Dr.
Lynda Griffith is collecting research data (Questionnaire)
about accordionists, concertinists and bandoneonists etc. and their
practice habits, skill levels, and possible injuries. Information
gathered will be included in an upcoming book about the mechanics
of playing different types of accordions, and prevention and treatment
of injuries to players.
To date, Lynda Griffith has collected responses from over 400 players
from more than 25 countries. The book will be written as a reference
for the player, for teachers, and for medical practitioners who treat
injuries.
Lynda Griffith has unique qualifications as a Doctor of Physical Therapy,
Licensed Physical Therapist, a Certified Accordion, Concertina and
Bandoneon Repair Technician, who plays all seven of the major instruments
of the accordion family. Lynda Griffith is also a member of the Performing
Arts Medicine Association and the Performing Arts Special Interest
Group of the American Physical Therapy Association.
Most respondents in the study are from the USA because these have
been the easiest for Lynda Griffith to contact, and now, citizens
of Europe, Asia, Russia, Africa and China need to be better represented
in the study, to improve the world significance. Please help by participating
and by asking your friends, colleagues, students and teachers to complete
the Questionnaire.
Vadim
Fedorov at "Accordion Day", Reykjavik - Iceland
On
May 5th, Accordion Day is going to take place in Reykjavik City Town
Hall. Special guest is Vadim
Fedorov, the Russian bayan player, now resident in Iceland, the
winner of several international competitions.
Vadim Fedorov will perform with his jazz-trio: Leifur Gunnarsson
(bass) and Gunnar Hilmarsson (guitar). The trio was formed by Vadim
in November 2006, and has already gained popularity often performing
in Reykjavik.
Pascal
Contet with his Trio, has been nominated for the award Victoires
du Jazz 2007 for his CD ‘Contet, Chevillon, Corneloup’.
This is a very prestigious award for all musicians, previously won
by Richard Galliano, Marcel Azzola and Daniel Mille, and Pascal
is proud to be part of the selection.
This CD is available on the Internet for the price of 15 Euros plus
mailing costs instead of 22 Euros.
The final results of this award will be broadcast on June 9th on TV
and Radio Française (France 3 TV, France 4 TV and
France Inter Radio).
There
will be daily reports of the UK
Championships and Festival, Friday May 4th to Sunday May 6th on
the NAO website.
Just click the banner above to go and view the site, which already
includes a daily schedule of competitions and concerts, and will have
results posted immediately after the event.
There
will be daily reports of the 44th Klingenthal
International Accordion Competition and Festival in Klingenthal,
Germany from the 7th to the 10th May. Just click the banner above
to go and view the site and the results at the end of the event.
Accordions Worldwide Director Harley Jones will be reporting both these events and welcomes meeting as many accordionists as possible.
Corriere Della Sera, one of the largest Italian daily newspapers had
the accordion featured in their front page ‘Photo of the Day’
on the April 30th.
Pictured is accordionist Omar Geles having a great time during a private
party at the Vallenato Festival in Valledupar, North Colombia. Picture
supplied by AP.
On April 29th, accordionist Aidar Gainullin, laureate of international
competitions and composer, and the famous cellist and conductor David
Geringas, Professor at the Hanns Eisler-University of Music in Berlin,
performed a grand concert with symphony orchestra in the famous hall
of ‘Santa Cecilia’ in Rome.
Their program included music of composers from Latin America. To conclude
the concert the musicians performed several works dedicated to the
memory of world-known cellist M. Rostropovich, who had passed away
last week.
Aidar Gainullin has recently received a scholarship from the fund of Rostropovich, who has personally and substantially supported his career.
Chicago Debut for Australian Accordionist, Illinois – USA
Australian-born, visually impaired accordionist, Bernadette Conlon, who is now residing in Rockford, Illinois, gave her debut performance for the Chicago Accordion Club.
Picture from left to right: Lenny Leto, Bernadette Conlon, and jazz
accordionist, Mike Alongi. The new look Bernadette
delighted the audience, with her charm and versatility, playing her
own dazzling arrangements, which ranged from Tchaikovsky's Waltz
of the Flowers, to an ABBA medley, selections from West Side
Story, to traditional accordion selections, to her boogie
version of Under the Boardwalk, to a warm standing ovation.
Bernadette is delighted to play for such groups, which keep the accordion alive and allow and encourage such artistes as herself to perform, encouraging new work and allowing artistes to lure the instrument into the realms of popularity.
The enthusiastic Chicago Accordion Club meets on the third Monday of the month, at the beautiful American Legion's Club in Elmhurst, with pre-meeting music from 6.30 pm, general business meeting at 7.30pm and the featured artist at approximately 8pm.
Next month's program will feature Seattle's wonderfully talented Zydeco
and jazz accordionist Murl Allen Sanders.
"Friends of the Accordion Meeting" Vendée
- France
On April 14th the ‘Friends of the Accordion’ gathered in the Ormeaux Hall in Herbaria, Vendée. In 1989 group was formed by the late Mr Hilaire Vinet, and is now led by Eugene Arnoux. Starting with only 17 accordionists, having become an association in 1993, they are now a group of 107 members!
Next year they will celebrate their 20th birthday and on this occasion they will meet again around a good meal accompanied with good music - naturally! All the occasions are good fun. In January they organize their general assembly, then in Spring a meal with dancing, in the Summer an open air picnic, and finally a Ball in order to help finance the association. They have developed a partnership with a music school and retired accordion Professor such as Alain Fillon who helps out some of these impassioned musicians!
The group meets every second week to play music and to exchange their ideas. Present at their last meeting the Mayor of the Herbaria, Mr Guy Duchenne, the accordion repairer with his trainee Catherine Barré, and Jean-Louis Noton, demonstrator for Cavagnolo accordions, who presented one of their latest model: Zykbox. A successful festival – bound to continue!
There will be a display of 100 antique accordions at Grantown Museum, Morayshire, from May 6th to 20th, from 10.30am to 4pm daily. The instruments are owned and displayed by Caroline Hunt.
Accordionist Zoltan Orosz’s long tour of Hungary will finish soon. The last concert will be held on May 18th, in the largest covered venue in Budapest, the László Papp Sportarena in Budapest.
After that Zoltán will perform 2 concerts with the group that is closest to his heart: ‘Zoltan Orosz and Friends’. This group features accordion, guitar, bass-guitar and percussion, which is a standard formation. A one-week tour of Transylvania will soon be undertaken.
Tom Alexander, from Glasgow, best known as the one of The Alexander Brothers, legends of Scottish entertainment, is the guest at Stockport Accordion Club on Wednesday May 9th, 8pm, Woodley Methodist Church, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 1BL.
In the enjoyable Ambience of the Rojachhofs Lendorf, Spittal, (a former castle) the Kärntner Accordion Association organizes from August 5th to 11th for the 5th time an accordion camp for students, and an accordion workshop for accordion teachers under the educational and artistic direction of Lars Holm. All students who want to meet and play with other accordionists are invited to participate and enjoy one week of fun.
Activities planned include: ensemble playing, percussions-workshop
and common rehearsing of pieces also free improvising, free time activities
such as walking tours, table tennis, football, as well as a large
final concert for family and friends.
Accordion teachers are invited to participate in a workshop for
further training. The aim of this accordion workshop is to offer a
platform for teachers in order to make possible contacts, exchange
of experiences, an accordion ensemble for teachers and discussions
in relaxing atmosphere.
The ensemble rehearsal times and the favourable situation of the Rojachhofs
(very near to the mountains, the lake Millstaettersee and the
city of Spittal) offer excellent possibilities for various vacation
activities - with family members and friends, who are very welcome
at the Rojachhof.
"The
Classic Accordion - what does it offer to composers?" Vienna
- Austria
Contributed by Hermi Kaleta
A workshop under the intriguing title "The Classic Accordion"
- what does it offer to composers?" takes place at the Conservatory
in Vienna on Sunday May 8th, from 10am until 4pm.
On the previous evening, May 7th, at 6.30pm, there will be an opening
concert featuring some specially commissioned compositions by the
Japanese composer Makoto Nomura.
FM Manufacturer for Accordion Accessories in Castelfidardo - new email contact details: www.accordions.com/fm
Lanzinger Harmonikas/Accordions - All kinds of Harmonikas (steirisch/diatonic) and accordion types produced by Peter Lanzinger in Italy.
Reeds manufacturer Harmonikas is situated in Louny, Czech Republic since 1946. The company is offering a wide range of reed quality including hand made, hand type, export type reeds for a variety of instruments such as harmonium, bayan and bandoneon. New technologies for precise cutting, profile grinding, semi-automatic tuning plus skilled workers ensure high quality.
Czech Republic accordion/harmonica makers based in Horovice (founded by Josef Kebrdle in 1920) now owned by Zdenek Koutny - AKORDEON SERVIS. These businesses are manufacturing the brands Josef Kebrdle, Lignatone, Delicia, Fantasy (custom made upon request) and are also importers of Italian and German made instruments and accessories and sellers of second-hand instruments.
Web: http://www.harmoniky.cz and www.delicia.cz
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Dr.
Lynda Griffith is collecting research data (
On
May 5th, Accordion Day is going to take place in Reykjavik City Town
Hall. Special guest is 
Trio Contet nominatet for: Victoires du Jazz 2007 - France
Pascal
Contet
This CD is available on the Internet for the price of 15 Euros plus
mailing costs instead of 22 Euros.
Acordionists
Have More Fun - Italy/Columbia
Aidar Gainullin Concert – Rome - Italy
Australian-born, visually impaired accordionist, 
On April 14th the ‘Friends of the Accordion’ gathered in the Ormeaux Hall in Herbaria, Vendée. In 1989 group was formed by the late Mr Hilaire Vinet, and is now led by Eugene Arnoux. Starting with only 17 accordionists, having become an association in 1993, they are now a group of 107 members!
They have developed a partnership with a music school and retired accordion Professor such as Alain Fillon who helps out some of these impassioned musicians!
Zoltan Orosz
Tom Alexander in Concert, Stockport – UK
Masterclasses with Bruno Maurice - France
In the enjoyable Ambience of the Rojachhofs Lendorf, Spittal, (a former castle) the Kärntner Accordion Association organizes from August 5th to 11th for the 5th time an accordion camp for students, and an accordion workshop for accordion teachers under the educational and artistic direction of Lars Holm. All students who want to meet and play with other accordionists are invited to participate and enjoy one week of fun.
"The
Classic Accordion - what does it offer to composers?" Vienna
- Austria
