

The annual Footloose Festival takes place at Matlock Baths, in the Roman-built town of Matlock in Derbyshire. There is a Cajun music and dance element in this festival, featuring the Flatville Aces on June 3rd. On June 4th, there is a traditional music concert with Celtic band Harem Scarem, featuring Inge Thomson on accordion.

For further information email dave@matlocklive.co.uk
 
Ángel Luis Castaño
Lips



A new CD Review of Iona Reed (accordion), Ron Kelly (guitar), Bill Tuttle (drums & percussion). Review by Joan Cochran Sommers
 

Dark Red Rose


Friedrich Lips site selling a new CD, Dark Red Rose with sound samples. Purchase online with credit card.
 
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Sebastiano Cali - Sebastiano Cali - accordionist, composer, piano tuner, harpsichord and other early instruments maker, releases another 6 new works for accordion available for purchase online. 'Solamente Una Vez (Subject To Copyright)' (American South-Latin), 'Rondò Alla Turca, From ‘Sonata In A, K.331' (Classical), 'Moto Perpetuo' (Classical), 'Cuando Calienta El Sol (Subject To Copyright)'(American South-Latin), 'Amor, Amor, Amor (Subject To Copyright)' (American South-Latin), '1st Gymnopédie' (Classical). The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card.
 
Las Vegas

James O' Brien - composer, arranger and performer, releases another 6 new works for accordion available for purchase online. 'Kerfank' (traditional), 'La Cucaracha' (traditional), 'La Jesusita' (traditional), 'Little Fugueing' (classical), 'Mein Hut' (traditional), 'Minka' (traditional). Samples of this music are available on the site. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card
 
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