The opening of the Alex Accordion Museum takes place on December 7th, from 6pm to 8pm. Alex Carozza, a prominent accordion dealer and technician is opening New York City's only accordion museum on 48th Street in Times Square, 165 West, 48th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenue.
"Everyone wants to play accordion today and I want to show them its history. I've been collecting accordions my whole life," says Alex, "but my wife was going to kill me with all the accordions piling up in our home!" So Alex brought them to his 48th Street shop, realized he had amassed a very interesting collection, and so, the Alex Accordion Museum was born!
The display includes NYC's Acme Accordion, from 1941: black with metal pinstripes, suggestive of the Chrysler Building. There's the E. Galizi Bros. model, an angelic ivory body with a gold pearled inlay, circa 1920. Then, there are true relics such as a Soprani accordion from the first line of accordions to ever use a keyboard instead of buttons on the right hand side. There's also the third prototype for the bandoneon, hand made by bandoneon inventor Heinrich Band in the mid-1800s. But there are also 21st Century accordions like the Roland FR-7, with integrated electronics and no reeds.
Born in Italy, Alex and his brothers fled the Mussolini regime to Buenos Aires in 1933. There, he worked at the Maestro Accordion factory, hand-making and tuning reeds, working his way up to Chief Technician. After decades of efforts, Alex was finally able to immigrate to the USA and in New York, he continued his career as an accordion technician and retailer. He is now the proud owner of Alex Accordion and Guitar on 48th Street in Manhattan, Music Row.
The Alex Accordion Museum will be open to the public and free, Monday through Friday 10am to 6pm, starting Friday, December 8th. The opening party is by invitation only and space is limited.
Accordionist
Goran Alachki has released a new CD, ‘For the next generation’,
featuring a compilation of works recorded between 1986-2006. Goran
Alachki is one of the world’s foremost accordionists in the
genre of Macedonian and Balkan music, with many recordings to his
credit.
Goran Alachki is a teacher at the musical school in Skopje, an arranger,
composer and solo artiste who has been featured guest performer on
many Balkan recordings and live concerts with such groups as the Kino
Kultura Band, who has performed in the UK, Germany, Austria, France,
Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Canada.
Recently Goran Alachki was designated one of the ‘fifty living treasures of Macedonia’ by the Macedonian Ministry of Culture.
From
November 3rd to 5th, the 22nd International Accordion Music Festival
was held in St Petersburg, Russia. This annual event confirmed its
status as a central part of accordion life in the ‘Northern
capital’ of Russia. The organizer and the artistic director
of the festival is Professor Alexander
Dmitriev.
This
year guest artistes were: Jean-Louis
Noton (picture left) from France, who fascinated the audience
with his charm, playing on midi-accordion the highlights of French
music and his own compositions; Petri
Makkonen - (picture right) famous composer and accordion player
from Finland (it was impossible not to start laughing while he was
playing his delightful children suite ‘Ghosts Party’); Trio ‘Liritsa’ from Belarus, (Trofim Antipov -
accordion, Andrey Sochnev - bass, Elena Sochneva - cymbals) - a unique
ensemble of folk instruments who play music from early Baroque to
modern; Evgeny Kochetov - the winner of many international competitions. Duo
Alexander
Shirunov (left - guest artist at the 2006 Coupe Mondiale) and
Nadia Guseva, Vitali
Dmitriev, 1995 Coupe Mondiale winner Other
highly regarded, internationally successful performers included:
Albert Khatmullin,
Redik Batalov,
duo ‘Consonance’, and others.
As
a part of the festival there was a celebration of two birthdays of
two renowned performers and tutors at the world famous St. Petersburg
"Rimsky Korsakov" Conservatory of Music: Oleg
Sharov – Head of Department,
picture left (60th) and Alexander
Dmitriev picture right (55th).
From this year the festival is to be held at the Glazunov Concert
Hall - one of the best and most prestigious venues in St Petersburg.
Accordionists Rob Howard and John Jones perform their annual Christmas shows in the Stockport Air Raid Shelters on December 7th, 11th, 14th and 18th. These involve guided tours of the wartime shelters followed by wine, mince pies and the singing of war songs and some Christmas carols.
The Manchester Blitz began on December 22nd 1940, and 7,000 people each night were seeking shelter in the Stockport Air Raid Shelters, which were re-opened a few years ago as a tourist attraction and educational resource. During the war, accordionists were a regular nightly feature of life in the shelters, and the December shows recreate the entertainment of those dark and dangerous times.
On November 12th, Italian accordionist Claudio Jacomucci presented a new work for accordion by French composer Francoise Barriere: ’Trois modes d'air et de lamentations’ (2006) for accordion and electronics, created and developed by the collaboration between the composer and Claudio Jacomucci.
The concert was held at the Salle Olivier Messiaen, Maison de Radio France with the collaboration of the program ‘Multiphonies GRM’, and will be broadcast during next spring.
London-based Russian accordionist Nikolai Ryskov became the first
accordion player to perform at the historic Leeds Castle, along with
the Mexican tenor Carlos Barcenas and his piano accompanist Stewart
Nash.
The
event was a private function for business people from Bulgaria.
Leeds Castle was built in 1119, and is one of the largest and oldest fortified castles in England.
The operetta White Horse Inn was performed in the Wilhelminian Theater, Wiesbaden on Saturday, November 11th. This production of the famous operetta, written in 1930 by Ralph Benatzky, featured Mirjana Petercol on accordion.
Further performances of White Horse Inn at the Wilhelminian Theater, Wiesbaden, produced by Ansgar Weigner, conducted by Maestro Cornelius Heine, and featuring Mirjana Petercol, take place as follows:-
November - 25th, 7.30pm; 27th, 7.30pm
December - 2nd, 7.30pm; 7th, 7.30pm; 14th, 7.30pm; 21st, 7.30pm;
31st, 3pm and 7pm;
January - 3rd, 7.30pm; 13th, 7.30pm; 19th, 7.30pm; 23rd, 7.30pm;
29th, 7.30pm
February - 8th, 7.30pm
March - 4th, 7.30pm
April - 13th, 7.30pm
June - 14th, 7.30pm
‘Homage to Piazzolla’ Concert, San Sebastian - Spain
Accordionist Anne Landa performs a concert of music by Astor Piazzolla on November 25th, at 7pm, in the Salón de actos Kutxa, San Sebastian. Anne and cellist Eduardo Soto perform ‘Le Grand Tango’, and Anne then joins with the Catalin Bucaturu Quartet to perform ‘Five Tango Sensations’.
Accordionist
Pascal
Contet performs as follows:-
December 4th - Salle Jean Richard, Niort, 10am, and Salle Henri Clouzot,
2.30pm
5th - Salle Jean Richard, Niort, 10am, and Salle Henri Clouzot, 2pm
8th - Théâtre Molière, Sete, 2.30pm and 8.30pm
14th - Musée d’Art Contemporain, Strasbourg, 8pm
15th - Salle du Vox, Bourg en Bresse, 3pm and 8.30pm
19th - Auditorium Michel Petrucciani, Montelimar, 2.30pm and 8.30pm
The Association Aventure Accordéon, in conjunction with the Italian Instituute of Wazemmes, is organising L’Auberge Italienne, Wazemmes at 2pm on December 10th. Music will be provided for dancing by the Polenta Orchestra.
The Ethnic Dance Theatre (EDT) is pleased to announce the return of its acclaimed production of ‘The Nutcracker!’ In a ‘ballet free’ rendering, EDT brings E.T.A. Hoffman's original classic tale to life in a fast-moving show that includes traditional dances and exotic costumes (no tights, no tutus!) from around the world. Tschaikovsky's famous score, adapted for small ensemble, is intermingled with lively folk music played live by the EDT Folk Orchestra, featuring accordionist Dee Langley.
‘The Nutcracker!’ will be performed at Concordia University's E. M Pearson Theater, 312 Hamline Ave, St. Paul. Performances take place: December 15th at 7.30pm, December 16th at 2pm and 7.30pm, and December 17th at 2pm.
Club
Carrefour, a quintet from Quebec in Canada, will be touring France
from May 26th to June 18th 2007. They will be performing their Quebecois
music in concerts, dances and workshops. The music of the Quebec tradition
is based on French, Irish and North American influences.
The members of Club Carrefour are Raynald Ouellet (diatonic accordion
and melodeon) Pierre Schryer (violin), Bruno Gendron (guitar and voice),
Benoît Legault (piano) and Normand Legault (percussions and
gigue).
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The opening of the Alex Accordion Museum takes place on December 7th, from 6pm to 8pm. Alex Carozza, a prominent accordion dealer and technician is opening New York City's only accordion museum on 48th Street in Times Square, 165 West, 48th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenue.
Accordionist
Goran Alachki has released a new CD, ‘For the next generation’,
featuring a compilation of works recorded between 1986-2006. Goran
Alachki is one of the world’s foremost accordionists in the
genre of Macedonian and Balkan music, with many recordings to his
credit.
From
November 3rd to 5th, the 22nd International Accordion Music Festival
was held in St Petersburg, Russia. This annual event confirmed its
status as a central part of accordion life in the ‘Northern
capital’ of Russia. The organizer and the artistic director
of the festival is Professor 
Petri
Makkonen - (picture right) famous composer and accordion player
from Finland (it was impossible not to start laughing while he was
playing his delightful children suite ‘Ghosts Party’);
Other
highly regarded, internationally successful performers included:
Accordionists 
On November 12th, Italian accordionist 
Nikolai
Ryskov at Leeds Castle, Kent - UK
The
event was a private function for business people from Bulgaria.
The operetta White Horse Inn was performed in the Wilhelminian Theater, Wiesbaden on Saturday, November 11th. This production of the famous operetta, written in 1930 by Ralph Benatzky, featured Mirjana Petercol on accordion.
Accordionist 
Accordionist
L’Auberge Italienne, Wazemmes - France
Return of Ethnic Dance Theatre’s ‘The Nutcracker!’, Minneapolis – USA
The Ethnic Dance Theatre (EDT) is pleased to announce the return of its acclaimed production of ‘The Nutcracker!’ In a ‘ballet free’ rendering, EDT brings E.T.A. Hoffman's original classic tale to life in a fast-moving show that includes traditional dances and exotic costumes (no tights, no tutus!) from around the world. Tschaikovsky's famous score, adapted for small ensemble, is intermingled with lively folk music played live by the EDT Folk Orchestra, featuring accordionist 
Club
Carrefour, a quintet from Quebec in Canada, will be touring France
from May 26th to June 18th 2007. They will be performing their Quebecois
music in concerts, dances and workshops. The music of the Quebec tradition
is based on French, Irish and North American influences. 
