Since
1922 the Ballone
Burini Lido & C. srl family is producing their accordion brand
Ballone-Burini in Castelfidardo, Italy. Alessandro, born on the 19th
of February by mamma Guendalina feels already very comfortable between
buttons and keys in the arms of grandpa Massimo, uncle Fabio and father
Andrea Ballone-Burini.
Welcome to the world of music and congratulations from Accordions
Worldwide!
The
annual Klingenthal
International Accordion Competition takes place from May 3rd to
May 8th. The competition is intended for accordion and bandoneon soloists
and instrumental groups featuring one accordion or bandoneon.
The music performed ranges from classics, original compositions, modern
and virtuosi light music. The competition includes evening concerts,
with stars of the national and international accordion and bandoneon
scene.
Evening Concert Program:
May 3rd, 7.30pm - opening concert in the King Albert theatre, Bad
Elster, (accordion soloist and the Vogtland Philharmonic Greiz, Greiz/Reichenbach)
May 4th, 7pm - concert in the Roman Catholic church, Klingenthal (clarinet ensemble of the Robert Schumann Conservatory, Zwickau)
May 5th, 7.30pm - studio concert, Aula, Amtsberg (Bandoneon soloist Victor Villena, from Argentina)
May 6th, 7.30pm - Klingenthal Accordion Orchestra and an accordion soloist from the competition
May 7th, 7.30pm – concert Aula, Amtsberg (group from Germany and Tobias Morgenstern, accordion soloist from Uruquay)
May 8th, 7.30pm - prizewinners’ concert, Aula, Amtsberg (also featuring the Vogtland Philharmonic Greiz, Greiz/Reichenbach)
Frank Marocco Jazz Accordion Workshop, Bassano del Grappa - Italy
American accordionist Frank Marocco leads this year’s Veneto jazz summer workshop. The jazz accordion workshop is organised with the support of Victoria Accordions, and takes place in Bassano del Grappa from July 21st to 25th.
The lessons include: general approach of using the accordion in different
jazz styles; explanation of the various ways of combining the left
and right hand, harmony/rhythm; advanced techniques for jazz chords;
accompaniment techniques.
The musicians Massimo Tagliata, as teacher, and Andrea Dessì,
as didactical assistant, Bassano del Grappa will assist in the workshops.
Frank Marocco is one of the most accomplished accordionists in the world, with soundtracks recorded for hundreds of Hollywood movies and television programmes. He has performed with Frank Sinatra, Pink Floyd, Prince, Madonna, Luciano Pavarotti, Liza Minnelli, and many others.
There will be a maximum of 15 students, and the enrolment deadline is May 10th.
Russian
accordionist Yuri
Medianik (left) is the Artistic Director of the ‘Pluri_Art’
festival in Istra, Moscow, held from June 10th to 20th.
Viacheslav
Semionov will hold bayan accordion master classes. The festival
also offers master classes in violin - Sergey Girshenko, and piano
- Alex Kobrin. The closing date for applications is May 31st.
Participants will be able to spend 10 days in this fascinating region of Moscow, which is spread over a picturesque bank of the River Istra, with a peaceful and calm atmosphere. Apart from the classes, the participants of the master class sessions will be offered a series of excursions in Moscow and an opportunity to attend cultural events dedicated to the anniversary day of Istra.
The
closing concert will take place in the Ceremonial Chamber of the New
Jerusalem Monastery, representing a contest of the best participants
of the session.
The ‘Pluri_Art’ Festival is the first project on post-Soviet territory aimed at reviving the young people’s appreciation of academic music in Russia and at the same time giving the young musicians an opportunity to make progress and demonstrate their skills on the international stage. One of the key objectives of the project and the master-class is to attract young musicians that are not guided by stereotypes and are capable of performing music beyond the established classical music concept. The ‘Pluri_Art’ programs are not limited to academic study, but include a challenging experimental performance of classic, folklore, ethnic and other music trends.
What an incredible gift this man has. It makes one ask oneself whether one is listening to a robot such is his perfect execution of the music, but then with that technical perfection comes the most human and intelligent interpretation that affirms in one’s mind that Mika Väyrynen is mortal after all. I am only sorry that I was unable to attend his master classes, which took place at the RAM during the day before his evening concert on April 14th. Needless to say that the students at London’s Royal Academy of Music would have undoubtedly got a lot from the master, who is only 40 years old himself.
Väyrynen’s concert in the David Josefowitz Hall – his UK debut - was supported in the first half of the programme by 4 of the accordion students at the RAM. First was Rafal Luc, in his first year at the RAM with a very mature ‘Prelude and Fugue in B minor BWV 893’ from the ‘Well-Tempered Clavier’. This was followed by an exiting interpretation of ‘Interieur’, by Franck Angelis. Derek Butler Prize-winning Milos Milivojevic was up next with a well-interpreted ‘Chorale and Variations’, from Mendelssohn’s ‘Organ Sonata in Dminor op 65’.
A
major musical promotion by the DHV in co-operation with Matth.
Hohner AG to promote the accordion and music education to young
people is taking place, starting on the 26th April with the honorary
President of the DHV Ernst Pfister, walking from Trossingen to Stuttgart
in five stages.
An extensive brochure of this major musical publicity event is linked,
written in German.
We hope to have a full report of the event in English for next week.
Ludovic Beier Peforms at Falcetti Music Center in
Springfield, MA - USA
Roland
accordion artist Ludovic Beier performed a magnificent concert in
Springfield, Massachusetts at the Facletti Music Center headquarters,
which was packed with attendees eager to learn more about the family
of digital technology accordions.
Performing a diverse selection of classics, pop music, jazz and French
Musette, French accordionist Ludovic Beier incorporated traditional
accordion sounds as well as a variety of instrumental sounds and effects
while highlighting many of the Roland
features.
Utilizing Physical Behavior Modeling, the instrument technology uses
complex algorithms to accurately recreate an acoustic accordion's
sound characteristics and expressive nuances.
In
attendance was the newly appointed point person for accordion
at Roland,
Los Angeles based Ron Lankford.
Picture left of Ludovic Beier and Sam Falcetti.
To conclude the concert, Ludovic was joined by local musician and
former Falcetti Music student Don McMahon in some dazzling duet work
(picture below).
For more information on the members of the Roland digital accordion
family, please visit www.rolandus.com
31st ‘Days of Macedonian Music’, Skopje – Macedonia
Contributed by Anica Karakutovska
The annual ‘Days of Macedonian Music 2008’, organised by the Composers Association of Macedonia – SOCOM, patron: President of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Branko Crvenkovski and Ministry of Culture, was held from March 25th to April 2nd in Skopje.
At the concert of Young Macedonian Composers, students of the composition classes at the Faculty of Music in Skopje, held on April 1st in the City Museum of Skopje, Macedonian composer Elizabeta Ilievska presented her new work ‘MaKEDONIKuM’ for chamber ensemble.
The quartet consisted of: Vanco Arevski - flute, Nadica Ristic - oboe, Petrus Petrusevski - double bass, and Bojan Volcevski - accordion, was prepared by Professor Zorica Karakutovska.
The composition ‘MaKEDONIKuM’ is inspired by Macedonian rhythm, folklore and life of Macedonian people pictured through contemporary techniques for composing, which was very well received by the large audience, and music critics wrote that this was an excellent new work.
French
accordionists Eric Bouvelle and Jean Marc Torchy, who both play Cavagnolo
instruments have new recordings available.
Eric Bouvelle, backed by pianist Laurent Desmurs, has released a CD containing 12 new titles.
Jean Marc Torchy has just released two new DVDs – ‘Le Tango à Carro’ and ‘Nos Régions au son de l’accordéon’. The former has 18 tracks, and the latter has 48 tracks, involves an orchestra, and lasts for two and half hours. Email: jean-marc.torchy@wanadoo.fr
Quarteto Gelato perform in concert at Binghamton Philharmonic, 31 Front Street, Binghamton, New York on Saturday April 26th, 8pm.
Formed in 1994, the quartet's unique blend of fine technique, musical variety and wit has won over audiences from New York to Los Angeles and from London to Tokyo. Classical, but with other influences, Quartetto Gelato programs are filled with an intriguing mix of traditional masterworks, operatic arias, tangos and folk songs from around the world. The quartet's lineup includes: Shalom Bard – clarinet, Peter DeSotto - tenor, violin and mandolin; Carina Reeves – cello, and 2007 Coupe Mondiale champion Alexander Sevastian - accordion and piano.
On Saturday April 26th, 9pm, the Veronika Todorova Band will perform in the Café-Garten, Liebighauses, Frankfurt, during the event ‘Night of Museums’. It will be a long night and the band will therefore present the best of their wide-ranging repertoire.
A variety concert titled ‘Soirée Hommage à Denis Cacheux’ – a tribute evening to the French film actor Denis Cacheux - takes place on April 30th, 8.30pm, at the Theatre Sebastopol, Lille. Accordionist Thierry Montagne, and Marcel et son Orchestre are amongst the acts appearing.
Folk singer/accordionist John Kirkpatrick is constantly busy performing in folk clubs and folk festivals in England throughout the year. He often works with other singers, musicians and bands, but also does lots of solo concerts. Kirkpatrick, who plays the 3-row diatonic button accordion, 1 and 2-row melodeons and the Anglo concertina, has recorded about 70 albums, either under his own name or in collaboration with others. His forthcoming appearances include:
April 24th – as a duo with singer/guitarist Roy Bailey at Huntingdon Hall, Crowngate, Worcester, WR1 3LD
April 25th – solo concert: The Goose is Out, The East Dulwich Tavern, 1 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, London, SE22 8EW
April 26th - duo with Roy Bailey at Bridgwater Arts Centre, Castle Street, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 3DD.
May 2nd - duo with Roy Bailey at The Guildhall, Bore Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire
May 9th - solo concert: Folk at The Grove, The Grove Inn, Back Row, David St, Holbeck, Leeds, L11 5PL
Lille's Bohemian Wazemmes district parties to the strains of accordion music during the three-week Accordion Festival, May 4th to 24th. Most major concerts take place in and around the Maison Folie de Wazemmes. Accordionists involved include Thierry Montagne, Didier Demarq, Serge Desauney, Richard Galliano, Pascal Contet, Michèle Bernard, and many others.
The festival started as a fairly minor affair in the 1990s, but has become a major local music event, welcoming not only traditional folk musicians, but also rock, punk, jazz, classical and even tango stars. The festival always includes impromptu performances, dancing and revelry in bars across town.
Organised by the Veiveriai A. Kucingis School of Art, the second ‘Olimpo Musicale’ International Competition takes place in Prienai from June 3rd to 7th.
The Competition is open for all kind of young instrumentalists, including accordionists, who were born on or after the 1st of January 1991. The number of participants will be limited. The Organising Committee will admit the first 200 Application Forms of the candidates, who will be divided into age categories.
The instrumentalists of all categories must perform not less than 2 compositions:
a) Baroque or Classical composition(s);
b) Romantic or 20th or 21st Century composition(s).
Note: The program should consist of pieces reflecting different moods. It is not obligatory to repeat certain movements in the compositions. All pieces must be performed by heart.
The closing ceremony of the Competition will take place at the Cultural Centre concert hall in Prienai on June 8th. The third ‘Olimpo Musicale’ will be held in 2011.
João Pedro Oliveira - accordionist, composer, performer, release his new work for accordion available for purchase online. 'L'Accordéon du Diable (Devil's Accordion)'. Samples of this music is available on the site. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card.
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Russian 
Since
1922 the 
The
annual 
American accordionist Frank Marocco leads this year’s Veneto jazz summer workshop. The jazz accordion workshop is organised with the support of 
Russian
accordionist 
The
closing concert will take place in the Ceremonial Chamber of the New
Jerusalem Monastery, representing a contest of the best participants
of the session.
What an incredible gift this man has. It makes one ask oneself whether one is listening to a robot such is his perfect execution of the music, but then with that technical perfection comes the most human and intelligent interpretation that affirms in one’s mind that 
A
major musical promotion by the DHV in co-operation with 
Roland
accordion artist Ludovic Beier performed a magnificent concert in
Springfield, Massachusetts at the Facletti Music Center headquarters,
which was packed with attendees eager to learn more about the family
of digital technology accordions.
In
attendance was the newly appointed point person for accordion
at 
The annual ‘Days of Macedonian Music 2008’, organised by the Composers Association of Macedonia – SOCOM, patron: President of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Branko Crvenkovski and Ministry of Culture, was held from March 25th to April 2nd in Skopje.
French
accordionists Eric Bouvelle and Jean Marc Torchy, who both play 
Soirée Hommage à Denis Cacheux, Lille – France
Folk singer/accordionist John Kirkpatrick is constantly busy performing in folk clubs and folk festivals in England throughout the year. He often works with other singers, musicians and bands, but also does lots of solo concerts. Kirkpatrick, who plays the 3-row diatonic button accordion, 1 and 2-row melodeons and the Anglo concertina, has recorded about 70 albums, either under his own name or in collaboration with others. His forthcoming appearances include:
Lille's Bohemian Wazemmes district parties to the strains of accordion music during the three-week Accordion Festival, May 4th to 24th. Most major concerts take place in and around the Maison Folie de Wazemmes. Accordionists involved include Thierry Montagne, Didier Demarq, Serge Desauney, Richard Galliano, Pascal Contet, Michèle Bernard, and many others.
Jazz accordionist 