The UK Roland V-Accordion Competition takes place at St Audries Bay Holiday Centre, Somerset, England, on September 6th and 7th.
There are four sections: Beginner, Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced, which are open to all ages. All entries are to be played on a V Accordion and instruments will be available on the day for use in the competition by those who do not have their own V Accordion. Each section has a choice of test pieces from which one must be selected. In addition the contestant is to play an own choice piece of appropriate standard, maximum of 5 minutes duration.
Cash prizes and trophies will be given to the winner of each section, and the winners will also be invited to play in the ‘Winners Concert’ on the Sunday evening. Entry forms will be available online shortly, or can be obtained now from organisers John and Jackie Romero.
The Test Pieces are:
Beginners Section
1) ‘Echoes of Paris’ - Sue Coppard
2) ‘A cloche pieds’ - Maryline Menweg
Elementary Section
1) ‘Square Dance Polka’ - Keith Harling
2) ‘Sicilia mia Bella!’ - Sue Coppard
Intermediate Section
1) ‘L’enfant Demon’ - Claude Thomain
2) ‘The Maigret Theme’ - Ron Grainer (arr. Trevani)
3) ‘Libertango’ - Astor Piazolla
Advanced Section
1) ‘I Got Rhythm’ - George Gershwin (arr. Jack Emblow)
2) ‘Monsieur Roudoudou’ - Claude Thomain
3) ‘Hora Staccato’ – Dinicu
The weekend also includes demonstrations of Roland Virtual Accordions by Romano Viazzani and Karen Street. The week that follows, September 8th to 13th, is St. Audries Accordion Teaching Week, a festival featuring guests Pearl Fawcett-Adriano, Gary Blair, Harry Hussey, George Syrett, Gennaro Fiondella, Rosemary Wright, and John Romero.
The official opening of Castelfidardo Musica's new shop took place on Saturday May 31st. The ribbon was cut by Mr. Moreno Giannattasio, the town’s Culture Minister.
The well-attended event saw performances by accordionists Mirco Patarini and Danilo Di Paolonicola, as well as by other instrumentalists.
In addition to selling a wide range of accordions and other instruments, the shop’s owner, Massimo Mazzantini, will continue to exhibit the world’s biggest accordion, made by Mr Giancarlo Franchanella - which has been a popular exhibit for some years already.
Roland U.S. Corporation's First Ever Virtual Accordion Festival, Los Angles – USA
Contributed by Ron Lankford
Los Angeles - Music Giant Roland U.S. Corporation has put its considerable resources behind development of a line of virtual accordions in its campaign to bring the accordion back into the mainstream of American music. Recognizing that the International
resurgence of the accordion's popularity has taken off with American audiences as well, Roland is catching the eye of the American public by supporting a search for America's finest Accordionists by holding its first annual U.S. National Competition.
One lucky participant will win a trip to Rome, Italy to perform in the International Accordion Festival to be held on November 7th and 8th 2008. In addition to the Rome trip, the U.S. First prize winner will receive their choice of the world renowned Roland FR-7 or FR-7b V-Accordion. Participants 18 and older will perform in the Senior Soloist Division (the only division open to those in the U.S.) for a chance to win 5000 Euros.
Select lucky finalists who have their 5 minute solo audition tapes selected will be flown along with the guest of their choice to the Saturday September 20th competition to be held at Roland's U.S. Media Center in Los Angeles. In addition each of these finalists will receive loans of Roland’s FR-7 or FR7b on which to perform their 5-minute solos in whatever genre of music they excel.
Amateur and/or professional players have an equal chance of winning and are both invited to send their 5-minute video tapes to Roland using their own stand alone.
Accordions of any type (no special effects, audio files, mp3s, or etc, will be allowed).
Interested parties should contact Roland US for details and entry forms at their web site www.rolandus.com/v-accordion.
Alexander Korbakov at Stockport Accordion Club, England - UK
Alexander Korbakov, from St Petersburg, Russia, has become a welcome visitor to accordion clubs and festivals in the UK, winning over audiences with his presentation, personality and playing technique. His latest tour included concerts in accordion clubs, churches, and also in some primary schools, where he has introduced the accordion to schoolchildren with spellbinding and spectacular performances.
At Stockport Accordion Club, on June 11th, Alexander Korbakov enthralled his audience with a truly wonderful performance. His first half was essentially a classical programme, which began with a very fluid interpretation of ‘Prelude and Fugue in G minor’, by JS Bach. Alexander quickly relaxed into his performance and, aided by very good acoustics, followed with ‘Winter’ - Vivaldi, ‘Ave Maria – G. Caccini, ‘Rondo a la Turka’ – Mozart, ‘The Barber of Seville’ – Rossini, and ‘Sabre Dance’ – Kachaturian.
The second half saw Alexander Korbakov playing mainly Russian folk tunes, including ‘Casatchok’, ‘Kalinka’, etc, plus the contrasting ‘Fiddle Faddle’ – Leroy Anderson, and two splendid impromptu duets with leading concertina player John Nixon: ‘A Man and a Woman’ and ‘Besame Mucho’. His performance displayed an abundance of musicality, and at the concert’s end, Alexander received a standing ovation and an unprecedented three encores. He commented that English audiences are his most appreciative.
Alexander Korbakov’s remaining tour dates include:
14th, 8pm – Soar Valley Accordion Club, Rothley Village Hall, Leicestershire
18th, 7.30pm – Horningsea Church, Cambridge
19th, 7.30pm – Harlow Accordion Club, Links Social Club, Essex
20th, 7pm – Guildford Accordion Club, Village Hall, Ripley, Surrey
Next Saturday, June 14th, 6pm, in the Evang.-Ref. Gemeinde Am Marktplatz, Neu-Isenburg, and on Sunday, June 15th, 6 pm, in the Johannis-Kirche der Ev.Kirchengemeinde Bornheim, Turmstr.21, Frankfurt, bayan soloist Mirjana Petercol will peform together with the Kammerorchester Neu-Isenburg, under the Direction of Peter Halmi, the ‘A-Dur Konzert BWV 1055’, by J.S.Bach.
This harpsichord concert is very likely to a concerto for oboe d'amore in A Major, most popular in the 18th Century. The 3-piece Concerto, with his ‘modern’ periodic structure of the 1st part, the swinging ‘Sicilino’, and the inspired tirades and expressive melodies of the last in the French dance is a refreshingly and subtle work of the great master. Other works by Gossec FJ, F. Ferkas and A. Scarlatti, will complete this concert.
ZUM, featuring accordionist Eddie Hession, perform their ‘Gypsy Tango Inferno’ on Saturday June 14th, 7.30pm, at St. George's, Great George Street, off Park Street, Bristol BS1 5RR.
The annual Paris Jazz Festival takes place during June and July at the Parc Floral de Paris, Route du Champ de Manoeuvre, 75012 Paris. Concerts involving free reed instrument players are:
June 21st, 1.30pm – the Armenian Folk Quintet, featuring accordionist Gevorg Manukyan
June 28th, 3pm – harmonica player Son of Dave
The annual ‘Accordions By The Sea Festival’ takes place from June 27th to 29th at the Victoria Edelweiss Club, 108 Niagara Street, Victoria, British Colombia. The guest artistes include Mario Pedone (picture left), Barbara Ann Martindale, Irv Lang, Marc Wald, Reis Vink, Lou DiMaggio, and the Victoria Accordion Club Band.
The festival’s workshops include: ‘Dressing up a song’ and ‘Music software’ - Mario Pedone; ‘Introduction to Accordion’ and ‘Advanced accordion technique’ - Lou DiMaggio; ‘Preparing for Competition & Concerts’ and ‘Memorizing music’ – Barbara Ann Martindale.
Vienna-based Bulgarian jazz accordionist Martin Lubenov and his quartet have announced some concert dates. At the Rio Loco Festival in Toulouse, France, Martin Lubenov will share the stage with French accordion legend Richard Galliano.
Concert dates:
June 19th – Rio Loco Festival, Toulouse, France
July 23rd – Festival Castillo Ainsa, Spain
August 15th – Mundus Festival, Castelnovo ne’ Monti, Italy
October 4th – Kulturhaus Greith, St. Ulrich im Greith, Austria
December 15th – Porgy & Bess, Vienna, Austria
Zamballarana, from the French island of Corsica, are a vocal/instrumental band featuring accordion. Last year they made a big impression at the Viennese Accordion Festival, and are now back on tour, as follows:
June 28th - Musikfest, Waidhofen/Thaya, Austria
July 2nd - Bergamo, Italy
3rd – Piazza, Koper/Capodistria, Siovenia
4th - Schulschluss Open Air, St. Jakob im Rosental/Sentjakob v Rozu, Austria
August 5th - Linzergassenfest, Salzburg, Austria
31st – Strassenspektakel, Straden, Austria (TBC)
September 2nd – Happy Art Festival, Nyiregyhaza, Hungary
4th – Cinema Paradiso, St. Pölten, Austria
Tango Negro Trio Concerts – Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia
The Blue Bayou, an authentic Louisiana restaurant situated at 111 rue St Maur, 75011 Paris, is to hold a Cajun concert and dance, 9pm until 11pm, on Tuesday July 1st. From 6pm until 8pm, there will be tuition in Cajun dancing.
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Cash prizes and trophies will be given to the winner of each section, and the winners will also be invited to play in the ‘Winners Concert’ on the Sunday evening. Entry forms will be available online shortly, or can be obtained now from organisers John and Jackie Romero.
The well-attended event saw performances by accordionists 
One lucky participant will win a trip to Rome, Italy to perform in the International Accordion Festival to be held on November 7th and 8th 2008. In addition to the Rome trip, the U.S. First prize winner will receive their choice of the world renowned 
Alexander Korbakov, from St Petersburg, Russia, has become a welcome visitor to accordion clubs and festivals in the UK, winning over audiences with his presentation, personality and playing technique. His latest tour included concerts in accordion clubs, churches, and also in some primary schools, where he has introduced the accordion to schoolchildren with spellbinding and spectacular performances.
Next Saturday, June 14th, 6pm, in the Evang.-Ref. Gemeinde Am Marktplatz, Neu-Isenburg, and on Sunday, June 15th, 6 pm, in the Johannis-Kirche der Ev.Kirchengemeinde Bornheim, Turmstr.21, Frankfurt, bayan soloist Mirjana Petercol will peform together with the Kammerorchester Neu-Isenburg, under the Direction of Peter Halmi, the ‘A-Dur Konzert BWV 1055’, by J.S.Bach.
ZUM – ‘Gypsy Tango Inferno’, Bristol – UK
Accordionist 
The annual Paris Jazz Festival takes place during June and July at the Parc Floral de Paris, Route du Champ de Manoeuvre, 75012 Paris. Concerts involving free reed instrument players are:
‘Accordions By The Sea Festival’, Victoria BC – Canada
The annual ‘Accordions By The Sea Festival’ takes place from June 27th to 29th at the Victoria Edelweiss Club, 108 Niagara Street, Victoria, British Colombia. The guest artistes include Mario Pedone (picture left), Barbara Ann Martindale, Irv Lang, Marc Wald, Reis Vink, Lou DiMaggio, and the Victoria Accordion Club Band.
Vienna-based Bulgarian jazz accordionist 
Brazilian accordionist Renato Borghetti continues his extended European tour, with the following dates:
Zamballarana, from the French island of Corsica, are a vocal/instrumental band featuring accordion. Last year they made a big impression at the Viennese Accordion Festival, and are now back on tour, as follows: