Yuri Medianik, in a new season, continues a series of concerts in the Rakhmaninov Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, which are organized by the charitable fund ‘New Names’. Last year Yuri led a similar event together with the famous violinist Alena Baeva. In the concert season 2008-09, President of the ‘New Names’ fund Ivetta Voronova has pledged to support Yuri.
Concerts in this series will take place on October 19th, and on March 1st and April 5th 2009. Together with young graduate musicians (grant-aided students of the fund), Yuri Medianik has invited such known musicians as jazz pianist Daniel Kramer, classical Denis Matsuev (Denis Matsuev), and cellist Alexander Buzlov. Yuri will present each artiste in concerts, and will also play in each of the concerts with all participants.
The 5th Festival of Accordion’ takes place in the Auditorium Manuel Lekuona, Culture House, Lasarte-Oria, Gipuzkoa on September 27th. Artistes performing include Zoltan Orosz – Hungary, the Sabadell Accordion Orchestra – Spain, and the Zero Sette Akordeoi Orkestra – Spain.
Zoltan Orosz, studied at the Bela Bartok Conservatory in Budapest, where he studied the accordion and organ. He later studied at the Franz Liszt College, Budapest. At the age of 13, Zoltan Orosz entered the international accordion competition in Klingenthal, Germany, where he amazed the audiences with his talent.
Since 1992 Zoltan Orosz has played professionally, appearing at venues from Singapore to Paris, performing a wide variety of music. He is undoubtedly Hungary’s leading accordion virtuoso at the present time.
Friedrich Lips will celebrate his 60th birthday on November 18th 2008, which also marks an amazing artistic career of 40 years. Some of the important events planned in the coming months are:
September 20th to 27th - Master Class in Pula, Croatia
October 2nd to 6th - Competition in Tianjin, China
- 17th to 25th - Head of Jury at the Russian national competition in Vladimir; Efrem Podgaits: ‘LIPS-Concert’
for bayan solo and chamber orchestra
October 30th to November 5th – Head of Jury, ‘Coupe Friedrich Lips’, Tchelyabinsk
November 16th - Giya Kancheli: ‘Kapote’ for bayan solo and chamber orchestra, Yuri Bashmet - conductor, Big Hall, Tchaikowsky-Conservatory, Moscow
December 10th to 14th - l ‘Bayan and Bayanists’ Festival, Moscow
13th - G. Kancheli: ‘Kapote’ for bayan solo and chamber orchestra; E. Podgaits: ‘Viva Voce’ for bayan solo and chamber orchestra - world premiere, Concert Hall, Gnessin Academy of Music, Moscow
Accordions Now!, New Hampshire – USA
Contributed by Donna Maria Regis
The ‘Accordions Now!’ Festival, co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Accordion Association and Accordion Connection LLC, takes place on Saturday, August 2nd, 9am until 6pm, at the Radisson Hotel, 700 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101.
‘Accordions Now!’ Festival includes concerts on chromatic, diatonic, and piano accordions; MIDI and other workshops, Scandi-Dance demonstration, door prizes, vendor displays, accordions for sale, plus open jam session for all registered attendees.
There will be concerts and workshops by Tony Lovello (picture top right), Nils Lundin, Gary Morin (picture bottom left), Mary Tokarski (picture top left), Chad Huval, John Leeman, and the ‘Accordions Now!’ Festival Orchestra, conducted by Donna Maria Regis, will be interspersed with performances of various styles of music on different types of accordions by Bob Abrams, Joe Maciejowski, Frank Padula and Jerry Tramontozzi, Anita and Bob Siarkowski, Carmen Vitanza, and perhaps a surprise guest or two. Laurie Widmark, in traditional Swedish dress, will MC the demonstration by the Scandi-Dancers, while Peter Widmark and Donna Maria Regis join Nils Lundin in accompanying them.
On June 19th Maestro Azio Corghi held the final concert of the advanced composition course at the Philharmonic Academy of Bologna. Performing were the members and soloists of the Ensemble FontanaMix Bologna, directed by Francesco La Licata, also Corrado Rojac presenting the first performance of two new pieces for accordion.
The first piece for solo accordion, ‘Shift’ by Gianluca Verlingieri in which the young composer from Cuneo has fully exploited the possibilities and sound of the accordion, bringing together the piece in its most disparate effects that this instrument can give. The second piece - a first execution of ‘Liturgy’ – in which Corrado attended the course as a composer - for violin, accordion and piano. The piece, dedicated to Messiaen, the French composer, is intended to be a cathartic journey.
A very interesting evening, with as many as seven premieres, with the accordion alongside traditional instruments such as piano, flute, violin, giving an interesting touch of colour, and also demonstrating that it has found its own dimension of culture. The latest developments of the instrument, then, do presage a future in contemporary music still full of novelty and excitement.
This event took place in the Mozart Room, where in 1770 Mozart himself played counterpoint that allowed him to become a member of the Academy.
Accordionist Tom Alexander MBE has released a new CD, ‘More Bits and Pieces’, a sequel to his previous recording ‘Bit and Pieces’, another great collection of musical all sorts. Tom, the accordion playing half of the renowned Alexander Brothers (who, incidentally, celebrate 50 years in show business in 2008) takes time out once more to enjoy himself as an accordion soloist.
About half of the tracks are Scottish tunes, performed as concert pieces rather than in dance settings. The other tracks include melodies, old and new, such as ‘Snow Train Shuffle’, an accordion solo made famous in the 1950s by America’s John Molinari, ‘Veronique’ - a valse musette, ‘Rumbango’ - a cha cha, a Beatles medley, and ‘Tea For Two’, originally written as a song in the1920s, but here played in a jazzy style. Tom Alexander’s classy playing and ability to use MIDI with great taste are much in evidence throughout this splendid recording.
Famous French jazz accordionist Richard Galliano continues to be very active, performing concerts with his Tangaria Quartet in many places around the world. Galliano, who created a style he calls New Musette, a blend of styles ranging from samba, salsa, and reggae to waltz, tango, and bolero, recently performed in concert at New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall on June 28th, as part of the JVC Jazz Festival.
Galliano’s tour schedule includes:
July 19th - Tangaria Quartet, Verruchio, Rimini, Italy
20th - duo with clarinettist Michel Portal, Carthagena, Spain
21st – solo concert, Albertville, France
22nd - guest of the Solis Quartet, Pozzuoli, Italy
24th - Tangaria Quartet, Marseille, France
25th - Tangaria Quartet, Venice, Italy
26th - Tangaria Quartet, Cuneo
27th - solo concert, Valtournenche, Aoste
29th - Tangaria Quartet, Vannes, Brittany, France
August 2nd - Tangaria Quartet, Kaliningrad, Russia
4th – solo concert, Brentonico, Alto Aldige, Italy
5th - Mare Nostrum, Ospedaletti, San Remo
6th - Tangaria Quartet, Vasto, Pescara
7th - Mare Nostrum, Laurino, Salerno
8th - Mare Nostrum, Gordes, Avignon, France
13th - concert with trumpet player Wynton Marsalis, Marciac
14th - duo with Lundgren, Oslo, Norway
15th - duo with Michel Portal, Fenetrange, France
16th - guest of Trio Hoboken, Limoges
17th - guest of Thierry Caens, Le Vigan
21st - guest of Mimo Calopresti, Rocella Jonica, Italy
23rd - Tangaria Quartet, Taranto
30th - Tangaria Quartet, Tokyo Jazz Festival, Japan
Frank Marocco Jazz Accordion Workshop, Bassano del Grappa – Italy
American accordionist Frank Marocco leads this year’s Veneto jazz summer workshop, organised by the Associazione Culturale Veneto Jazz. 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.
Frank Marocco is one of the world’s most accomplished accordionists, 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.
The French Qualifications for the 2008 Coupe Mondiale and the CMA Trophée Mondial will be held at La Selle sur le Bied, 100 kms south of Paris on Sunday 20th July 2008.
This competition is where the French contestants for these two international accordion competitions are selected. There will also be other concert performances during the weekend and the event is being organized by Frédéric Deschamps (picture left).
This accordion festival, at Espace Ribatel 31660, Buzet-Sur Tarn, Toulouse, has free entrance, and is from 10am until 6pm, on August 23rd and 24th. The event includes a Grand Concert, on Saturday evening, August 23rd, 9pm, featuring Sergei Voitenko (Bayan Mix), Roman Jbanov (picture left), Nicolas Massoutié Jazz Quartet, le quatuor Toulouse accordéon, and Thierry Capdeville.
John Kirkpatrick, one of the British folk scene’s leading singers and players of free reed instruments, is also one of the hardest working accordionists around today, playing concerts, dances and leading workshops throughout the year. John K, as he is often known, plays the 3-row diatonic button accordion, 1 and 2 row melodeons, and the Anglo concertina. Specialising in English folk music, he has recorded over 70 albums, and produced a two-volume DVD tutor for the melodeon.
July 20th - Bothy Folk Song Club, The Park Golf Club, Park Road West, Southport, Lancashire, PR9 0JS
29th - Ringwood Folk Club, The Elm Tree, High Town, Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 3DY
August 15th to 17th - Bideford Folk Festival, North Devon
September 2nd - The Hoy at Anchor Folk Club, The Ship Hotel, Leigh on Sea, Essex
16th - Great Knight Folk Club, The Old Black Lion, Marefair, Northampton
18th - Lymm Folk Club, Lymm Rugby Club, Crouchers Lane, Lymm, Cheshire, WA13 0AT
19th to 20th - Deal Maritime Festival – 25th Anniversary, Kent; Friday evening concert spot, Saturday lunchtime workshop
Scottish singer/accordionist Emily Smith appears as follows:
July 19th – guest on the Bob Harris after midnight show on BBC Radio 2; you can listen online:http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2
August 4th to 9th – Celtic Roots Festival, Goderich, Ontario, Canada
August 12th, 7.30pm – Rum Runner, Kitchener, Ontario
14th, 7pm - Emmanuel Howard Park United Church, 214 Wright Ave, Roncesvalles, Toronto
16th, all day event - Amherst Museum Scottish Festival & Highland Games, Amherst, New York, USA
29th to 31st – Tonder Festival, Denmark
One of the longest playing accordionists in Auckland, New Zealand, John Petrie, was a player in the North Shore Musicale Accordion Orchestra for over 25 years, unexpectedly passed away on 8th July 2008.
John is survived by his wife Frances who said that John had a very happy last day playing with the Mandolinata Orchestra and a lovely dinner. He was then reading a book and watching the TV when he passed away.
The funeral on the 15th July was a ceremonial event as John Petrie was a Scots Guard. The last post was played, each guard coming individually to the coffin, standing to attention then a bow, and when the cofin was taken out they formed a honour guard.
Our thoughts are with Frances at this sad time. John and his Scottish accent will be sadly missed by accordionists in New Zealand.
Gary
Dahl - accordionist as well as a composer, arranger, recording
artist and music educator, release 1 new work for accordion available
for purchase online, ‘Crazy’.
Samples of this music are available on the site. The music is in
eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with
credit card.
Crazy has continued to be as popular as it was in the late 1940's
as a billion seller recording. This arrangement follows the original
Patsy Cline billion seller and it still remains the best version.
English
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Yuri Medianik
The 5th Festival of Accordion’ takes place in the Auditorium Manuel Lekuona, Culture House, Lasarte-Oria, Gipuzkoa on September 27th. Artistes performing include 
Friedrich Lips
The ‘Accordions Now!’ Festival, co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Accordion Association and Accordion Connection LLC, takes place on Saturday, August 2nd, 9am until 6pm, at the Radisson Hotel, 700 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101.
There will be concerts and workshops by Tony Lovello (picture top right), Nils Lundin, 
On June 19th Maestro Azio Corghi held the final concert of the advanced composition course at the Philharmonic Academy of Bologna. Performing were the members and soloists of the Ensemble FontanaMix Bologna, directed by Francesco La Licata, also Corrado Rojac presenting the first performance of two new pieces for accordion.
Accordionist Tom Alexander MBE has released a new CD, ‘More Bits and Pieces’, a sequel to his previous recording ‘Bit and Pieces’, another great collection of musical all sorts. Tom, the accordion playing half of the renowned Alexander Brothers (who, incidentally, celebrate 50 years in show business in 2008) takes time out once more to enjoy himself as an accordion soloist.
Famous French jazz accordionist Richard Galliano continues to be very active, performing concerts with his Tangaria Quartet in many places around the world. Galliano, who created a style he calls New Musette, a blend of styles ranging from samba, salsa, and reggae to waltz, tango, and bolero, recently performed in concert at New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall on June 28th, as part of the JVC Jazz Festival.
American accordionist Frank Marocco leads this year’s Veneto jazz summer workshop, organised by the Associazione Culturale Veneto Jazz. 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 French Qualifications for the 2008 
This accordion festival, at Espace Ribatel 31660, Buzet-Sur Tarn, Toulouse, has free entrance, and is from 10am until 6pm, on August 23rd and 24th. The event includes a Grand Concert, on Saturday evening, August 23rd, 9pm, featuring Sergei Voitenko (Bayan Mix), 
John Kirkpatrick, one of the British folk scene’s leading singers and players of free reed instruments, is also one of the hardest working accordionists around today, playing concerts, dances and leading workshops throughout the year. John K, as he is often known, plays the 3-row diatonic button accordion, 1 and 2 row melodeons, and the Anglo concertina. Specialising in English folk music, he has recorded over 70 albums, and produced a two-volume DVD tutor for the melodeon.
Scottish singer/accordionist Emily Smith appears as follows:
One of the longest playing accordionists in Auckland, New Zealand, John Petrie, was a player in the North Shore Musicale Accordion Orchestra for over 25 years, unexpectedly passed away on 8th July 2008.