Trossingen
Conservatory has invited Frédéric
Deschamps to assist in preparing its German students prior to
the next Coupe Mondiale, August 13th to 18th, in Washington DC, USA.
Last year, Matthias Bender represented Germany in the Coupe Mondiale
Virtuoso Entertainment category, the first German entrant in this
category for a long time. Now, thanks to the collaboration of Frédéric
Deschamps with Andréas Nebl, accordion Professor of the
Conservatory of Trossingen, it is expected that these German candidates
will be the first of many.
The
President of the Consortium Music Marche Accordions Paolo
Picchio (picture right) held a conference about the accordion
during the Musikmesse in Frankfurt at the exhibition space of
the I.C.E. (Foreign Trade Institute ‘SOUND-ITALY’), where
various productions ranging from acoustic musical instruments from
all Italian regions were presented. The encounters were multiple covering single or
groups of instruments.
Paolo
Picchio gave a great deal of useful information about the history, the productive
evolution, and the importance of the economy, production methods,
and the place of Castelfidardo
within the worldwide accordion industry.
The conference was underlined by the very interesting musical
participation (entirely spontaneous) of Renzo
Ruggieri. During this occasion Paolo Picchio officially introduced
the 'Certificate of Origin and Quality’ for accordions ‘Made
in Castelfidardo’, by the consortium, in order to maintain and honor the
long established tradition of 150 years of handcrafted production.
This month’s magazine Accordéon et Accordéonistes
includes articles about French women players, and news about the young
French Hohner
artistes who travelled recently to Fiji and New Zealand with Frédéric
Deschamps.
Picture left is: Phil Bouvier, Cyril Blanchard, Frédéric
Deschamps, Benoit Chabod and "Speedy" Julien Gonzales
in Fiji.
British College of Accordionists’ Award travels to Malta
The
Sir James Anderton Award for Musical Excellence – an award
given by the British College of Accordionists to the candidate obtaining
the highest mark at Grade 6 examinations, has been awarded for 2006
to Mariel Agius, from Rabat, Malta, a student of Antoinette Borg.
Mariel achieved high Distinction marks in both her practical and
theory examinations. The trophy is seen here being handed to the
BCA Representative Mro Jo Psaila (left) by BCA Principal, Raymond
Bodell (right) at the start of the 2007 Examination tour on
the small island in the Mediterranean.
Mro
Psaila also initiated a Celebrity Interview by Raymond
Bodell with Professor Charles Camilleri, world-renowned Maltese
composer, conductor and accordionist.
Charles Camilleri, composer of the 1964 CIA Coupe Mondiale Test
Piece Danza Latina, organiser of the Coupe
Mondiale event in 1965 in Valleta Malta and CIA Merit Award
recipient in 1972 is now 75 and still very active travelling all
over the world conducting and composing. Picture right of Charles
Camilleri and Raymond Bodell. This Celebrity Interview will be published
in a few weeks.
Accordionist
Wins Competition with other Instruments! - Macedonia
Contributed by Anica Karakutovska
The 2nd International Competition Festival ‘Macedonium M’, organized by the SMBEC ‘Ilija Nikolovski–Luj’, Skopje, was held from April 5th to 9th in Skopje.
The third category (born 1988 and younger) was won by 17 years old Aleksandar Kolovski (picture left), an accordion student of Professor Zorica Karakutovska (picture right), in a competition for all instruments and with 29 competitors. As the competitor with the highest number of points (LAUREATE), Aleksandar received 300 Euros and a certificate. The Macedonian piece in his programme was the composition ‘Miniature’, from Elizabeta Ilievska.
Last year’s competition was held in honour of the 250th anniversary from the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This year’s competition was held in honour of the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the Composers’ Association of Macedonia – SOCOM, containing a rule that in all categories there must be played one piece by a Macedonian composer.
At the final concert held on April 9th at the Concert Hall ‘ARM’ the winners from I, II, III and IV categories competed for ‘GRAND PRIX”’ - 1000 Euros, award sponsored and given by the Mayor of the City of Skopje, Mr. Trifun Kostovski (picture left).
Accordionist Aleksandar Kolovski was proclaimed the best overall competitor and winner of the GRAND PRIX in the final concert.
45th Annual ATAM New England Music Festival, Boston - USA
The Accordion Teachers' Association of Massachusetts (ATAM) recently held their 45th New England Music Festival in Newton (Boston) Massachusetts.
Competitions and festival performances took place during the weekend,
ending with a spectacular performance by the Falcetti Music reunion
accordion orchestra. The 50-piece orchestra was formed from present
and alumni members to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Falcetti
family music business.
With the current conductor Michael Falcetti as concertmaster, the
founding conductor Sam Falcetti stepped back on the podium to conduct
his former students, while wife Peggy performed in the orchestra and
son Anthony coordinated the elaborate sound system. All four members
of the family continue to make their full time living from Falcetti
Music.
Several
awards were given during the weekend, including to honorary ATAM member
Faithe
Deffner for her Lifetime Achievement in the accordion world.
Picture left, Roger Latulippe (ATAM Contest co-chair), Faithe Deffner,
Peggy Falcetti, (ATAM contest co-chair) and Michael Falcetti (ATAM
president) presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to Faithe
Deffner. In her acknowledgement speech, Faithe Deffner applauded
the effort of the students, parents and teachers for continuing to
promote and support music education.
Winner of the New England Accordion Championship was 13-year-old Danielle
Renzi (picture above right) and Anthony Falco won the Entertainment
Solo championship, both students of Robert Paolo. Anthony also received
the special ATAM scholarship award to assist in his upcoming University
studies. The Paolo Accordion Orchestra, under the direction of Robert
Paolo, won the Senior Orchestra division.
The 46th Annual ATAM Festival will take place from April 4th to 6th 2008.
Successful Charity Accordion Concert, Yorkshire – UK
A
well-attended charity accordion concert held on April 17th in the
Shire Hall, Howden, Yorkshire, proved to be great success.
The guest list included accordionists Harry Hussey, Murray Grainger,
Dick Beeforth and his band, Ray Gallagher and Jock Thomson, Pearl
Fawcett-Adriano, Sam Pirt, and the Wetherby Accordion Band (MD
Brian Hibbert). Accordionist George Syrett acted as compere, and also
performed a short spot.
Murray Grainger’s demonstrations of the Roland
Virtual Accordion, impromptu playing on Roland V Accordions by
Mike O’Regan and Heather Hawthorn, and a trade show, involving
The Music Room, Kestrel Publications, Harry’s Old Time Music
Stall and Rob
Howard’s ‘An
A to Z of the Accordion’, gave the concert the look and
atmosphere of a festival. All proceeds from this event went to cancer
research.
Milwaukee Accordion Club to feature Walter Ostanek, Wisconsin - USA
The
Milwaukee Accordion Club (MAC) will feature accordionist Walter Ostanek
on April 23rd when they hold their monthly gathering at the Root River
Center, 7220 W. Rawson Avenue, phone: (414) 425-7225.
Walter Ostanek is known as ‘Canada's Polka King’, and is based in St. Catharine’s, Ontario. Walter has worked tirelessly for thirty-one years to promote Slovenian Cleveland-Style polkas and waltzes across the entire North American continent and abroad.
In addition to hosting his own television shows (the current one for
14 consecutive years), radio shows (three currently), and polka tours,
Walter has appeared on the ‘Johnny Carson Show’, ‘Phil
Donahue’, ‘Tommy Hunter Show’, and Cleveland's ‘Polka
Varieties’, as well as his own award-winning TV specials and
telethons. He has also appeared in concert with Roy Clark, the Oakridge
Boys, Ronnie Milsap, Ray Price, Mel Tillis, Brenda Lee, Slim Whitman,
Tom T. Hall, T. G. Shepard, Tommy Hunter, Lawrence Welk, Myron
Floren, and Frank Yankovic. Among the band's honors are 3 Grammy
Awards and a Gold Record from the Arc Recording Company.
Brett Gibson to appear with the Kansas City Civic Symphony Orchestra, Kansas - USA
Kansas City based musician Brett Gibson, who has performed with the world renowned group the Elders, popular US entertainer Eddie Delahunt, and many other well known artists in the Celtic music world, will be taking a detour from traditional, contemporary and original Irish music when he performs the ‘Concerto for Bandoneon and Orchestra’, by Astor Piazzolla, in his debut with the Kansas City Civic Symphony Orchestra (now in its 48th season), under the direction of Andy Anderson.
Brett was born in Auckland, New Zealand but now makes his home in the Kansas City area of the United States. Brett began playing the accordion at age 7, and at the age of 12 won his first New Zealand championship for that age category and continued to perform and compete into his late teens as a soloist and with duet, trio, quartet, ensemble and orchestra.
The concert will take place on Saturday April 28th at 7.30pm at the Atonement Lutheran Church, 9948 Metcalf in Overland Park, Kansas. Tickets are not required, and admittance is by donation at the door.
2nd National Accordion Competition, Kozani – Greece
Contributed by Alexander Tchuev
The second Greek National Accordion Competition will be held on April 28th and 29th at the ‘Theatrodromio’ Hall in the city of Kozani.
The Director of the Competition is Alexander Tchuev (picture left), and the President of the Jury is Evgenia Tcherkazova (Kiev, Ukraine).
There are categories for solo, ensemble and orchestra. Evgenia Tcherkazova (picture right) and Alexander Tchuev will both perform in concert during the championships on April 28th, then will perform concerts in the following Greek cities:
April 30th - Grevena
May 2nd - Trikala
May 3rd - Patras
May 4th - Thessaloniki
The
44th Klingenthal
International Accordion Competition, May 4th to 10th, also includes
a comprehensive program of concerts. Starting with the opening concert
featuring Juan José Mosalini (Argentinien – Bandoneon)
and Maria Vlasova (Russia - picture right) 2006 Klingenhal top solo
category winner, with the Vogtland Philharmonie Greiz/Reichenbach.
Others featured include: Timofej Satarov, Eva Zöllner and Krisján
Orri Sigurleifsson (double bass), Fabian Carbone (bandoneon), Sebastian
Reimann (bandoneon), Mario D’ Amario and many others, with concerts
every day of the event.
The International Accordion Music Festival 'From Baroque to Jazz', is a series of events that takes place in Wroclaw and Brzeg from April 20th to November 25th. There are evening concerts on April 20th, 21st and 24th.
The
festival is held under the patronage of the Lower Silesia Region Speaker
and the General Consulate of Austrian Republic in Krakow. The contest
Jury Chairman is Professor of Music Academy in Lodz, Bogdan Dowlasz.
Picture left is organizer Olexiy Suslov.
English
Deutsch
Français
Italiano 
Español
Chinese 
Russian 
Accordions ‘Made in Castelfidardo’ – Italy
Paolo
Picchio
Magazine Accordéon et Accordéonistes - France
The
Sir James Anderton Award for Musical Excellence – an award
given by the British College of Accordionists to the candidate obtaining
the highest mark at Grade 6 examinations, has been awarded for 2006
to Mariel Agius, from Rabat, Malta, a student of Antoinette Borg.
Mro
Psaila also initiated a Celebrity Interview by 
Accordionist
Wins Competition with other Instruments! - Macedonia
The third category (born 1988 and younger) was won by 17 years old Aleksandar Kolovski (picture left), an accordion student of Professor Zorica Karakutovska (picture right), in a competition for all instruments and with 29 competitors. As the competitor with the highest number of points (LAUREATE), Aleksandar received 300 Euros and a certificate. The Macedonian piece in his programme was the composition ‘Miniature’, from Elizabeta Ilievska.
At the final concert held on April 9th at the Concert Hall ‘ARM’ the winners from I, II, III and IV categories competed for ‘GRAND PRIX”’ - 1000 Euros, award sponsored and given by the Mayor of the City of Skopje, Mr. Trifun Kostovski (picture left).
The Accordion Teachers' Association of Massachusetts (ATAM) recently held their 45th New England Music Festival in Newton (Boston) Massachusetts.
Several
awards were given during the weekend, including to honorary ATAM member
A
well-attended charity accordion concert held on April 17th in the
Shire Hall, Howden, Yorkshire, proved to be great success. 
The
Milwaukee Accordion Club (MAC) will feature accordionist Walter Ostanek
on April 23rd when they hold their monthly gathering at the Root River
Center, 7220 W. Rawson Avenue, phone: (414) 425-7225. 
Kansas City based musician Brett Gibson, who has performed with the world renowned group the Elders, popular US entertainer Eddie Delahunt, and many other well known artists in the Celtic music world, will be taking a detour from traditional, contemporary and original Irish music when he performs the ‘Concerto for Bandoneon and Orchestra’, by Astor Piazzolla, in his debut with the Kansas City Civic Symphony Orchestra (now in its 48th season), under the direction of Andy Anderson.
The second Greek National Accordion Competition will be held on April 28th and 29th at the ‘Theatrodromio’ Hall in the city of Kozani.
There are categories for solo, ensemble and orchestra. Evgenia Tcherkazova (picture right) and Alexander Tchuev will both perform in concert during the championships on April 28th, then will perform concerts in the following Greek cities:
Klingenthal Concert Program - Germany
The
44th 
International Accordion Music Festival 'From Baroque to Jazz', Wroclaw – Poland
The
festival is held under the patronage of the Lower Silesia Region Speaker
and the General Consulate of Austrian Republic in Krakow. The contest
Jury Chairman is Professor of Music Academy in Lodz, Bogdan Dowlasz.
Picture left is organizer Olexiy Suslov.
