In last weeks news we had an article about Celebrity interviews with famous accordionists. This will be a great opportunity for you to have a chance to know the accordion elite, not only from the stage and newspapers, but to ask them questions on any subject! Our first interview will be on February 24th with Friedrich Lips. Send us questions NOW!

During the past week we have had the pleasure of hosting Gunther Zeilinger in New Zealand. Gunther is an accordion teacher and conductor of the Hof Accordion Orchestra, Germany. We had a wonderful dinner with him along with Geoff Leaver, President of the Rose City Accordion Club (Portland, Oregon USA) and his wife, who are on holiday in New Zealand. Entertainment was provided by well-known accordionist and vocalist Lionel Reekie.

Wayne Knights Webmaster

Finnish accordionist Mika Väyrynen will record a CD of Piazzolla´s "Concerto", "Tres Tangos" and "Adios Nonino" with the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra from March 1st to 5th. The recording will be made for Finlandia Records (Warner Chapel) and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Japan. One Japanese newspaper is sending a reporter to Finland to write an article about the recording-session.

Mika will be doing a concert tour to Japan in May this year. The tickets for the Tokyo concert sold out within ten days and two respected Japanese classical music magazines have already included articles about his upcoming appearances.

Accordionist Frédéric Deschamps performed a number of concerts with the Paris Conservatory Orchestra last week. Their program was a new repertoire which included Concerto for Violin and Accordion (Bernard Cavanna who gained the Best National Composer award), and "Chants de Ménage et d'Amour" (Jacques Robotier). The concert was particularly important for the accordion because it is not normally included with the orchestra.

Prior to this Frederic performed Piazzolla music on solo accordion to a sell out crowd. His program included Suite "Punta del Este" from the film "L'armée des 12 singes". In March Frederic will perform another concerto by Jean Françaix called "Apocalypse". This piece is written for Symphonic Orchestra and accordion, electric guitar, mandolin and tuba.

Contributed by Owen Murray, Professor of Accordion at the Royal Academy of Music

On March 10th Owen Murray will perform John Webb's Accordion Concerto with the Academy's string orchestra (conducted by David Strange). The concert will be held at the Royal Academy at 7.30pm. A world premiere by Owen Murray of this exciting new concerto took place on October 24th, 1998, after which critic Tom Buckley from the Petersfield Post wrote:

"Saturday night's concert was notable for the long awaited premiere of John Webb's accordion concerto commissioned by the Southern Orchestral Concert Society with funds from the Southern Arts. It closely followed the classical concerto form with cadenza, and made use of modern techniques such as tone clusters, glissandi and repeated filigree patterns, the composer thankfully eschewed all extra musical effects, allowing the tightly integrated solo and orchestral parts to speak for themselves. Soloist, Owen Murray, coaxed some wonderful sounds from his instrument, singing like a bird in the slow movement and roaring like a lion in the non-stop finale".

For further information phone: + 44 181 873 7373

Contributed by Faithe Deffner, American Accordionists' Association

Well over 100 videotaped entries have already arrived for the "Search for the Hottest Accordionist," according to office personnel. This exciting event, jointly sponsored by the American Accordionists' Association and the Welk Resort, offers numerous career opportunities to the accordionist entertainer who is being sought.

The five selected finalists will play off before a live audience at the Welk Resort Center in Branson, Missouri on Thursday March 25th. Adding to the excitement, a number of TV shows have already expressed their interest in featuring the "Hottest" on a future program and representatives of the Good Morning America TV Show are planning to attend.

As a result of promotional efforts, information about the "Hottest" event and the accordion's increasing popularity has appeared in about 40 newspapers throughout the country, including USA Today. This is an ongoing publicity effort to "shed more light on the accordion and to dispel myths associated with the instrument we love, "according to spokesperson Myron Floren.

Contributed by Amarillie Ackermann

Duo 2000 consisting of accordionist Sergio Zampolli and harpist Amarillie Ackermann resumed their popular series of "House Concerts" in February. These concerts are held on the first Saturday and Sunday of each month. On March 6th and 7th they will perform in Emmarentia, Johannesburg.

Their program includes pieces from their CD "Song to the Evening Star", such as Waltz from the Sleeping Beauty ballet and "In a Persian Market".

Contributed by Dr Herbert Scheibenreif

Alfred Melichar, accordion teacher at the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz, ranks with the most active concert accordionists in Austria. Together with some of his Conservatory colleagues Alfred performed a program of contemporary chamber music in the famous "Brucknerhaus" recently. Alfred's latest project is playing the bandoneon in a dance production at the regional theatre in Salzburg.

The Wardlaw Scottish Dance Band (including accordionists Kenny and Stuart Thomson) will play for the Chester Reels Club on March 27th in the Chester Town Hall, Chester. The program includes 24 full Scottish Country Dances such as "Mr and Mrs Little of Castle Douglas" (Muriel Johnstone), "Brumley Brae" (Willie MacPherson), "Abreast of the Times" (Robert Black) and "John Duckett of Kelsall" (Stuart Thomson).

The group has released three albums for the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and perform at local functions and at events throughout Great Britain. They also record for BBC Radio Scotland's "Take the Floor" Saturday evening Scottish Dance Music program.

For further information email: Wardlaw_SDB@bigfoot.com

Accordionist and yodeler Kerry Christensen has just completed ten concerts in fourteen days in Arizona. Most of the shows were sold out, with over five hundred people attending each time. Kerry performed, sang and yodelled at the concerts which were held between February 3rd and 14th.

Kerry's next performance will be for over 1,000 people at a big corporate engagement on February 20th in Moroni, Utah.

Contributed by John Dickson

The Perth Accordion club held a special Australia Day concert on January 24th. It was a typical Australian summer's day (40ºC) with over 100 people attending. They were treated to an afternoon of Australian music to mark the occasion, the highlight being the first public performance given by the new Perth Accordion Club Orchestra. The orchestra consists of fourteen members and performed a selection of popular "Aussie Songs" concluding with an arrangement of "I Still Call Australia Home".

Their next meeting will be held on February 21st.

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

The Frankfurt Music Fair will be held from March 3rd to 7th. This event will include many accordion exhibits and demonstrations by artists including Pasquale Coviello at the Borsini stand, Pino di Modugno at the Beltuna stand, Sylvia Pagni at the Excelsior/Cemex stand and Jean Louis Noton at the Cavagnolo stand.

Accordionist Guy Klucevsek will appear at the "Kitchen" in New York City on February 26th and 27th The two concerts are billed as "Due Virtuosi: David Krakauer and Guy Klucevsek".

On the 26th, Klucevsek will perform with his new group "All Accordions All the Time," with Ted Reichman and Anne DeMarinis. On the 27th Klucevsek will be joined by pianist/accordionist Alan Bern for the debut of The Klucevsek/Bern Unit.

For further information phone: + 1 212 255-5793

Contributed by Li Cong

This year top universities in China (including Qing Hua, Beijing and Chinese People Universities) are accepting students who have special talents in the Arts. It is hoped that this decision will lead to a greater art atmosphere around the campus and encourage extracurricular activities for students.

During the last week of January, over 100 senior graduates (including 14 accordionists) attended the Qing Hua University Senior Winter Camp. At the camp examinations, Mao Rui Yin (Shanghai Cao Yang Middle School), and Wang Xu (Dan Dong, Liao Ning Province) both gained very high marks. These marks will go toward their final national exam results.

Mao Rui Yin (the 1990 Chinese champion) is also the 1996 15 years and under South Pacific Champion.

Contributed by Lothar Wollmann

The Fiji Accordion Club's 1998 Oktoberfest was so successful that they are now planning their 1999 event. Concerts and shows are planned at the Sheraton Denarau Island, Nadi, Shangri La Fijian Resort, Dominion International Hotel, Nadi, Ming Palace and Centra Hotel in Suva.

Guest group "The Alpenhof Band" (Australia) will entertain the crowds. The group consists of two accordions, guitar, tuba, keyboard and drums.

Contributed by Owen Murray

The Russian Festival held at the Royal Academy of Music in London in January was a great success with many distinguished composers visiting the festival. There were films, lectures, discussions and concerts including three accordion items which were well received.

Accordionist Vitaliy Bezrodnov has a busy 1999 concert schedule including his February 7th performance at the Tallmadge United Methodist Church, Tallmadge, Ohio. This was a benefit concert for the Russian orphans of the Belika Orphanage in Kursk, Russia.

The audience of over 300 participated in a piece called "Saratov Sorting Out" by playing the tambourine, wooden folk spoons and trishotkee (percussion) instruments. Vitaliy's program also included "Birch Trees", "Alla Turca" (Mozart) and "Kalinka". The concert was a toe-tapping success with impressive donations.

Accordionist Eric Blin will tour France with the European Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Hugues Reiner) and the Petrozavodsk Philharmonic Orchestra (Russia). The tour will take place from March 2nd to 28th. They will perform concerts all over France including Aussois, Barcelonnette, Briancon, Langogne, Balme De Silingy and Laudun with a final concert in Nancy.

Their program will include works by Bizet, Brahms, Dvorak, Grieg, Mozart and Shostakovich.

For further performances see Future Events

Accordionist Shirley Johnson performed at a Valentine's Day concert on February 13th at Border's Books and Music, Austin, Texas.

Shirley's program included love songs from Italy (O Sole Mio), France (La Vie En Rose), Poland, Ireland and Romania. Shirley also performed songs from her CD "Blood Red Rose - Transcending Boundaries: Songs from the Heart From Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia" and popular Valentines related pieces such as Spanish Eyes, Fallin' In Love Again and Carolina Moon. Over 100 people attended the successful event, many of whom had heard Shirley perform on KUTX radio one week earlier.

Contributed by Toru Katou

On February 28th the "Kawagoe Accordion Circle Concert" will be held at Kawagoe-Nishi Culture Public House, Kawagoe, Saitama prefecture. For further information phone: + 81 493-62-0309

www.accordions.com/aata The Australian Accordion Teachers Association site has been updated to include information for the 1999 AATA championships and festival.

www.accordions.com/freire Anibal Leao Freire is a Portuguese Professor, Concert artist and Composer