Entries for the 61st CIA Coupe Mondiale in Scotland, 2008 has been completely revised. Designed by CIA General Secretary Kimmo Mattila's son Ville, the candidates will be guided through the process, which calculates many factors pertaining to the rules and regulations of each category. Also online is registration for the 120th General Assembly of Delegates and the online jury nomination form.
The event will feature six categories of International Competitions including the coveted Coupe Mondiale. These six categories will be held amongst a feast of other activities including several appearances by local and International accordion orchestras, the CIA World Accordion Orchestra II, traditional Scottish dance troupes, Scottish pipe bands, plus the spectacular Gary Blair Ceilidh.
This year, no Test Piece is required for any Coupe Mondiale category. Instead, the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA) will award prizes for the best new original solo works presented, the concept being to promote new original repertoire in every category.
The official CIA hotel, the Normandy is now almost completely full so guests are advised to make their reservations as soon as possible. Additional accommodation will be available at nearby hotels if necessary.
For the ninth time, the city of Imst (Tyrol, near Innsbruck) organized a workshop for musicians and artists of different styles from July 7th to 11th 2008. Participants from different countries had the opportunity to combine some relaxing days with artistic activity.
Friedrich Lips (from the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow) gave solo lessons to participants giving his view of how to solve musical and technical problems, performance on stage, etc. Lips’ next year’s workshop at ‘Kulturlaub’ will take place from July 13th to 18th 2009.
Immediately after the workshop Lips continued to Bulgaria where he was invited to perform Giya Kancheli’s work ‘Kapote’ (“Once upon a time” in the Greek language) for bayan and chamber orchestra (Bulgarian first performance) at the festival ‘Varna – Summer’ (founded in 1926) located in a beautiful theatre at the sea.
This world-famous composer was born in Georgia and now lives in Brussels, Belgium. The orchestra ‘Moscow Soloists’ was conducted by Yury Bashmet. Lips will perform this work during Moscow’s festival ‘Bayan and Bayanists’ in December again.
The French Qualifications where top French accordionists competed to represent France at the 2008 Trophée Mondiale competition in Sarajavo (Bosnia and Herzogovina) and the 2008 CIA Coupe Mondiale in Glasgow Scotland was held on 20th July in La Selle sur le Bied near Paris.
A total of 35 students presented themselves in the four categories. Participant list attached. Photograph below. The Jury of Frédéric Deschamps, Jacques Mornet and Raymond Bodell were all excited by the quality of musicianship shown.
After the concert famous French accordion professor Jacques Mornet hailed Grayson Masefield (New Zealand), for a remarkable concert performance which received an extended standing ovation, saying he was a true artist of the highest calibre. Grayson Masefield the current New Zealand accordion champion and UK International Champion, has been studying accordion full time in France with Frédéric Deschamps for the last two years.
Isles FM is a volunteer-run community radio station, founded in 1998, for Scotland's Western Isles. It broadcasts 24 hours a day and plays a varied mix of music and chat, including much accordion music.
‘And The Accordions Played’ is a compilation CD, featuring some of the many artistes requested on Isles FM over the last 10 years. All profits from the sales of the CD go towards the expansion of Isles FM's to the Southern Isles and the building of a new studio.
The artistes on this CD include Face The West, Tommy Darky, Blair Douglas, Meantime, Donny and Diane, Fergie MacDonald, Wolfstone, Iain Angus MacLeod, John MacDonald, Donald Black, Lindsay Weir, Lismore Ceilidh Band, Phil Cunningham & Aly Bain, Christophoer Robertson, The Occasionals, Skerryvore, The Vatersay Boys, and Donald Black & Malcolm Jones.
2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the Donal Ring Ceilidh Band, one of Ireland’s most accomplished dance bands. Donal Ring, who plays the Hohner Shand Morino, has played the accordion since he was very young, turning professional in 1958. Like many other accordionists of his generation, Donal Ring was initially influenced by Jimmy Shand, whose broadcasts on the BBC and Radio Luxembourg were heard in Ireland.
In 1958, Donal Ring formed his own band, and the present line up is very much a family affair that includes sons Dermot Ring – 5 row button accordion and vocals, Donal Ring junior – 5 row accordion, daughters Mary (Ring) Devereux – piano and bass, Breda (Ring) Cashman – drums and vocals, and Pat Riordan – vocals.
The Donal Ring Ceilidh Band has 9 CDs available, and a new one is in the process of being recorded for the band’s anniversary year.
Later this year there will be a series of 50th Anniversary events:
October 11th, 9pm – dance, St Finbarr’s H & F Club, Togher, Cork
November 30th – two concerts (afternoon, 3pm, and evening), The Everyman Palace Theatre, McCurtain St, Cork
Accordionist Tiit Kalluste (born 1962) has performed at all the major jazz and accordion festivals in Estonia. Since graduating from the Estonian Academy of Music, Kalluste has worked as a freelance musician. Although he is primarily noted for being a jazz accordionist, Kalluste is equally well versed in playing folk music, French chansons and Argentinean tangos.
Currently Tiit Kalluste is working as accordion and improvisation teacher in the pop-jazz department of G. Ots Music School of Tallinn and Viljandi Culture College. In 1999 Tiit Kalluste was elected the President of the Estonian Accordion Society.
Concerts, as a duo with saxophonist Villu Veski:
August 20th, 6pm –Käru Lake,
August 21st, 6.30pm - Kärdla Culture Center, Kärdla, Estonia
August 22nd, 7pm - Chamber Hall, Tõrva Church, Tõrva, Estonia
September 20th, 7pm - Münsterland Festival, Hamburg, Germany
Festival Internazionale Fisarmonica, Castelfidardo – Italy
The Festival Internazionale Fisarmonica (Summer Edition) takes place in Castelfidardo, Ancona, from July 30th to August 2nd. Concert details include:
July 30th, 9.15pm – concert in the Parco della Rimembranze featuring the band Beltuner in collaboration with the Festival Folk Concerto 11th Edition 2008, sponsored by the Centro Studi Oriente Occidente, directed by Lionell Chapuis in collaboration with the Festival Internazionale della fisarmonica ‘Guido Bogliolo’
July 31st, 9.15pm – concert in the Piazza della Repubblica, by the Orchestra d’Accordeon de la Suisse Francophone
August 1st, 9.15pm – concert in the Piazza della Repubblica, featuring the Benni Madonia Blues Band, line up:
Benito Madonia - guitar and vocals, Nicola Dal Bo - organ and piano, Fabio Rossato - accordion, Andrea Barucca – guitar, Roberto Gazzani – bass, and Danilo Brugnini – drums
August 2nd, 9.15pm – concert in the Piazza della Repubblica, featuring Robert Lucanero – diatonic accordion, organ and vocals, Massimo Sbriscia – guitar, Leandro Scocco - electric bass, Domenico Candellori – percussion, and Maurizio Scalzo – drums.
Raimondas Sviackevicius teaches at the International Accordion Summer seminar, Palanga, Lithuania, from August 1st to 7th.
On August 30th, Raimondas Sviackevicius – accordion, Janas Maksimovicius – sax, and Arkadij Gotesman – percussion, perform their "ACCOsax Freeminded" project at the Jazz Bridge Festival, Karlshamn, Sweden.
The Galla-Rini Accordion Camp takes place from July 27th to August 1st, at Dominican University, 50 Acacia Ave,San Rafael, California.
The late Anthony Galla-Rini was truly a legend of the accordion -- devoted to the serious and classical study of the accordion, he wrote hundreds of arrangements, published his own tutorial method books, and in 1941, composed his first accordion concerto which he performed with the Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra. A recognised virtuoso, Galla-Rini toured the world, giving concerts and solo recitals, and played on numerous movie soundtracks such as ‘High Noon’ and ‘Laura’.
At the Galla-Rini Accordion Camp, attendees play all kinds of music in the ensemble - classical, semi-classical, American musicals, and more. The emphasis is on learning to play musically, and learning to play in an ensemble, which is an entirely different experience from playing alone.
The 5th annual International Accordion Camp also known as ‘Rezekne 2008’, led by Zane Ludborza, takes place from July 23rd to August 3rd in Kaunata, Rezekne LV-4600, Latvia. Artistes involved include Oleg Sharov – Russia, Valery Kolyganov – Sweden, and Jukka-Pekka Kuusela – Finland. The event includes concerts, master classes and seminars.
International Master Classes, from August 21st to 24th, will be held at the Associazione Musicale Antonio Bacchelli, via Ernesto Solvay, 57013 Rosignano Solvay (LI). The teachers will be Janina Rüger and Massimo Signorini (picture right).
Accordion Teaching Week takes place at St Audries Bay Holiday Club, Somerset, England, from September 8th to 13th. Organised by John Romero, this event is a festival that includes teaching workshops and concerts. The teachers include Angie Lukins, John Romero, Gary Blair, Rosemary Wright and Gennaro Fiondella.
The concert performers are Pearl Fawcett-Adriano (picture right), Gary Blair, Harry Hussey, Gennaro Fiondella, Rosemary Wright, and John Romero (picture left).
The Accordion Teaching Week follows on immediately after a Roland V Accordion UK championships weekend, September 6th and 7th, at the same venue.
The Café Accordion Orchestra perform in concert twice on Friday August 1st - from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, and again from 9.45pm to 11.45pm – at the Orchestra Hall, Peavey Plaza, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Café Accordion Orchestra, featuring accordionist Dan Newton, perform an eclectic mix of vintage Swing, Latin, American, and French Café Music. Their music evokes the repertoire of the Bal Musette orchestras, the bands that were popular in Parisian cafés and bistros in the 1920s through 1950s. The heart of this repertoire is the romantic, gypsy-influenced valse-musette or swing waltz. CAO complements the musettes with swing, ballads, tangos, paso dobles, boleros, rumbas, and cumbias to create a wonderfully varied show. While they inject their music with good humor and expressive abandon, their high level of musicianship and passion for performance makes them an entertaining concert act as well as a great dance band.
On July 15th the CAC released a new CD ‘Germaine’, their seventh recording.
During the Zahrarmonie Festival in Sauris, Dolimites, which runs from from July 27th until August 16th, leading American accordion artiste Peter Soave (picture right) will be in concert on Sunday July 27th, at 9 pm, with Quatuor à Cordes. France’s Jean Louis Noton (picture left) performs on Sunday August 10th, at 5 pm. Both concerts are organised by the Centre Culturel de Sauris.
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
Deutsch
Français
Italiano 
Español
Chinese 
Russian 
The event will feature six categories of International Competitions including the coveted 
Isles FM is a volunteer-run community radio station, founded in 1998, for Scotland's Western Isles. It broadcasts 24 hours a day and plays a varied mix of music and chat, including much accordion music. 
2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the Donal Ring Ceilidh Band, one of Ireland’s most accomplished dance bands. Donal Ring, who plays the 
Accordionist Tiit Kalluste (born 1962) has performed at all the major jazz and accordion festivals in Estonia. Since graduating from the Estonian Academy of Music, Kalluste has worked as a freelance musician. Although he is primarily noted for being a jazz accordionist, Kalluste is equally well versed in playing folk music, French chansons and Argentinean tangos.
The 5th annual International Accordion Camp also known as ‘Rezekne 2008’, led by Zane Ludborza, takes place from July 23rd to August 3rd in Kaunata, Rezekne LV-4600, Latvia. Artistes involved include 
International Master Classes, from August 21st to 24th, will be held at the Associazione Musicale Antonio Bacchelli, via Ernesto Solvay, 57013 Rosignano Solvay (LI). The teachers will be Janina Rüger and Massimo Signorini (picture right).
Accordion Teaching Week takes place at St Audries Bay Holiday Club, Somerset, England, from September 8th to 13th. Organised by John Romero, this event is a festival that includes teaching workshops and concerts. The teachers include Angie Lukins, John Romero, Gary Blair, Rosemary Wright and Gennaro Fiondella.
