Accordions
Worldwide welcomes the appointment of Alessandro
Mugnoz as one of our CD reviewers. Alessandro has been involved
with the accordion throughout his life in Italy as a performer, composer,
teacher, reviewer and writer. He has also been a successful competitive
accordionist, with numerous first prize wins to his credit. We are
fortunate indeed to have Alessandro become a part of the Accordions
Worldwide team.
Max Bonnay to Present Master Class, Ikaalinen - Finland Contributed
by Kevin
Friedrich
Each
year the Finnish Accordion Institute organises a Concert and Master
Class where they invite some of the finest accordion artists to teach
and perform in Ikaalinen, Finland. Held during the first weekend of
February, this year's invited guest is Max Bonnay, France. The Master
Class positions are already booked out, but those who wish to attend
to listen are welcome.
Max Bonnay is the head of the accordion division at the Conservatoire
National Superieur de Musique et Danse (CNSMD) in Paris. A milestone
in the continuing advancement of the accordion in France, the inauguration
of the accordion division at the CNSMD now provides opportunities
for accordionists worldwide to study at the premiere conservatory
in France.
Max, a winner of the Coupe
Mondiale World Accordion Champion and member of the CIA Music
Committee, is one of the most respected accordionists in the world,
having established an outstanding reputation as artist, international
jury member, and teacher. A former student of Friedrich
Lips in Moscow, Max makes his home near Paris, where he lives
with his wife Elena and son Michael.
Held for the third consecutive year, in 2004 the Finnish Accordion
Institute seminar featured Yuri Shishkin as teacher and performer,
and Sergei Barinow (Chief of the Jupiter Bayan Factory, Moscow) who
gave a seminar about bayan tuning. In 2005 the featured guest was
Spanish accordion artist and teacher Angel
Luis Castaño.
With
regard to the article published on our News of the 20th January 2006
by the magazine “Intermusik” with the title “Claimed
Trademark Piracy Scandal” Accordions Worldwide is not assuming
any responsibility for the content and the expressions in it referring
to persons and facts.
The source and the paternity of what was reported in the article is
to be exclusively ascribed to “Intermusik”, a well know
international accordion newspaper, reliable among the accordionists’
community and specialized in the accordion market, without any “adhesion”
by Accordions Worldwide to what was written in the publication.
Borsini's Response to the 'Piracy
in China' Article, Castelfidardo
- Italy
Contributed by Giancarlo Borsini
The
article about 'Piracy
in China'
published in last
week's Accordions Worldwide news, produced the following response
from the Borsini
company:-"We do not agree to the
publication of information involving our name in unsubstantiated news
items.
If someone, in good faith, had meant to defend to us from this presumed
piracy, it would have been better that they had pre-advised to us
of their intention to involve our name, asking our specific approval.
However, we inform all interested parties that we have been on the
worldwide market for 84 years and know how to defend our brand in
the world; we have always done so and we will continue to do so in
the future. We would add that a brand is not defended by a journalistic
scoop, but with precise contracts and strategies.
Borsini wishes all their customers and all visitors of this wonderful
website a happy 2006".
Accordion
Factory Due to Open, Jaú - Brazil
Contributed by Rob
Howard
A
new accordion factory will soon open in the city of Jaú, in
the state of São Paulo. The factory is expected to become the
largest manufacturer of accordions in South America. The manufacturing
standards are to be inspected and monitored by technicians from Castelfidardo,
Italy. The factory is situated close to an accordion museum, and official
opening ceremony in June is to be attended by Paolo Gandolfi and Mirco
Patarini, from Italy.
Mika
Väyrynen to Perform at the Sibelius Academy 'Feeniks Club',
Helsinki - Finland
Contributed by Kevin
Friedrich
Finnish
accordionist Mika
Väyrynen will begin his 2006 concert season by performing
on January 30, 2006 (9 pm) at the Sibelius Academy´s 'Feeniks
Club'. The concert is part of the 'Siba Fest' Winter Festival at
the Academy. Performing
for the first time with his new quintet, Mika will perform the music
of Astor Piazzolla in a concert entitled 'La Camorra.' In addition
to Mika performing on Bandoneon, the Quintet features Henrik Perello
(violin), Kirmo Lintinen (piano), Ismo Eskelinen (guitar) and Tarja
Nyberg (double bass).
Mika
is the recipient of the prestigious artist grant from the Arts Council
of Finland/Council of Music. An expert organization in the field
of arts, the Arts Council of Finland/Council of Music allocates
annual grants, state awards and travel grants to renowned musicians
and artistes. Highly contested from musicians in all fields, artist
grants are the result of a lengthy application process, at the conclusion
of which Mika was awarded a monthly grant valid for two years.
John
MacDonald's Debut CD, Scotland - UK
Contributed by Rob
Howard
Diatonic
button accordionist John MacDonald, from Stornaway, has released his
first CD: 'New Horizons'. This John MacDonald of Stornaway is not
to be confused with Australian based Scottish accordionist John
MacDonald who also has CD's available. The Scottish John Macdonald
is the son of accordionist Fergie MacDonald, and is usually to be
heard as part of his father's dance band.
International
Accordion Music Festival 'From Baroque to Jazz', Wroclaw - Poland
Contributed by Rob
Howard
The International Accordion Music Festival 'From
Baroque to Jazz', took place in Wroclaw and Brzeg from January 6th
to 30th. The festival was organised under the patronage of Lower Silesia
Marshal's Office and Austria Republic General Consulate in Krakow.
The Jury Chairman was Professor of Music Academy in Lodz, Bogdan Dowlasz
- composer, accordionist and pedagogue. The chief guest of the festival
was Yuri Shishkin (Russia), whose international accordion competitions
first places include: Klingenthal
(Germany, 1988), Kansas City (USA, 1990), Castelfidardo
(Italy, 1991). The festival was organised by the Private Music School
1st and 2nd grade S-ART in Wroclaw, and the Festival Director was
Miroslaw Smolik.
There was a contemporary music concert in the Social and Cultural
Activities Centre 'Piast' in Wroclaw, one of the festival events.
The concert featured Eneasz Kubit (accordion) and Jan Skopowski (cello),
students of Professor Bogdan Dowlasz from the Music Academy in Lodz.
Their performance received a thunderous ovation.
The 'Piast' Centre was the venue for the stages of the competition,
in which participated about 100 accordion soloists and ensembles from
the Wroclaw Music School, and also from the music academies of Lodz,
Katowice, Poznan, Kiev and St Petersburg. Competition results: Category
- under 12 years of age 1st - Petr Zembron (Poland),
2nd - Krzystof Sarnicki (Poland)
3rd - Tomasz Zwolinski (Poland) Category - under 15 years of age 1st - Natalia Lewków (Poland)
2nd - not awarded
3rd - Konrad Kratiuk (Poland)
Category - under18 years of age
1st - Martyna Chojnacka (Poland)
2nd - not awarded
3rd - Katarzyna Lisowska (Poland) / Janusz Cziomer (Poland) Category
- Open Age 1st - Andreii Golodniuk (Ukraine, Professor V.
Besfamilnov)
- Olexandr Khrustevych (Ukraine, Professor V. Besfamilnov)
2nd - Anastasia Chistiakova (Russia, Profesor N. Kravtsov)
- Dmytro Tsarko (Ukraine, Professor V. Besfamilnov)
3rd - Alicja Sak (Poland, Professor B. Dowlasz)
- Andrei Akulov (Ukraine) Category - Chamber Ensembles and Accordion Orchestras 1st - Ensemble: Young Virtuoso (Poland, R. Zmijowski)
- Duet: Bazion Valentun and Shalygin Maksym (Ukraine,
Professor V.
Besfamilnov)
2nd - Ensemble from Opole (Poland, O. Srelc and D. Kownacki) -
Duet: Zwierzchlewska Katarzyna and Kaszuba Barbara
(Poland, Doctor T. Kaszuba and Professor M. Baranowski)
3rd - Ensemble from Kluczbork (Poland)
Andre
Verchuren Performances, Paris - France Contributed
by Rob
Howard
Veteran accordionist
Andre Verchuren, whose career began in the 1930s, continues to perform
and to make recordings. He is to appear in the following towns during
2006:-
January
31st - Amiens
February 9th - St Etienne
April 9th - Nancy
April 11th - Rouen
November 9th - Auxerre
Gary Blair's Tour, Southern England - UK Contributed
by Rob
Howard
Scottish
accordionist Gary Blair's annual tour of Southern England takes place
from February10th to 20th.
10th -
Crawley Accordion Orchestra, with Harry Hussey, at Cranleigh Arts
Centre, Surrey
11th - Ceilidh at Ovingdean Village Hall, Brighton, Sussex
12th - BBC Southern Counties Radio, Breakfast Show Live Broadcast;
ceilidh at Burgess Hill - West Sussex
13th - Uxbridge Accordion Club, West Drayton, Middlesex
14th - Ceilidh, Weymouth
15th - Verwood, Dorset
17th - 20th - Eastbourne Accordion Festival
Eastbourne
Accordion Festival, Sussex - UK Contributed
by Rob
Howard The
next Eastbourne Accordion Festival takes place from February 17th
to 20th, at The Cumberland Hotel, Eastbourne. Organised by John
Romero, the guest accordionists include Romano Viazzani, Gary Blair,
Paul
Chamberlain, Sue Coppard, Gennaro Fiondella, Harry Hussey, Lisa
Lee Leslie, John Romero, and Charlie Watkins.
The trade show includes Trevani Studios, The Accordion Shop (Electronic
Accordions Ltd) and WEM. In addition, leading accordion technician
Stan Mayhew will be on hand for advice with accordion tuning. There
will also be a series of concerts and a full range of workshops.
International
Montreux Accordion Camp - Switzerland
Contributed by Holda
Paoletti-Kampl
Due
to popular demand, two sessions of IMAC will be held in 2006, from
August 1st to 8th, and 11th to 18th. The tutors will be Peter
Soave, Mady Soave (USA) and Jean-Louis
Noton (France). The International Montreux Accordion Camp offers
7 days of workshops, lectures, master- classes and private instruction
in a professional setting that harmonizes nature and learning.
Professional
and amateur participants of all ages gather from around the world
to perform, train, and share the art of the accordion. During the
seminar all lectures, lessons, meals and room accommodations are hosted
in a center that emphasizes camaraderie and progress in a friendly
environment. Aside from music making, participants will enjoy the
breathtaking panorama of the Swiss mountains!
The classes offered include: classical, tango, musette, jazz, improvisation,
world music, M.I.D.I. programming and performance, articulation, fingering,
phrasing, bellow techniques, solo and chamber music, history of the
accordion, and computer aided music.
Ex-professional
guitarist Gordon Collinge, from Manchester, England, is trying to
contact accordionist Robert (Bob) Tudor. They were both members of
a band known as the New Cubanaires in 1967 and 1968. Bob, who played
a Galanti accordion, came from Chorlton cum Hardy, Manchester, and
was by profession an optical lens maker. Email: gordon.collinge@ntlworld.com
Information
Required
Primo
Toccafondi has an old accordion that he believes was made in Czechoslovakia
around 1900 or before. The writing on the outside is 'K. Stibits Ceske
Budejovice', and on the other side near the chord buttons is 'Heligonka.'
Although it shows the wear of the past century, it remains quite playable.
Primo asks: "Is there any information available regarding this
instrument?
By way of description
it has one row of what appears to be mother of pearl keys (not buttons
and not piano keys) and two chord buttons. I would appreciate any
information you can share".
Peter
Piccini releases 2 new compositions of 'Canadian
Rag' and 'Tonight's
Waltz'. Samples of the music are available online. The music is
in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with
credit card.
Each
year the Finnish Accordion Institute organises a Concert and Master
Class where they invite some of the finest accordion artists to teach
and perform in Ikaalinen, Finland. Held during the first weekend of
February, this year's invited guest is Max Bonnay, France. The Master
Class positions are already booked out, but those who wish to attend
to listen are welcome.
Finnish
accordionist 
Category
- under 12 years of age
Category
- Open Age
-
Duet: Zwierzchlewska Katarzyna and Kaszuba Barbara
Scottish
accordionist Gary Blair's annual tour of Southern England takes place
from February10th to 20th.
The
next Eastbourne Accordion Festival takes place from February 17th
to 20th, at The Cumberland Hotel, Eastbourne. Organised by John
Romero, the guest accordionists include Romano Viazzani, Gary Blair,
Due
to popular demand, two sessions of IMAC will be held in 2006, from
August 1st to 8th, and 11th to 18th. The tutors will be 
Professional
and amateur participants of all ages gather from around the world
to perform, train, and share the art of the accordion. During the
seminar all lectures, lessons, meals and room accommodations are hosted
in a center that emphasizes camaraderie and progress in a friendly
environment. Aside from music making, participants will enjoy the
breathtaking panorama of the Swiss mountains!
