02 March 2007
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Highlights
Finnish Accordion Cruise Attracts 2,700 Participants - Finland
Tatiana Lanchtchikova at the Auckland Philharmonic - New Zealand
‘Souvenir d'Italie’ CD – Italy
Accordion XXL Concert Project in Germany
New Zealand Accordion Association Website - New Zealand
Reports of Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals etc
NAO North Central Area Festival - UK
Gary Blair's 8th Annual ‘Down South Tour', England – UK
Future Events
Lasarte-Oria Accordion Festival, Gipuzkoa - Spain
Jason Webley’s Tours – UK, Mexico, USA, Canada
Jack Emblow & Tony Compton Concert, Uxbridge – UK
Le Printemps des Bretelles, Alsace- France
National Accordion Association
CD Review
New and Updated Sites


Finland Recordings
Finnish Accordion Cruise Attracts 2,700 Participants - Finland
Contributed by Kevin Friedrich

The annual Sata-Häme Soi and Finnish Accordion Association cruise was sold out to capacity as 2,700 people travelled aboard the Silja Europa Cruise liner from Turku, Finland to Sweden and back. Director of the Sata-Häme Soi Festival Sirpa Sippola and Public Relations Manager Minna Plihtari opened the cruise by hosting a VIP reception with guests including the Mayor of Ikaalinen, Tero Nissinen, Italian accordion artiste Mirco Patarini (left above), CIA President Kevin Friedrich (middle above) with Kimmo Mattila (right above).

Non-stop activities were offered including accordion music in many styles, a variety concert featuring the music of Finnish composer Paul Norrback (painting right), dancing, instrument displays, music and recordings as well as the highly contested semi-finals for both the Silver and Golden Accordion competitions.

Pictured left are Finnish Accordion Association (SHL) President and newly elected CIA General Secretary Kimmo Mattila and SHL Vice President Seppo Lankinen performing in concert.

The jury comprising Elina Leskelä, Elias Ukkonen, Anne-Mari Kunelius, Markku Lindeman and Mirco Patarini selected the following finalists to appear this summer on a live national TV Broadcast where the jury and television viewers combined choose the winner.

The finalists for the Golden Accordion (Senior) include: Sami Hopponen (Polvijärvi), Henna Tahvanainen (Tohmajärvi), Mari Laskujärvi (Vilppula), Pasi Raukola (Ulvila), Henna-Maija Kuki (Nivala) and Veli-Matti Leppänen (Ulvila).

The finalists for the Silver Accordion (children up to 10 years old) are: Mikko Suihkola (Sievi), Essi Elomäki (Pori), Lauri Tuomisto (Jurva), Minna Ristamäki (Ylöjärvi), Menni Leinonen (Lappeenranta), Eemeli Morander (Somerniemi) and Johan-Antti Kivilahti (Haapajärvi).

The annual Sata-Häme Soi Accordion Festival, expected to attract nearly 40,000 people, will take place from June 25th to July 1st 2007, in Ikaalinen, Finland.
  
National Accordion Association
Tatiana Lanchtchikova at the Auckland Philharmonic - New Zealand
Contributed by Heather Masefield

On Thursday February 22nd there was a concert by the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra at the Auckland Town Hall. 

After the concert, the audience were invited into the bar where resident orchestra accordionist Tatiana Lanchtchikova was drawing in the crowds by playing Tangos and Hungarian music with a violinist from the orchestra.  The conductor Eckehard Stier, from Germany, then joined in playing jazz piano.

The audience adored the transformation from serious concert music to fun folk and entertainment music to finish off a great night.
  
Accordion Repairs Made Easy
‘Souvenir d'Italie’ CD – Italy
Contributed by Rob Howard

The CD ‘Souvenir d'Italie’, released on February 28th, by the singer Antonella Ruggiero, features accompaniment by accordionist Renzo Ruggieri, pianist Paolo Di Sabatino, bassist Massimo Moriconi and drummer Massimo Manzi. The CD includes well-known Italian songs of the period between the two world wars.

For further information email: info@renzoruggieri.it
  
Frankfurt Music Fair
Accordion XXL Concert Project in Germany
Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

In March 2007 three special accordion concerts take place in the context of the Accordion XXL Co-orchestra Project, which involves the joint participation of several accordion orchestras.

Under the direction of Andrej Baumgard, four orchestras from Stuttgart and district join together to form one big orchestra of approximately 50 players.

This combined orchestra will perform on 3 weekends in March 2007 in their city and of the associations involved. Also involved are their youth orchestras and/or smaller ensembles, such as ‘accordimento’ are taking part of this unusual concept. The concert project will be broadcast on Sunday March 11th and the co-orchestra and ‘accordimento’ can be heard during the SWR4-broadcast ‘Music from the Country’, between 6pm and 8 pm.
  
Accordion Jazz Chords
New Zealand Accordion Association Website - New Zealand
Contributed by Harley Jones

The New Zealand Accordion Association Inc. has been granted funding by the ASB Community Trust to completely redevelop their existing website. Using a sophisticated but easy to use Email Management System, the new online presence will provide a high level of service and communication to current members through a Members-Only section and the ability to easily list events into the online Events Calendar.

Currently, newsletters are posted to members periodically. The Email Management System will open communication to a wider audience and reduce ongoing postage costs with e-newsletters.

NZAA member Robin Hill (left) achieved this substantial ASB grant and site designer is Wayne Knights, accordionist and website professional (right).
 
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Gary Dahl esheet
NAO North Central Area Festival - UK

The NAO North Central Area Festival, a qualifier for the NAO UK Championships in Scarborough (4th - 6th May) was held on 24th February in Saltaire West Yorkshire.

The venue with 5 competitive halls and a large trade area proved to be a great success with over 200 entries in accordion classes and all the adjudicators commenting on the very high standard of performance with special mention of the under 9’s being made. Picture of prize winners, Issac Thompson (3rd), Bonnie Sharples (2nd) and Alexander Bodell (1st).

It was good to see the new initiative in a number of local schools in this area has led to many young accordionists attending an accordion festival for the first time.

Picture right of orchestra directors Harry Hinchcliffe (Festival Organiser) and Larissa Brincat. The event ended with the very popular ceilidh held in the evening with Scottish accordionist Gary Blair. Results may be found at www.accordions.com/nao
  
National Accordion Association
Gary Blair's 8th Annual ‘Down South Tour', England – UK
Contributed by Rob Howard

Gary Blair's 8th annual 'Down South Tour' of venues in the English Home Counties was another outstanding success. This year’s tour consisted of 10 gigs on consecutive nights. Gary performed at various functions such as, accordions clubs, concerts, dances, etc.

The tour started at the Harlow Accordion Club and was followed by performances at the following towns, Ovingdene, Burgess Hill, Uxbridge, Bromley, Verwood, Worthing, and finished off at the Eastbourne Accordions Festival, where Gary joined with fellow artistes such as Pearl Fawcett-Adriano, Harry Hussey, Genaro Fiondella, Steve Roxton, Charlie Watkins, Richard Adey, etc.

Arrangements for next year’s tour are already in progress and may have to be extended to 14 nights due to an anticipated growth in demand.

For further information email: gazzapt@yahoo.co.uk
 
Aww Recordings

Karthause Schmuelling Musik and Media
Lasarte-Oria Accordion Festival, Gipuzkoa - Spain
Contributed by Rob Howard

The 4th Lasarte-Oria Accordion Festival, sponsored by the Casa de Cultura, takes place in Gipuzkoa in the Basque region of Northern Spain on September 29th.

An evening concert takes place, from 7.30pm in the Manuel Lekuona Culture House in Lasarte-Oria, featuring accordion soloists Enrike Zelaia (Spain - picture right), Nathalie Boucheix Director of CNIMA (France - picture left), Elsene Accordion Orchestra (Holland) and the Zero Sette Akordei Orkestra (Spain).

For further information email: 07ao@zerosette.es
  
The Ins and Outs of the Accordion
Jason Webley’s Tours – UK, Mexico, USA, Canada
Contributed by Rob Howard

American rock singer and accordionist Jason Webley has spent February performing in France, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. In March he plays some dates in England and one in Wales. The summer months will find him touring Mexico, the USA and Canada.

March 2nd, 8 pm – The Homestead, 119 Alma Rd, Southampton
March 3rd, 8.30pm – Northbridge Inn, St David’s Hill, Exeter
March 4th, 9pm - Favela Chic, Great Eastern St, London
March 6th, 9.30pm – Old Bar, University of Wales, Lampeter
March 7th, 8pm - Green Note, 106 Parkway, London
March 8th, 8pm - The Phoenix, Precinct Centre, Manchester
March 9th - The Sanctuary, Brighton
March 10th, 7.30pm - Bridge House Inn, Copsale, Sussex
March 15th - 12 Galaxies, San Francisco, California
March 20th to April 11th - East Coast Tour, USA
April 17th to May 2nd - Western States Tour, USA
May 3rd to May 12th – ‘Two Bottles of Wine, CD released
May 16th to May 24th – Tour of Mexico
June: Camp Tomato 2007
July/August - USA/Canada Tour

For further information email: jason@jasonwebley.com
 
Charnwood Music Publishing
Jack Emblow & Tony Compton Concert, Uxbridge – UK
Contributed by Rob Howard

Accordionists Jack Emblow and Tony Compton present a program of easy listening jazz standards at the Uxbridge Accordion Club on Monday March 12th. Also featured will be the Angie Lukins Accordion Band.

The doors open at 7.30pm, and the venue is the Anglers Retreat, Cricketfield Road/Swan Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7HG - close to J4/M4.

For further information email: david.lukins@btinternet.com
 
Titano Accordion Company
Le Printemps des Bretelles, Alsace - France
Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Le Printemps des Bretelles is a large-scale accordion festival held in Alsace in eastern France, from March 16th to 25th. This year’s event will be the 10th festival and large numbers attend annually.

The festival presents more than 70 concerts involving international styles of music of the accordions of the world – rock, tango, musette, jazz, Irish - and is held in concert halls, restaurants, bars and pubs. Accordionists performing include Marcel Azzola, Marc Perrone, and many others.

For further information email: illiade@mairie-illkirch-graffenstaden.fr
 
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Review by
Joan Cochran Sommers




NO COMMENT by Friedrich Lips, Bayan

National Accordion Association
New website for New Zealand accordionist Grayson Masefield.

New site with updated information regarding the accordion manfacturer Mengascini, of Castelfidardo, Italy.  
An A to Z of the Accordion
New site from famour French artist Jerome Richard.

New information on Beltuna Accordions factory of Castelfidardo, Italy. 
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