Art Van Damme at 'Accordions International 2006', Caister - UK Contributed
by Rob
Howard
American
jazz accordion legend Art Van Damme is to make a long awaited return to the UK,
appearing as the chief guest artiste at the Caister 'Accordions International'
Festival, Haven Holiday Park Norfolk, England, November 2nd to 6th. Other accordion
guests at the festival include Gary Blair, Jack Emblow and Tony Compton, and Romano
Viazzani.
Brought up in Chicago, Art Van Damme took up the accordion
at the age of nine, and was classically trained before discovering jazz as a teenager,
and was initially inspired by the great clarinet player Benny Goodman. One musicologist
made the following neat comment: "The hippest cat ever to swing an accordion,
Art Van Damme dared go where no man had gone before: jazz accordion". Art
Van Damme has toured the world numerous times, made scores of recordings, and
is generally recognised as one of the great accordion legends of the post-World
War Two era.
The festival includes concerts, workshops, master classes,
'free and easy' sessions, dancing and a trade show. Bookings
will take place from March 1st.
Renzo
Ruggieri's 'Solo
Accordion Project', performed at many and varied events, is based on TOTAL
IMPROVISATION. The effect is intense and spectacular due to its use of electronics
(loops, digital effects and video projection). As well as jazz festivals, SAP
is suitable for theatrical and academic environments because of its original and
impromptu mixture of melodies, rhythms and sounds. It is something unique, ideal
for the opening of festivals and concert seasons that seek alternative and fascinating
sounds. Renzo
CD's For Sale.
The new SAP CD titled 'Storie
di Fisarmonica Vissuta' forms the first part of the program and is accompanied
by professional background video images. Renzo was entered in the Top 20 best
talent 2005 for all instruments, and at 1° place for accordionists in the
referendum from the Italian magazine Musica Jazz.
8th
Kokkola Winter Accordion Festival Kokkola - Finland Contributed by Rob
Howard
The 8th Kokkola Winter Accordion Festival takes place from February 18th to 26th.
This festival features 16 concerts in various styles, including the duo Iñaki
Alberdi & Iñigo Aizpiolea, from Spain, who will also be playing
a concert for Finnish Radio. Other features of the festival include a tribute
to Mozart performance of 'Figaro' involving an actor and solo accordionist, Kimmo
Pohjonen, and the Finnish premiere with Guardia Nueva and Dance group of Astor
Piazzolla's 'Four seasons'.
New
Accordion Company, Castelfidardo - Italy Contributed
by Holda Paoletti-Kampl
The
FISMEN accordion company was
founded in the year 2000. Though still a very young company, all of the 9 workers
have a lot of experience in the accordion industry.
At
the beginning FISMEN only
produced accordions for famous brands, but since autumn 2005 they have designed
and built their own models.
Led by Günther Lerch, the company is
producing new instruments that are proving popular, and are available in a range
of new colours. The South Tyrolean accordion builder Hans Lapper is working for
FISMEN on more new models to extend the range currently on offer.
CD
Launch Raises Money for Cheshire Homes, Guernsey - Channel Islands Contributed
by Rob
Howard
Accordionist
Michael Kinnersly, known professionally as Michel, has recently released a double
CD 'Michel Pour Vous' and Michel - La Collection'. At the CD launch in December,
Michel raised £2, 500 in aid of the Cheshire Homes, and that total has since
increased to over £3,000.
The Cheshire Homes, founded in 1948 by
Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, exist to provide long term residential support
for the disabled and are found in 60 countries worldwide. Michel is resident accordion
entertainer at the Atlantic Hotel, St Peter Port, Guernsey.
Igor
Zavadtsky Birthday Concert, Kiev - Ukraine Contributed
by Holda
Paoletti-Kampl
4000
people attended the to the birthday concert of Ukrainian accordionist Igor Zavadtsky,
held in the largest Concert Hall in Kiev on January 20th. Igor Zavadtsky is one
of the most well known musicians in the Ukraine.
The concert involved
solo accordion, accordion with symphony orchestra, choir and dancers. Italy's
Renzo
Ruggieri appeared in the concert, and also at a function the following evening
that was also dedicated to Igor Zavadtsky.
In
a concert organized on the occasion of Astor Piazzolla's 85th anniversary, Friedrich
Lips charmed his public in Moscow's famous 'Dom Muziky' (House of the Music)
by performing a program including Piazzolla's concert 'Aconcagua' and 'Four seasons'
in the first half and several tangos after the break. Sergey Kondrashov conducted
the Orchestra of the Russian Philharmonic; piano soloist was Friedrich's son,
Svjatoslav Lips.
On
February 11th, at 9pm, the Accordion
Ensemble di Aosta are in concert at the Biblioteca di Châtillon (AO)
where they are performing pieces from Boellmann, Iturralde and Piazzolla.
'Accordion
Showcase' Concert, London - UK Contributed by Rob
Howard
On
February 13th, at 7pm, students of London's Royal Academy of Music will perform
perform chamber music by Schnittke, Piazzolla, Saint-Saens, Boznic (UK Premiere),
Gubaidulina and Repnikov. The concert takes places at the RAM, in the David Josefowitz
Recital Hall, Marylebone Road, London NW1 5HT. Admission is free.
Viktor
Romanko's Concert Dates, Jekaterinburg - Russia Contributed
by Holda Paoletti-Kampl
Russian
accordionist Viktor Romanko performs the following concerts in February:-
February 15th - Jekaterinburg (Urals/Russia) concert in the Tschaikowsky
music vocational school 16th to 18th - Tjumen (Sibieria/Russia) 'Competition
for young instrumental soloists' - member of the jury and concert performance
27th - Ufa (Baschkortostan/Russia) concert in the University music department
Fratres
In Rock!, Burgerweeshuis - Holland Contributed
by Rob
Howard
Fratres
In Rock!, from Finland, will be performing in a show titled 'Het Accordeon' (The
Accordion) in Netherlands on February 16th in Burgerweeshuis, at 9.30pm. Fratres
has played in 14 countries including Japan, Mexico, Lebanon, and many parts of
Europe. This successful group plays rock classics from Deep Purple, Uriah Heep,
Rainbow, Van Halen, Black Sabbath...
Orkestar
Bez Ime, featuring accordionist Dee
Langley, perform for a 'Balkan Mardi Gras Dance' at St Paul, Minnesota on
February 18th. People are invited to "Celebrate and Rekindle that New Orleans
Spirit in the middle of a Midwestern Winter!" The venue is CSPS SOKOL Hall,
383 Michigan Street.
On February 22nd and 23rd, 10am and 11:35am, Dee
Langley performs with the Minnesota Orchestra at Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis,
in a concert titled 'Viva Latino!'. The program will feature Latin and Hispanic
music, plus a brand new work by Minnesota composer Daniel Kallman.
On
February 26th, at 6pm, Russian accordionist Aidar Gainullin is in concert at the
Waldmüllerzentrum, 1100 Wien, Hasengasse 38, Vienna. Aidar Gainullin, from
Moscow, won the 2001 Coupe Mondiale, held in London.
Guy
Petit is looking for an accordionist for his orchestra 'Rétro Musette',
in the region 78 from France. Either tel: 06-61-81-01-99 -01-39-79-09-75 or e-mail
guy.petit@neuf.fr
Yehuda
Oppenheimer releases 3 arrangements of 'Portuguese
Dance', 'Frailach'
and 'Alexandrova'.
Samples of the music are available online. The music is in eSheet format, able
to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card.
Gary
Dhal releases 3 arrangements of 'Les
Bicyclettes De Belsize', 'Pigalle'
and 'Under
Paris Skies'. Samples of the music are available online. The music is in eSheet
format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card.
American
jazz accordion legend Art Van Damme is to make a long awaited return to the UK,
appearing as the chief guest artiste at the Caister 'Accordions International'
Festival, Haven Holiday Park Norfolk, England, November 2nd to 6th. Other accordion
guests at the festival include Gary Blair, Jack Emblow and Tony Compton, and Romano
Viazzani.
At
the beginning 
4000
people attended the to the birthday concert of Ukrainian accordionist Igor Zavadtsky,
held in the largest Concert Hall in Kiev on January 20th. Igor Zavadtsky is one
of the most well known musicians in the Ukraine. 
In
a concert organized on the occasion of Astor Piazzolla's 85th anniversary, 
Contributed
by 
Russian
accordionist Viktor Romanko performs the following concerts in February:- 
Orkestar
Bez Ime, featuring accordionist 
