We have several new emails added to our "Readers Comments" section. It is always interesting to know what our readers think and what they wish to view on the internet. Everyone is welcome to send their comments. We discuss these ideas to help keep Accordions Worldwide an informative and interesting site.

As the news is the most popular area of Accordions Worldwide, we are pleased to hear nice comments about Christine Adams, who is contacting people to collect news from throughout the world.

Wayne Knights Webmaster

• Soave in Concert with the "Three Tenors" - USA
• Puerto Rico Accordionists Tour Italy
• Conlon Does It Again - New Zealand
• Concertina Meeting - South Africa
• "Swap" Plan Overseas Tours
• Accordions on Film - Germany
• VII International Accordion Competition - Spain
• Rocky Mountain Accordion Celebration - USA
• Towersey Festival - England
• UMKC Accordion Orchestra Benefit Concert - Italy
• French Culture Celebration - USA
• First Issue of "Little Artist" Magazine - China
• CD Release Concert - USA
• Malando & Orchestra - Netherlands
• Sylvia Pagni in Concert in Drogheda - Italy
• Successful Benefit Concert - USA
• Celebrity Interviews
• National Accordion Awareness Month includes 'Hot' Specials - USA
• Scottish Guest at Festival - Iceland
• "Italian Extravaganza" - Australia
• "My Way" Charity Concert - Japan
• Showstoppers Accordion Orchestra and Dancers Concert - USA
• New Sites

Contributed by Kevin Friedrich

Accordionist Peter Soave will perform with the "Three Tenors" - Pavarotti, Domingo, and Carreras on July 17th in Detroit, Michigan at Tiger Stadium. This will be their only North American appearance for 1999. The stadium which seats over 50,000 people has already sold out for what promises to be a magnificent concert.

Contributed by Juan A. Casañas

The Puerto Rico Accordionist Association Orchestra will tour Italy from June 14th to 27th, where they will play several concerts including performances at the Latin American Institute in Rome, the S. Francesco Theater in Castelfidardo, and with the Verona Accordion Orchestra. They also plan to celebrate Bohemian Nights ("Acordeonata") in Rome and Verona.

Their concert program will include "Saluti da Lugano", "Granada", "Recuerdos de Borinquen" (Puertorrican Danza), "Seis Chorreao" (Puertorrican Traditional) and "Danza Spagnola".

While in Italy the orchestra will also visit the Bugari, Pigini and Excelsior (Cemex) factories as well as the Accordion Museum in Castelfidardo and the Stradivarious Museum in Cremona.

Contributed by Wayne Knights

The 1999 New Zealand Accordion Championships and festival were held from June 4th to 6th in Auckland. The event opened on Friday evening with a "Mix & Mingle" to welcome overseas competitors and visitors. Adjudicators included many well known New Zealand accordion teachers and entertainers as well as overseas guests such as Professor Li Wei Ming from China. Winner of the South Pacific Piano Accordion Solo Competition was Bernadette Conlon (Australia) who also won the International Australian title last weekend.

Guest performers included Tracey Collins, Lian Huang, North Shore Accordion Orchestra (conducted by Lionel Reekie and Heather Masefield) and SCWALT quintet. Special guest artist John MacDonald entertained an enthusiastic audience on the Saturday evening, after which he was honoured for his enormous contribution towards the popularity of the accordion with a New Zealand Accordion Association Life Membership presentation.

Results:

• South Pacific Solo Champion: Bernadette Conlon (Australia)
• New Zealand Solo Champion: Paula Harris
• South Pacific 15 years & under: Carol Yan (NZ)
• South Pacific 12 years & under: Campbell Hill (NZ)

Contributed by Sean Minnie

The Bloemfontein Branch of the Traditional Boermusic Club held their Annual General Meeting in Bloemfontein recently. A new committee was chosen, headed by Chairman Jasper Vlok. Members travelled up to 1100 kms from Pretoria and Gordonsbay to attend the event.

A concert followed the AGM. Performers included concertina duo Stephaan van Zyl and Sean Minnie accompanied by members of the "Bloemfontein Boereorkes" and the former "Oudag Boereorkes" on concertina, banjo, guitar, cello and guitar. Dance music followed the concert by 5-piece group the "Bloemfontein Band" led by Jimmy MacDonald. A newly formed group led by concertina player Gert Jooste also provided music for the keen dancers.

For further information on the next meeting email: sminnie@mweb.co.za

UK group "Swap" which includes lan Carr (guitar and vocals), Karen Tweed (accordion), Ola Backstrom (violin) and Carina Normansson (vocals and violin) will tour Great Britain from August 18th to 29th. The group also plan to tour Sweden in September and Germany in November.

They have just released their CD "Swap" which includes "Red Jacket", "Girl" and "Molnbyggen". For further information phone: + 44 1 14 2509124

Contributed by Dr Herbert Scheibenreif

On May 30th a one hour film on the accordion was broadcast on the German channel SR Fernsehen Südwest. Rather than a "history of the accordion" it was a portrait composed by many sketches from the past and present taken in Trossingen (Harmonika-Museum), Hamburg, Paris, London, Dublin, Vienna (Austria) and the USA. The film, which was based on the novel "Accordion crimes" by American writer E. Annie Proulx, showed our instrument in different facets, from popular to artistic.

Contributed by Maribel Insausti

The "Arrasate Hiria" International Accordion Competition will take place in Arrasate-Mondragón (Basque Country) from December 3rd to 8th 1999. The competition is open to soloists of any age and nationality and the test piece will be sent to contestants free of charge. Application entry forms must be received by September 30th. Prizemoney of 850 pesetas (US$6,000) will be awarded and the competition winner will be invited to perform a concert series in Spain.

For further information email: m.insausti@euskalnet.net

Contributed by Kevin Friedrich

The RMAC will hold their 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Accordion Celebration from July 29th to August 1st in Philipsburg, Montana. This year featured accordionists are Kerry Christensen and Barbara Ann Martindale.

Activities include concerts, dancing, jam sessions, many of which will be held in the 1892 Opera House. For a full schedule of events and further information, visit www.accordions.com/rmac

The Towersey Village festival will be held from August 27th to 30th in Towersey, Oxfordshire. This popular annual event includes concerts, dancing, children's festival, market stalls and a craft and music fair.

Rock'n'roll, country, cajun and zydeco group "Daisy-Belle" will be one of the many exciting performers. The group includes Gilles Kusmerick (accordion, piano, violin, banjo and vocals), Serge Delagnes (guitar, harmonica and vocals), Pierre Dinckel (bass and percussion), Michel Benhaim (violin, mandolin and guitar) and Frédéric Boubet (percussion).

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

Contributed by Kevin Friedrich

On June 18th at 9pm the UMKC Accordion Orchestra will play a concert in Venice, Italy to benefit the Kosovo Refugees. The orchestra are honored to be able to assist in this historical and tragic time in world events. For further information email Dr Claudio Scarpa: ava.ve@flashnet.it

The well known UMKC Accordion Orchestra under the direction of Joan Sommers will present a "Bon Voyage Concert" on Sunday, June 13th at 2pm at UMKC to well wishers in the Kansas City area. Their two week concert tour of Italy will include concerts in Parma, Venice, Castelfidardo, Terracina and Rome. For an updated list of concerts and further information, please visit www.accordions.com/umkc

Contributed by Mickie Zekley

The 1999 French & Breton Music and Dance Celebration will be held from June 21st to 27th in Mendocino, California. Tutors include Cyril Roche (advanced accordion), John Paul and Gary Breitbard (elementary/intermediate accordion).

French guest artists "Trio Patrick Bouffard" and Anne-Lise Foy will conduct music and dance workshops throughout the week. The camp is designed to provide a total experience of French culture with emphasis on music and dance.

For further information email: Goodthym@mcn.org

Contributed by Li Cong

The first issue of a new magazine "Little Artist" was released recently. The magazine aims to help children learning music by introducing all kinds of instruments, including accordion, piano, violin and others. This magazine is organized by the Gansu Province Musicians Society in China.

The first issue includes four articles written by well known Chinese accordionists. These are "Training Problems for Accordion Students" (by Zhang Zi Qiang), "My Childhood and Music" (by Li Yu Qiu), "Four Correct Ways in Accordion Practice" (by Wang Xiao Ping) and "Misunderstandings in Teenage Instrument Learning" (by Wang Chao Gang).

Famous accordionists Zhang Zi Qiang, Li Wei Ming, Wang Xiao Ping and Li Yu Qiu have been invited to be magazine editors. For more information phone Huang Shu La: + 86 931-8825803

Accordionist Milen Slavov will perform a CD release concert at The Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, Berkeley, San Francisco Bay Area on June 24th organised by the MS Music Agency. The concert will include Bulgarian music in traditional and contemporary styles with Sandie Merrill (vocals) and Stu Brotman (bass) accompanying Milen.

The CD contains twelve songs and one instrumental by the trio. Their music is rooted in the rich musical tradition of Slavov's native Bulgaria, where the accordion is the mainstay of a broad range of regional styles.

For further information email: msmagency@aol.com

Ingmar Franquinet, Music Development Manager of the Reader's Digest Amsterdam is currently developing a 3 CD package on Dutch tango performer and conductor Malando & his Orchestra, which is due for release in December. Malando (real name Arie Maasland) was a conductor and had his own accordion orchestra. His most famous recording was his own composition "Ole Guapa". Other recordings include "La Cumparsita", "La Paloma", "Adios Pampa Mia" and "Blue Tango".

In conjunction with the CD release, Ingmar would like to receive biography information on Malando. If you can help with information email: ifranqui@readersdigest.nl

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

On May 20th, accordionist Sylvia Pagni presented a concert in Drogheda as part of the celebrations for the 75th birthday of the Excelsior (Cemex) brand. The concert was held in the auditorium of the Sound Shop Company, one of the major exporters of accordions to Ireland. Sylvia's program included classical and jazz pieces as well as tracks from her latest CD "Myths", to which the audience responded enthusiastically to Sylvia's skill and enthusiasm.

Accordionists Jim Vandelly and 82 year old Art Moilanen played an informal concert and dance Music in Ontonagon, Michigan (Lake Superior) on May 22nd. The concert was held to benefit a local cancer patient. Over 100 people enjoyed listening to the music, good food and dancing.

Art plays many old Finnish songs and is well known in the Upper Michigan area. The two accordionists played a variety of duets and solos including popular Finnish and Russian folk songs such as "In the Finnish Woods", "Saarkiyarven Polka" and "The Cossack Rides the Danube".

Questions for the "Celebrity Interview" with Massimo Pigini (Manager of the Pigini Accordion Factory) have now closed. The interview will be published on 15th June.

Contributed by Kevin Friedrich

Monarch Accordions is midway through celebrating June National Accordion Awareness month with the introduction of several new models. These include a new 3 row diatonic model, world class quality at a great price. Director Mike Aman also reports that there are new Cajun & Musette models available. During June National Accordion Month, all models will be on sale at a very special price. This year Monarch Accordions celebrates their 53rd year in business in the accordion field.

Contributed by Ingi Karlsson

Four piece group "The Sandy Brechin Band" will perform at The International Reykjavik Accordion Festival at Lake Reynisvatn in Iceland from July 16th to 18th. The festival is organized by the General Agency Iceland.

Sandy Brechin is a well known Scottish accordionist with a unique style. The group will perform a variety of popular tunes including "Turtles, Dogs and Fine Highland Cheeses" and "The Drinks Set".

Contributed by John Dickson

The Perth Accordion Club May meeting was an "Italian Extravaganza" which included over two hours of Italian music. The accordion was featured as a solo instrument and in various combinations with other instruments. The Perth Accordion Orchestra also played a selection of Italian music to an enthusiastic audience of over 200 people.

Their next meeting on June 20th will feature "International music from around the world".

Contributed by Toru Katou

On June 13th a "My Way" charity concert will be held at Lovely-Hall, Kawachi-Nagano, Osaka from 1pm. The concert will feature accordionist Hajime Yoshikawa.

For further information phone: + 81 0721-24-0980

Contributed by Kevin Friedrich

"The Showstoppers" under the direction of Rosita Lee Latulippe, will perform an outdoor concert at the Greeley Park Stage in Nashua, New Hampshire this weekend. Guests for this free concert are invited to bring blankets and lawn chairs for seating. For further information please phone: + 1 603 882-8940 or email: Rosita-lee@Juno.com

Next month, the Showstoppers will depart for a two week tour of Ireland, which will include concerts in Dublin, Cavan, Limerick. For further information, please check Future Events and www.accordions.com/rositalee