Contributed by Frederic Deschamps

The Chartres European Festival took place from May 5th to 7th and attracted more than 8,000 people. As this was the 10th anniversary of the festival a huge birthday cake and 5,000 cream puffs were made for the occasion. A variety of music was performed by two generations of accordionists, which was well received by the crowd.

Festival presenters included Jean-Pierre Décombes, (TV presenter), Didier Ouvrard and Pascal Savard.

Contributed by R. Mitter

The 6th International Accordion Festival was held in Innsbruck from May 21st to 24th. This was the second time students from the Eferding Music School had attended the festival. The folk music group (with teacher Brigitte Nickel) gained first prize. Other students gained prizes in the styrian harmonica solo and duo sections. Their folk music ensemble included accordion, dulcimer, styrian harmonica, guitar, flutes and bass fiddle.

Contributed by Ingi Karlsson

The Harmonikufelag Rangaeinga (Rangaeinga Accordion Club) held their annual Accordion Ball recently in Hellutheater, Gunnarsholmi. Bands from three Icelandic accordion clubs played to over 100 enthusiastic people. The Rangaeinga Accordion Club plans to release a CD within the next year.

Popular group "Nya Bröderna Färm" toured Iceland from June 5th to 13th, performing concerts in Reykjavik, Thingborg, Isafjordur, Budardalur, Varmahlid, Akureyri and Breidumyri.

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Accordionist Sylvia Pagni joined an international group of singers, acrobats and flamenco dancers to provide live entertainment on the cruise ship "The Azur" sailing around the Greek islands of Mykonos, Santorini and Rhodes, as well as Athens and the Corinth Canal. Sylvia played jazz arrangements of classical pieces with the internationally famous "Gregory Band".

Contributed by Toru Katou

On July 26th at 1pm, the "Tokyo Accordion Mates" will perform a concert at Kokubunji Shiritsu Izumi Hall, Izumi, Kokubunji, Tokyo. The group consists of accordionists Tetsuya Kuwayama, Yuichi Otsuka, Masahiro Ogawa, Keiko Ogawa and Eri Kudo. Their program will include pieces such as "Caribbean Waltz", "Spain" and "The Breeze over Napoli".

For further information email Mr Ogawa: ogawat@bc.mbn.or.jp

Contributed by Andrea Rautenberg

On July 3rd the German ensemble "Tango Fusión" will perform in Munich at the "Schloß Schleißheim". Group members Lothar Hensel (bandoneon), Irmentraud Ertel (double bass), Michael Schwarz (violin) and Uta Schlichtig (cello) will perform original Argentinian tangos which incorporate their own interpretations in Latin-American and European styles.

The group often perform concerts nationally and internationally. On June 19th and 21st, bandoneonist Lothar Hensel and a chamber orchestra will accompany singer Helen Schneider in a concert of tangos and ballads by K. Weill and A. Piazzolla at the "Residenz" in Munich. On July 5th Lothar Hensel and the "Waiblinger Kammerorchester" (Waibling Chamber Orchestra) will present the "Concierto para Bandoneón" by Piazzolla in Maulbronn. On August 1st they will be performing at the "Guldenberg-Haus", Wotersen at the "Schleswigholstein-Musikfestival".

Contributed by Leo Flake

Mystery surrounds two rare historical accordions which are for sale in the Netherlands. The first is a two-and-a-half choir Symphonetta which was made in 1939 by the Ernst L. Arnold factory in Germany. It was sold in 1950 to the famous Symphonetta player Müller, but the reason it was first made is unknown.

The second is a four choir symphonetta which was used in the movie "The Kuhle-Wampe" in 1932. This instrument was also built by Ernst L. Arnold who started the production of bandoneons and concertinas. It is believed that the Symphonetta was designed to replace all other existing free reed instruments. Even now, very little is known or has been written about these rare historical instruments.

For further information email: leo.flake@a1.nl

Contributed by Hans Rytter

The Harmonika Festival - Ringe 98 will be held from June 19th to 21st at Midtfyns Sports Centre, Ringe with the objective to promote the propagation and the standard of accordion music in Denmark. Over 1,000 musicians are expected to visit the festival to perform a wide variety of music including Nordic traditional music, Irish, Cajun, jazz, swing, pop, rock and classical.

Each scheduled performance lasts for 25 minutes with 3 stages operating simultaneously and spontaneous performances around the festival grounds. Over 10,000 spectators from all over Europe are expected to attend the event.

For further information email: hr@dalumls.dk

Contributed by Wu Jie

Accordion teacher Mr Feng Rui has organised a concert tour to Tibet from June 18th to 26th, which will involve 14 students from the Huaihua Art School, China performing on accordion, electronic organ as well as vocals. They will tour five cities in Tibet and give twelve concerts. Highlights of their program include Chinese music such as "Speeding Train", "The Songs of Herdsmen" and "The Prairie". The final piece at each concert will include Feng Rui and the students performing "Our Motherland".

Contributed by Laurie Rosewarne

Richard Galliano will be performing nightly from July 2nd to 6th at the Salle du Gesu, Montreal, Quebec, at 7pm as part of an International Jazz Festival. Each time he will perform with someone different. These include Michel Portal, George Mraz, Al Foster, Birelli Legrene, "Hommage, "Blues sur Seine" and the I Musici de Montreal Chamber Orchestra with whom he will play concertos by Piazzolla and Galliano.

For further information phone "Info JazzBell": + 1 888-515-0515.

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

On June 12th, Claudio Jacomucci presented the premiere of "Melting Igloos" (by American composer Ned McGowan) at the Sweelinck Conservatory, Amsterdam. The work was written for accordion, doublebass, flugehorn and flute. At the same concert there were four other premieres by composers involved in Rafael Reina's New Contemporary and Non Western Techniques Course.

Contributed by Jean-Claude Pouly

On June 5th, "Truffes du Soir" performed at "Le Lyonnais" restaurant, Zurich. Band members Richard Staub (accordion), Regina Kuratle (guitar), Christian Straessle (violin), Chris Wirth (clarinet) and Hans Peter Kuenzle (contrabass) performed a mix of French Musette (Indifférence, Minouche), tangos (La Cumparsita, El Choclo), swing (Minor Swing) and some Klezmer tunes. They will perform at this restaurant again on August 21st.

For further information phone: +41 1 272 63 30.

Contributed by Frederic Deschamps

A concert accordion week was held from April 20th to 24th of April at the Massenet National Conservatory in Saint Etienne. Different events took place each day including a Master-class and solo concert by Frédéric Deschamps, solo variety concert by Jérôme Richard, an accordion exhibition and concerts by past conservatory students (from Bernard Albaynac's classes). All students who took part in the concert had obtained a Gold Medal from the conservatory. An evening concert was also held by current conservatory students, who played solos and in orchestras.

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Celebrations were held in Castelfidardo recently for the opening of the summer season at the local Tennis Club. The prizegiving ceremony was held by Mayor Tersilio Marotta, and Mirko Soprani (head of the Council Cultural Department and organiser of the "Città di Castelfidardo" accordion competition). A highlight of the occasion was a performance by accordionist (and tennis player) Vincenzo Borsini, who delighted the audience with his renditions of many famous pieces.

Contributed by Dr Herbert Scheibenreif

This year's festival of contemporary music in Graz was dedicated to Russian composers Galina Ustwolskaya and Sofia Gubaidulina. Georg Schulz (accordion teacher at Graz-Musikhochschule), held a lecture on Gubaidulina's "De profundis" which was inspired by the religious psalm "From the depths of my despair I call to you, Lord". In an evening concert he performed "De profundis", "In Croce" for accordion and cello with Sofie Schafleitner (violin) and Benedikt Leitner (violoncello), and "Silenzio" for accordion, violin and cello.

Contributed by Wu Jie

On June 20th, Ms Zhang Yujuan (accordion teacher at the Chengdu Accordion School) will give an accordion presentation to 3,000 students at Chengdu College.

"It is very important to give these students an accordion presentation", said Zhang Yujuan. "I can make more young people aware of the development of Chinese accordion music. I would like to give more presentations in the near future like this one."

Contributed by Claudio Jacomucci

A new accordion book called "Tecnica I" written by Claudio Jacomucci has just been released, published by Bèrben Musical Editions. The book covers a variety of contemporary accordion techniques including development of sound control, rhythmical skills, virtuosity and precision, thumb articulation, ornaments, double note scales and bellows techniques.

In 1994 Claudio Jacomucci joined with Anne Landa to create the Acco Land duo.

Thank you for your news saying that in Bulgaria they will have an accordion and guitar contest this fall. I will tell my colleague about the information. Gradually and gradually, our sphere seems to be expanding because of you and your activities. Thank you so much

Last week I went to San Francisco in order to attend "Lark in the Morning Music Celebration" where I saw an enormous world of accordion and squeeze boxes. This is because of you! Thank you!

Sincerely yours,

Tom and Isuzu Inouye

That's great to hear Tom and Isuzu. As more and more people throughout the world get onto the Internet, the world will become a smaller place. It is hoped that with Accordions Worldwide, we can bring accordionists together in the same way!

Best wishes,