The famous Sata Hame Soi Competition and Festival has begun in Ikaalinen Finland. This superbly run event started on Wednesday and you can read the daily reports on the internet by Kevin Friedrich.
2nd International Competition of Acordionists – Brazil
Contributed by President Lauro Valerio, Association of the Acordeonistas of Brazil
The 2nd International Competition of Acordionists will be from 21st to 23rd of August 2008. The Competition is being promoted and organised by the Association of the Acordeonistas of Brazil.
A feature of the event is that the hotel and food for the candidates will be provided by the organisers during the days of the competition. This event aims to stimulate the culture and encourage the improvement of the Brazilian and South American accordionists, and to place Brazil and South America, into the international circuit of competitions for accordionists.
The jury will include Bruno Moritz (Winner of the 1st International Competition in Brazil), Prof. David Saidel, Carlos Gallizia (Vice-president of the Association of the Acordeonistas of Brazil), Mirco Patarini and Waldonys.
Also from the Association of the Acordeonistas of Brazil is a photo report of the very successful recent concert tour by Paolo Gandolfo (Italy) and the generous donation of a historic accordion to the Brazil association.
After three eventful stages from Trossingen to Rottweil, Oberndorf-Böchingen to Sulz and Gomaringen to Pliezhausen, with many musical highlights, over 2,000 visitors and prominent co-walkers are expected to enjoy the Ernst Pfister-Walk for the final stages, from Bietigheim Bissingen to Ludwigsburg to its final destination in Stuttgart.
For the grand final, Minister Pfister has prominent musical support for his initiative in Ludwigsburg, when Klaus Herrmann, MdL has promised to be present.
Already on Saturday at the musical event in Bietigheim, Eberhard Gienger, the former excersise-world champion and today as MP in Bietigiheim, will honor the event. Other prominent guests are Dr. Utz Remlinger, representatives of the Land Council and Mayor Juergen Kessing.
The start of the 4th Stage is on Saturday 28 June 2008 at 10.45am at the Landes-Musik-Festival in Bietigheim-Bissingen. The Stage continues on Sunday 29 June 2008 at 11.00 clock in front of the castle Schloss Solitude.
The Prime Minister of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Guenther Oettinger supporting the commitment of the youth to music and culture, will attend on Sunday morning for the musical stage start at Schloss Solitude.
Be there when the Minister of Economic Affairs Ernst Pfister keeps his promise to walk from Trossingen to Stuttgart! Everyone is invited to take part walking and making music if you wish or simply participate and be present at this extraordinary event.
Last month was the launching of Evenings Springtime presented by Philippe G in Périgueux at the Garden Ice Café. The evening was an exceptional show with dancers, several DJ's and Mickaël Vigneau! Mickaël Vigneau turned establishment heads with his arrangement, mixs' and remixs' incorporating the accordion including accordion with MIDI.
In addition to being a DJ and an accordionist, Mickaël Vigneau is also producer and mixer and arranger for "Paris-Havana" in which the accordion holds a dominant role.
Mickael Vigneau has also been demonstrating accordions for the Hohner company and on May 31st, he was performing in the department store Gert Nijkamp of Apeldoorn (Amsterdam).
A benefit auction for children with leukaemia was organized by Raisa Gorbacheva and took place in London on June 7th. Together with other Olympic champions in figure skating like Alexej Tichobov and Maria Petrova, was Aidar Gainullin, the prize-winner of various international accordion competitions.
Also present was: Chulpan Chamatova, Michail Gorbachev (picture right with Aidar), Hugh Grant, Bon,o Kiril Serebrennikov, Aleksandr and Evgeny Lebedev, plus about 600 invited audience.
Prizes at the auction included a car from Bently, a lunch with Gorbachev, a tennis match with well-known German tennis player Boris Becker in what was a quite remarkable fund raiser for children with leukaemia.
Accordionist Marco Franconi of Ussita (Macerata, Italy), and student of Alessandro Mugnoz at the Institute "GB Pergolesi" of Ancona, has recently obtained the prize of a scholarship, as the best accordion student for the academic year 2007/08.
The young accordionist recently participated (with flattering successes) in different competitions and concerts, such as "Young People Yesterday" in Ancona, where - along with accordionist Luigino Pallotta (another promising student of Maestro Mugnoz) -- performed with considerable maturity and skill, a program "between the serious and popular music"
A new listing on the Stolen Accordion site concerns the accordion stolen recently from Charles R Smith. Accordionists are reminded to report all stolen accordions to this site to hopefully discourage future thefts and make the accordions harder to sell.
You are welcome to send in details of thefts in the last 3 years if the accordion has not been recovered. Submit on the Stolen Accordion site.
Niek van Uden (pictured) who also had an accordion lost recently has written an article "Recovering a Lost Accordion" about the experience.
The Spokane Accordion Orchestra, WA will be performing one of Philip Buttall’s compositions (Princess Grainne's Air and Jig) at their bi-annual concert titled Around The World. This concert will be held on July 1, 2008 at St. Marks Lutheran Church Spokane, WA conducted by Patricia Bartell.
Additionally, the Lone Ar-ranger solo composed by Philip Buttall is probably going to be popular again in 2008 with performers in Montana and Seattle for the Leavenworth and Kimberley International Accordion Festivals. The winner last year performed this work in the Leavenworth Open Category.
The Duo Paris Moscow training course in La Bourboule, Auvergne, will be held from the 9th to 14th August, 2008. Dominique Emorine and Roman Jbanov, the Duo Paris Moscow, have designed their course to be suitable for all ages, different types of accordion including standard bass and free bass, and greatly different levels of ability.
Each day comprises individual and group sessions. The final concert will be at 21:00 hours, 14 August in La Bourboule, Auvergne.
The 1st National Accordion Competition of Valle del Savuto for accordion, keyboard electronics and organ is to be held on 19th and 20th July 2008 in Belsito (CS).
On Saturday and Sunday evening (from 9 pm onwards) the winners of each category will have a chance to present themselves, at the outdoors stage of the local “piazza” square of the city. Special guest and President of the Jury will be famous French performer Jean Louis Noton.
Craven Accordion Orchestra Concert - UK
The Craven Accordion Orchestra are to hold their Summer Concert at Skipton Town Hall Saturday, 8 pm on the 12th July 2008
The Orchestra now in its 14th year consists of varied abilities from novice up to musicians of the highest level, some of whom are National Champions. The program contains a varied selection appealing to all tastes; from popular standards, light classical to modern film theme music plus the traditional big band sound.
Also featuring on the concert will be National Prize winners from the 2008 British Championships featuring young soloists Megan Parkinson and Erin Cokell, the successful ensembles and Max Verity (achievement for highest Exam marks).
Guest Artist is Thom Hardaker, who is currently a student of the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia. Thom, who is studying under Professor Oleg Sharov has successfully completed the conservatory’s one year preparatory program and is about to start the four year course up to doctorate level leading to a D.M.A. (Doctor of Musical Arts) qualification.
For further information, please ring 01729 840137 or 01535 635074.
On the 10th - 13th October 2008 is the Eastbourne Autumn Accordion Weekend featuring guest artists Marco Valenti, Pearl Adriano, Harry Hussey, Romano Viazzani, John Romero, Gary Blair, Charlie Watkins and the Crawley Accordion Orchestra (conductor Shaun Hunter). Over ten hours of classes will also run during the weekend
Peter Piccini - accordionist, composer, arranger, performer, release 1 new work for accordion available for purchase online. 'Romantic Nights'. Samples of theses music are 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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2nd International Competition of Acordionists – Brazil
A feature of the event is that the hotel and food for the candidates will be provided by the organisers during the days of the competition. This event aims to stimulate the culture and encourage the improvement of the Brazilian and South American accordionists, and to place Brazil and South America, into the international circuit of competitions for accordionists.
Also from the Association of the Acordeonistas of Brazil is a photo report of the very successful recent concert tour by Paolo Gandolfo (Italy) and the generous donation of a historic accordion to the Brazil association.
For the grand final, Minister 
Last month was the launching of Evenings Springtime presented by Philippe G in Périgueux at the Garden Ice Café. The evening was an exceptional show with dancers, several DJ's and Mickaël Vigneau! Mickaël Vigneau turned establishment heads with his arrangement, mixs' and remixs' incorporating the accordion including accordion with MIDI.
A benefit auction for children with leukaemia was organized by Raisa Gorbacheva and took place in London on June 7th. Together with other Olympic champions in figure skating like Alexej Tichobov and Maria Petrova, was Aidar Gainullin, the prize-winner of various international accordion competitions.
Accordionist Marco Franconi of Ussita (Macerata, Italy), and student of 
A new listing on the 
The Spokane Accordion Orchestra, WA will be performing one of 
The 
The 1st National Accordion Competition of Valle del Savuto for accordion, keyboard electronics and organ is to be held on 19th and 20th July 2008 in Belsito (CS).
On the 10th - 13th October 2008 is the Eastbourne Autumn Accordion Weekend featuring guest artists Marco Valenti, 