The 58th Coupe
Mondiale takes place in Castelo Branco, Portugal from the 25th
to 30th October. The organising body, the Confédération
Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA)
was founded in 1935, and thus celebrates its 70th birthday this
year. Accordionists and enthusiasts everywhere should be proud and
inspired by the fact that this flagship event continues to light
a beacon for our beloved instrument around the world. The results
will be posted on AWW in the near future.
The 30th International Prize and Award "Città di Castelfidardo"
for accordion soloists and bands was held in Castelfidardo from
the 13th to the 16th October. Record competition entries were reported
by event Artistic Director Paolo
Picchio, and the festival concerts were well attended with excellent
concerts enjoyed by the audiences. A star attraction was the Renato
Borghetti Quartet from Brazil, which received great applause from
the capacity audience.
Winner of the open solo class was Victor Semenkin, a student of
Professor Alexander
Dmitriev of St Petersburg. Winner of the open light music class
was Alexander Shirunov, also a pupil of Alexander Dmitriev. You
may view a detailed
program of the event along with full results of the 30th Castelfidardo
Festival.
Castelfidardo
Mayor Tersilio Marotta and Holda
Paoletti Kampl present the first prize to Victor
Semenkinof
St Petersburg.
The
CIA
and Castelo Branco, Portugal, Welcome the World
Contributed by Harley
Jones
The
58th Coupe
Mondiale in Castelo Branco will open on October 24th with a
pre-festival concert featuring DANÇAS OCULTAS, with the official
opening concert on Tuesday evening featuring 2002 CIA Virtuoso Entertainment
Champion from Portugal - João Frade and his Trio, the 2004
Coupe Mondiale Champion Alexander Selivanov from Russia, and accordion
and piano duo, Gonçalo Pescada and Natália Ryabova.
The festival will conclude on October 29th, with the closing concert
featuring winners from the 6 Coupe Mondiale categories, the Lusotango
Quintet and the Esart Ensemble featuring Portuguese accordionist
Paulo
Jorge Ferreira.
Organized by the CIA
member the Conservatorio Regional de Castelo Branco, this is the
first time the Coupe Mondiale has been held in Portugal. Since its
inception in 1938, the Coupe Mondiale International Competition
for Accordionists has established itself as one of the world's most
important accordion events, and this year has attracted almost 170
contestants and delegates from 27 countries, who will take part
in the various competitions and 114th General Assembly meeting.
For those
unable to attend this event, we invite you to visit the Coupe
Mondiale website at www.coupemondiale.org
for daily updates. If you can't be there in person, this is the
next best thing! The website will be updated late in the evening,
Portugal time, at the conclusion of the daily events. Full competition
results will be posted after the CIA General Assembly has ratified
them on Saturday afternoon.
Annual
Accordion SMASH, Florida - USA
Contributed by Rob
Howard
The
Florida
Accordion Association, in conjunction with the South East Accordion
Association, hosts the 2005 FAA SMASH from November 11th to 13th.
The festival takes place at the Holiday Inn Select, 12125 High Tech
Avenue, Orlando.
The accordionists involved include Frank Marocco, Betty
Jo Simon, Tony Lovello, Denis Novato (Italy), Gregory Fainshtein
(Belarussia), Lenny Feldmann, Dick Albreski, Nick Ballarini, Jerry
Tramontozzi, Walter Kasprzyk (of the "K"
Trio), Vince Aleandri, Carmen Vitanza, and Maricarmen Vazquez.
The festival also includes a trade show with displays by John Gaunt
of 'Accordions
& Keyboards', from Clearwater, Florida; Alex Chudolij of
'Music Magic Accordions', from New Jersey (featuring the Roland
V accordion); and Nick Ballarini, from Dallas, Texas, with a Petosa
and Ballarini. There will be a concert by an accordion orchestra
conducted by Linda Soley-Reed, President of the AAA,
performing a tribute to the late Myron
Floren.
Concert
and CD Launch, Melbourne - Australia Contributed by Rob
Howard
Melbourne's
main event on the accordion calendar takes place on October 31st,
when Bernadette Conlon will present her eighth annual Melbourne
Cup Eve concert for the Bentleigh Organ Club.
Bernadette Conlon
writes: "This
concert, which has grown annually since its inception, will be the
launch of Bernadette's exciting, new ninth CD, entitled Abandon.
This CD is a study of the painful, tragic beauty of sadness, loss
and abandonment, as well as the surrender or abandon to life's consequences.
The concert will also feature a performance by the Accordion Orchestra
of Melbourne, of which Bernadette is the conductor. The group, which
was formed three years ago by Bernadette,
aims to promote good, sound accordion playing, tempered with that
special flair for which Bernadette is renowned, as well as friendship
and an outlet for accordionists. Fortnightly meetings bring Melbourne
accordionists in touch with what is happening in the accordion world
in Australia and abroad, encourage and foster young players, as
well as the wonderfully courageous mature players, who need inspiration
to strive for greater goals".
For
further information email: accordionbernadette@bigpond.com
Russian
accordionist Vladimir
Sidorov now resident in Canada, is to perform a concert with
percussionist Marie-Josée Simard at Piano Nobile, Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier,
Place des Arts, Montreal on November 27th, at 11am.
Vladimir Sidorov is now preparing to record his second CD, due to
be released March 2006. The program includes music by A. Liadov,
J. Williams, A. Piazzolla, V. Monti, F. Chopin, J. Rodrigo, V. Gridin
and V. Sidorov.
Frank
Marocco/Nick Ballarini Accordion Camp, Florida - USA Contributed
by Rob
Howard
Accordionists
Frank Marocco and Nick Ballarini are hosting a 4 day Accordion Camp
at Blue Spring State Park, Florida. The camp runs from November
13th to 16th. There will be ensemble playing and individual lessons,
workshops, jam sessions and performances.
Toralf
Tollefsen Archive Film, London - UK
Contributed
by Rob
Howard
British
Pathé have announced that they have archive film footage
of people and events covering most of the 20th Century for sale
on video. One of the thousands of film clips is a rare performance
of Toralf Tollefsen in a 1939 concert performance of 'Invitation
to the Waltz'. The sound and picture quality are very good, and
purchase details plus stills of the performance can be seen on the
website www.britishpathe.com
Toralf Tollefsen (1914-1994) was Norway's first great international
accordion star player, with a career that was equally successful
in variety theatres and the classical concert world. He lived in
England, where he was hugely popular, from 1935 until 1961, apart
from the war years where he was involved with the Norwegian resistance
movement. Tollefsen's performances, recordings and arrangements
were the benchmark by which progress was measured for a whole generation
of accordionists, especially in England.
On
the occasion of several events to honor the 60th birthday of the
composer Alexander Shurbin, Friedrich Lips organized a concert of
his students in the Moscovite 'House of Music', featuring exclusively
the works of the composer. Shurbin finished his studies of composition
in the class of Professor N. Pejko at the Gnessin-Institute (1969)
to continue afterwards for so-called 'Aspirantura' at the Conservatory
of St. Petersburg until 1973 (class of Professor J. Kon).
The concert
program (presented by Lips'students S. Kotko, K. Shtybin, M. Vlassova,
M. Burlakov, A. Sheliganov, S. Osokin and A. Gainullin) included
the following works: 'Fantasy and Fugue' (1972), 'Toccata' (1970),
'Suite in 3 parts: Prelude, Gavotte, Scherzo' (1968), 'Sonata No
1' (1971), 'Konzertny Diptich: Choral and Allegro' (1967), 'Sonata
No 3' (1984), Sonata No 2' (1982). To conclude this most successful
concert a domra-ensemble (directed by N.
N. Lips) played Schurbin's 'Concert-Burlesque' (1989).
The
New Philharmonic Orchestra at the College of Du Page in Glenn Ellyn,
Illinois, recently featured accordionist Henry Doktorski in two
concert performances of Astor Piazzolla's 'Adios Nonino'. Doktorski
also appeared as a guest soloist in a concert with the Northwest
Indiana Symphony, directed by Kirk Muspratt.
In an article written by Michelle L. Quinn for the Hobart, Merrillville,
Indiana Post/Tribune, the journalist compared Henry Doktorski to
Bruce Springsteen when she described his appearance at the Salon
Robinson Elementary School, where he delighted the first, second,
and third-graders by playing his accordion.
The
third annual Rock Accordion Summit of New York City took place September
30th at The Delancy, a trendy downtown club that features contemporary
events. Organized by accordionist Benjamin Ickies, who noted that
"the accordionists hail from all over the country and they
all rock the squeezebox in totally different ways!"
The Summit
featured Benjamin Ickies and Friends (an electronic group with Ickies
on accordion and effects pedal, Kamela Sankram on electric sitar
and Steve La Rosa on drums), Alec K. Redfern & The Eyesores
(Providence, Rhode Island's #1 chamber rock group), Julz A (a hip-hop
accordionist who writes and produces his own beats), Brian Dewan
(who has toured with They Might Be Giants), Uncle Moon (a new, group
based in New York), and Unicornicopia (a synth-accordion player
from Orlando, Florida).
5th
Annual Accordion Gathering, Maine - USA Contributed by Rob
Howard
On October 22nd, from 10am to 10pm, the 5th Annual Accordion
Gathering takes place at the Grange Hall in Trenton Maine, New England.
The event includes jam sessions, workshops, trade show, and an evening
impromptu concert. All types of accordions and related instruments
are invited and welcome, including supporting instruments for ensemble
fun. The event has been growing over the years, attracting amateur
and professional accordionists representing all levels of playing
experience, including beginners.
This impromptu festival has no competition, and is just about sharing
music. Any style of music is welcome, with jazz, folk, Irish, Scottish,
Acadian, Balkan, German, Russian and Klezmer being genres represented
at past gatherings. Piano, chromatic, diatonic button, bandoneon,
concertina, and even reedless type accordions are all expected as
in the past and shows the diversity of the accordion instrument
family, as well as the styles of music they are played with.
There are extra accordions around for those who may have never played
and would like to try. There is a $10.00 donation asked at the door
to help defray the cost of the hall and heating. Accordionists and
non-accordionists, or complete beginners will all get into the fun,
share some knowledge, and a experience a good time from this event.
Concert
and Live CD Recording, Hayfield - UK
Contributed by Rob
Howard
On
October 22nd, at 8.30pm, Jamie Schofield (accordion and piano),
Nicola Lyons (fiddle, accordion, piano, vocals and step dance),
Thomas Fairbairn (fiddle, viola and piano), Phil Cawsey (bass) and
Phil Strange (guitar) will perform a folk music concert at the George
Hotel, Hayfield, Derybyshire. The concert is to be recorded for
a CD, and the band want lots of people to turn up and help create
a good atmosphere. Admission is free.
Tony
Vincenzo Concert, Paris - France Contributed
by Rob
Howard
Tony
Vincenzo, accordionist and bandoneon player, is to perform a concert
at la Salle des Fêtes (20 rue Rochebrune), Rosny Sous Bois
Town Hall, on October 29th at 8.30pm. The first half of the concert
is mainly Argentinean tango music, including compositions by Astor
Piazzolla. The second half features jazz, swing and gypsy music.
There will be also an exhibition of accordions, presented by 'Paris
Accordions'.
'The
Annual Accordion Friends Christmas Party', Uxbridge - UK Contributed
by Rob
Howard
On December 17th, 7.30 for 8pm, the annual 'Accordion Friends
Christmas Party' takes place at The Coachman's Inn, Cowley, Uxbridge,
Middlesex. There is a traditional three-course Christmas menu plus
accordion entertainment by Harry Hussey and guests. The organiser,
Ron Bennett, advises that ticket availability is limited, and it
is not too soon to book.
Stolen
Accordions Jon Halvor Kvamme, living in Grotli, Norway, had his black Victoria
accordion stolen on October 2nd. The model is a 'Fire', a modern
instrument with 5 rows of black and white treble buttons, and 13
treble couplers, 120 bass and seven bass couplers. This latest stolen
instrument will be added to the growing list of stolen accordions
on the Stolen
Accordion List site. Even accordions stolen some years ago are
welcome to be added to this list.
Castelfidardo
Mayor Tersilio Marotta and 
The
58th 
The
Melbourne's
main event on the accordion calendar takes place on October 31st,
when Bernadette Conlon will present her eighth annual Melbourne
Cup Eve concert for the Bentleigh Organ Club.
Accordionists
Frank Marocco and Nick Ballarini are hosting a 4 day Accordion Camp
at Blue Spring State Park, Florida. The camp runs from November
13th to 16th. There will be ensemble playing and individual lessons,
workshops, jam sessions and performances.
The
New Philharmonic Orchestra at the College of Du Page in Glenn Ellyn,
Illinois, recently featured accordionist Henry Doktorski in two
concert performances of Astor Piazzolla's 'Adios Nonino'. Doktorski
also appeared as a guest soloist in a concert with the Northwest
Indiana Symphony, directed by Kirk Muspratt.
The
third annual Rock Accordion Summit of New York City took place September
30th at The Delancy, a trendy downtown club that features contemporary
events. Organized by accordionist Benjamin Ickies, who noted that
"the accordionists hail from all over the country and they
all rock the squeezebox in totally different ways!"
On
October 22nd, at 8.30pm, Jamie Schofield (accordion and piano),
Nicola Lyons (fiddle, accordion, piano, vocals and step dance),
Thomas Fairbairn (fiddle, viola and piano), Phil Cawsey (bass) and
Phil Strange (guitar) will perform a folk music concert at the George
Hotel, Hayfield, Derybyshire. The concert is to be recorded for
a CD, and the band want lots of people to turn up and help create
a good atmosphere. Admission is free.