Contributed by Hans Rytter

The 1998 Lundeborg Festival will take place in the scenic village of Lundeborg from September 4th to 6th organised by the Danish Accordion & Folklore Society. There will be performances run simultaneously on two stages and spontaneous music around the festival grounds with performances lasting for 25 minutes. This year over 700 musicians are expected to perform to an estimated crowd of over 7,000.

The closing date for enrolments for participating groups and bands is July 15th. For further information email: hr@dalumls.dk

Contributed by Steve Heap, Festival Director

Oxfordshire's 34th Towersey Village festival will be held from August 28th to 31st in Towersey. Festival events include a craft and music fair, market stalls, dances, workshops, children's festival, open-air shows and a jazz concert. Accordion artists include "The Kathryn Tickell Band" and "The Boat Band" who will perform a mix of rhumbas, reels, Cajun and Caribbean Creole music.

For further information email: towersey@mrscasey.nildram.co.uk

Contributed by Mary Mancini

Accordionist Mario Tacca and Mary Mancini recently attended the Chartres Accordion Festival (France) and performed with Jean Louis Noton and Serge Duchesne. They then traveled to Paris where they had an interview on Paris Radio with Isabelle Durand who played excerpts from their CD's "Fleur de Paris" and "Internationally Yours" (Mario Tacca) and "It's a Wonderful World" (Mary Mancini).

They also participated in a musical evening at "Le Petit Robinson" in Joinville Le Pont with other accordionists including Serge Duchesne, Tony DiVincenzo, Rene Grolier, and Jean-Marc Torchy.

Following this, they gave a Sacred Music concert in the Church of Saint Segolene, Froidcul, performing music by Mozart, Bach, Franck, Malotte, Santini, and Monti. This concert received a very complimentary review in the "Republican Lorrain" newspaper.

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Serenata Music School and the Alcobaca Accordion Association are organising the 5th International Accordion Week, which will take place from July 18th to 26th in Alcobaca. There will be ten consecutive concerts from great concert artists such as Friedrich Lips, Natalie (domra) and Viacheslav Semionov, Jean Marc Marroni, Frédéric Deschamps, Inaki Dicguez and Julio Bravo (violin), and the Alcobaca Accordion Group. All are welcome and admission will be free.

Other planned events include a concert accordion seminar with Friedrich Lips, the third Iberian Accordion Competition and the selection of the Portugese finalists for the Trophée Mondial d'Accordéon.

Contributed by Toru Katou

The annual West Japan Accordion Fellows' Party will be held from August 29th to 30th at the Kansai Area Students' Seminar House, Kitaku Dojocho, Kobe-City. The event is held so accordion enthusiasts can enjoy lectures, lessons and concerts.

Five accordion teachers including Chikaie Yoshida and Sugang Kim (Korea) will provide lessons on an accordion arrangement of "Tonari no Totoro" (a Japanese animation movie). Over 100 accordionists are expected to perform this arrangement. The tutors will also teach accordion arrangements from Charlie Chaplin's movies.

Popular group "Japsees Queens" (Miho Goto and Shigeko Kinohara) will perform concerts. For further information phone: + 81 729-85-5577

Contributed by Gary Blair

On June 18th, Gary Blair and his Ceilidh Band performed Scottish dance music at the Dubai Caledonian Society's Chieftains Ball in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dubai which houses five restaurants, an ice rink, swimming pool, health spa, shopping centre, cinema and disco! The ballroom was decked out with tartan and paintings of Scottish Castles on every wall.

Over 250 guests danced to tunes like Gay Gordon's, Strip the Willow, and the Dashing White Sergeant. The four piece band consisted of Gary Blair (accordion), Richard Wong (accordion), Stevie Mills (drums) and Alistair McCulloch (violin).

The event was so successful, they have since been invited to Baku (Azerbaijan), Dubai, Dahran, Abu Dabi, and Bahrain.

Contributed by Elizabeth Jones

On June 23rd, Australian accordionist Elizabeth Jones performed in the finals of a Young Performers series on Radio 2MBS, playing accordion solos and accompanying soprano, Mina Kanaridis. The program included Five Greek Folksongs (Ravel), Komoriuto (Narushima), Adagio fur glasharmonika (Mozart), Prelude 12 for Accordion (McGuire) and The rising of the Moon Princess, which was the premier performance of this new composition by Terumi Narushima (Australia).

Contributed by Jean-Claude Pouly

On June 21st, the "Musique Simili" Trio performed at the "Atelier Hinterruti" in Zurich. Trio members Line Loddo (vocal & contrabass), Juliette Du Pasquier (violin) and Marc Hänsenberger (accordion & piano) performed a mix of old songs from southern France, gypsy tunes and their own compositions. Their next performance will be at the Accordion Festival of Rorbas Schloss Teufen, Switzerland on July 10th. For further information phone: + 41 32 313 40 13.

Contributed by Nikolay Davidov

The accordion is so popular in Moldavia that many national composers have written music for this instrument. From June 22nd to 26th the Moldavian International Musical Competition was held in Kishinjev. The competition included two age categories. Winners of the piano accordion section were Ivan Pryanikov (under 18 years) and Dmitry Mironenko (under 21 years).

Contributed by Esteban Algora

On June 13th the "Duo Contraste" performed a two hour program which included "Tempre Op. 99" for accordion and guitar (by Czech composer Jan Truhlar) at the 'Monasterio de Santa María de las Cuevas', Contemporary Art Centre, Spain to an audience of over 75. Critics from the local newspaper attended the concert and published a positive review.

The program also included Movile 86 (P. Busseuil), Paysages Idillyques (S. Baggio), Sete Chaves Místicas (C. Tupinambá), Torcal, Op.32 (E. Igoa), Paso a dos (A. Santos), Dhatar (J. MªSánchez Verdú) and Villa Luro tango (Tomás Gubitsch).

Contributed by Christopher Caliendo

On August 9th, accordionist Frank Marocco will perform a collection of original American Tangos with composer Christopher Caliendo (guitar) at the Cabrillo Music Festival in Santa Cruz, California.

For further information see Future Events

Contributed by Dr Herbert Scheibenreif

The annual "Tag der Harmonika" was held on June 27th and 28th in Wr. Neustadt, Vienna. The competition included categories for accordion soloists, orchestras and ensembles, and also for the "Steirische Harmonika" (Styrian Harmonica) which has become very popular recently.

An evening concert showing the versatility of the accordion was presented by a variety of artists including Johann Murg (Steirische Harmonika), Barbara Faast (bandoneon), Herwig Peychär (accordion), "Rockin' Janator Zydeco Duo", "Not at home Group" and the "Wiener Neustädter Zieh-Harmoniker".

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Ivano Battiston, accordion teacher at the "Ivano Cherubini" Conservatory, Florence, will hold accordion master classes during the ninth "Belluno Summer Festival" from July 27th to August 2nd. Battiston is a regular guest of some of the most important European musical academies and is renowned for his performances as a soloist, in orchestras and in duet with Mario Bunello (cello).

Contributed by Harley Jones

In what is a first for these accordion associations, Accordions Worldwide USA Representative, Kevin Friedrich will be reporting daily from both the 1998 American Accordionists' Association Festival (July 8th to 12th) and the Accordion Teachers Guild International Festival (July 16th to 19th). Be sure to check these internet sites during these dates to keep up to date with what's happening!

Contributed by The Classical Free-reed

A new CD entitled "Piano for Latin Lovers" has just been released by Alanna Records and includes tracks by accordionist Henry Doktorski, Charlie Shaffer (piano, percussion & synthesiser) and Tom Kitka (guitar and percussion).

The CD features easy listening tunes with the accordion featuring in "Arrividerci Roma", "Return to Me", "South of the Border" and the tango "Take Me in Your Arms".

For further information email: free-reed@trfn.clpgh.org

Contributed by Paolo Picchio

The "Music Marche" consortium was officially founded in Castelfidardo on June 21st. The organisation, promoted by two leading Italian craftsmen's associations (CNA and CGIA), is devoted to the promotion and development of handcrafted musical instruments in the Marche region. In order to attain this goal, the consortium will be involved in a wide range of activities including research, training, sponsoring of events, joint ventures, publishing of technical material, as well as dealing with customers and authorities.

The organisation also plans to fulfil a very important future role by developing guidelines for a certificate that guarantees the quality of local hand-made instruments. Manufacturers that adhere to the consortium so far include Alessandrini, Artigiana Voci, Beltuna, Bompezzo, Borsini, Brandoni & Sons, Brunner Musica, C&M, Carlo Carini, Castagnari, Dino Baffetti, Giustozzi, Italcinte, Logic System, Marco Tiranti, Master Production, MPE elettronica, MusicTech, Nello Mengascini, Pasco Italia, Pigini, Serenellini, Sonerfisa, Tombolini and Vuemme accordions.

Elections for President and Board of Trustees will be held in the near future during the first official meeting of "Music Marche".

Contributed by Toru Katou

On July 25th the "Honobono Concert Part 3" will be held by students from the Ongaku Center Accordion Class in the Uchi-saiwaichoh Hall, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo at 2:00pm. Guest accordionists Tetsuya Kuwayama and Noriko Baba will also perform. For further information email: ongaku01@mb.infoweb.ne.jp

Contributed by Jean-Louis Noton

Noton's new CD "La Dent Blanche" featured in the French "Accordéon Magazine" recently which said "A man of strong emotions, he lives his music and passes it on to us with a pleasure he doesn't try to hide". The CD includes a variety of pieces including Shocking Valse (Claude Thomain), Avé Maria (Piazzolla), Berit Valse (Galliano), Song for Guy (Elton John), Sous les Ponts de Paris and Bach's Fourth symphony.

For further information email: jl.noton@wanadoo.fr

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Accordionist Sylvia Pagni is involved in a new project aimed at promoting the accordion among young people. Over the next few weeks she will be performing with her trio "Tega Terzet" in discotheques along the Adriatic coast including Pescara, Chieti and Pineto, with a program of blues pieces and Argentinean tangos.

The San Francisco Folk Festival which was held on June 13th and 14th featured workshops, jam sessions, dances, family events and concerts. Performers included accordionist Art Peterson (Those Darn Accordions) and Paul Kostka and Ricky Rackin (concertina).

Contributed by Jean-Claude Pouly

Popular Swiss group "Caravane" have just released their new CD named "Tzigany". Group members Joseph Muehlhauser (accordion and schwizeroergeli), Andrea Panitz (harmonica, guitar and vocals), Franziska Rhoner (violin), Erich Nussbaum (guitar), Regina Kuratle (bass guitar) and Martin Maeder (contrabass) perform a mix of standards, gypsy tunes and their own compositions including "Pour les gens du voyage" (Muehlhauser).

For further information phone: + 41 1 252 16 40

Subject: Accordion Wanted

We are looking for an accordion to play Celtic and Folk type songs on. Something simple to play and easy to learn. Would like a good quality instrument. It must be light so the Mrs. can play without hurting her back. Please help!

Steve Graves

Hello Steve,

Thanks for your enquiry.

I suggest that you have a look at the Sites Index, which gives you a list of sites hosted by Accordions Worldwide. Included with this list is a large number of accordion manufacturers. You can link directly to their sites from there. Another alternative is to browse the buy & sell pages.

If you would like further advice as to the type of accordion to purchase, you can contact your nearest accordion retailer.

Best regards,