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News from 10th January 1997 |
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Editors note: Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you all had a great festive season. Here's the first weekly news for 1997. Thanks for all the nice comments on this service. Remember though, that we can only provide this service if we receive news each week, so we ask you to help yourselves and other readers. It's also great opportunity for organisations to promote themselves - and it's FREE!
A bonus for European readers this week is the news in French as well as
German. We are busy working towards the past news also in French
and the complete site in German, which will be here on Friday 17th January.
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BANDONEONIST RAUL GARELLO LEADS BRILLIANT CONCERT - TOULOUSE, FRANCE
On January 1st, the Capitolio orchestra from Toulouse was conducted by Bandoneonist Raul Garello (conductor of the Tango Orchestra in Buenos Aires, Argentina). The success of the concert confirmed that Argentinian music has a continued popularity in Toulouse, in the south east of France.
The conductor of the Capitolio orchestra, Michel Plason, was ill and had to let Garello take his position. The tangos that were arranged for the orchestra convinced the Toulouse audience that music from Buenos Aires truly deserved to be honoured. The audience received them with great applause and special mention was given to both piano soloist Alberto Giaimo and the first bandoneon player Osvaldo Montes.
Raul Garello is himself an Bandoneon player and arranger as well as the director of the Tango Orchestra of Buenos Aires. From 1914 to 1975 he played the Bandoneon and arranged tango music for the Orchestra Anibal Troilo.
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Contributed by Wayne Knights Well known accordionist Zhou Jing toured Japan at the end of 1996, where she performed 14 concerts in all. She won the South Pacific Open Championship in 1994, at only 14 years of age and was also the National Chinese Open Champion in the same year. She is about to undertake learning with a video recorder, with her teacher Jiang Gui He, to further enhance her already strong stage presentation. Jiang Gui He is also planning further overseas appointments which are yet to be confirmed.
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ACCORDION BUILDER HONOURED - LOUISIANA, USA Contributed by Wayne Knights Walter "Shine" Mouton, a Cajun accordion builder, has been honoured for his work being a recipient of the Louisiana Division of the Arts 1997 Artist Fellowship. The fellowships, awarded in recognition of outstanding artistic achievement, provide $5,000 grants to each of the winners. Mouton, comes from a family of Cajun musicians and instrument builders. In 1961 he carefully dismantled an accordion and discovered that he preferred building them more than playing. Since then, "Mouton" accordions have built a reputation for being well-made and are played by many Cajun musicians. At one time Mouton made up to 45 accordions a year. Now he makes 15 to 20 a year and puts more time into passing on his skills to other Cajun accordion makers. One of his accordions was recently the first Cajun accordion to be used in the first ever concert performance by a Philharmonic orchestra, the Acadiana Philharmonic.
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FRENCH ACCORDIONIST HONOURED BY PRESIDENT Contributed by Claude Cavagnolo, Europe Musique Instruments On December 17th 1996, well known accordionist Yvette Horner was honoured with the Legion of Honour by the President of France, Mr Jacques Chirac.
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ACCORDION IN THE WUHAN CONSERVATORY Contributed by Wu Jie From 1997 the accordion will be taught in the Attached High School of Wuhan Conservatory as a required course. This is a first for the Wuhan Conservatory because until now the accordion was only taught in the Music Education Department. In many other conservatories in China, the accordion is not only taught in conservatories, but also in the attached middle schools and high schools. There will only be 5 accordion students in the school, it is felt this is a good beginning number. "This will be a milestone of the accordion history of our conservatory", said Mr Liu Qin, who will be the accordion teacher of the students.
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CLASSICAL ACCORDION CONCERT IN NOVOSIBIRSK, RUSSIA Contributed by Alexander Krupin and Tatiana Lanchtchikova On December 27th 1996, Alexandr Pankov (chromatic accordionist and pianist) performed a concert, held in the Concert Hall of Novosibirsk State Glinka Conservatory, Novosibirsk, Russia. Alexander Pankov graduated and post-graduated at Novosibirsk State Glinka Conservatory with Alexandr Krupin. He was awarded 3rd place at the 1994 International Accordion Competition in Moscow, Russia and has a diploma from the 1992 International Accordion Competition "Cup of North", held in Novosibirsk, Russia. In December 1996, Alexander completed his post-graduated programme, with the highest point of his education being this concert. Highlights of the accordion section of the concert included classical music; Sonatas A-major and E-flat major (Mozart), Romans (Mozart), Sonata (Haydn) and he also performed pieces with two teachers of the conservatory, Marina Kuzina (violin) and Alexander Lapkin (cello). All pieces performed were arranged by Alexander Pankov himself. At the end of January, Alexander Pavkov is scheduled for a concert tour of Germany.
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ACCORDIONISTS SEEN DANCING IN THE STREET Contributed by Harley Jones New Zealand accordion entertainer Lionel Reekie stole the show on a New Years Eve party at a well-known café in Auckland, which was attended by many local accordionists. There were approximately 150 diners, all having a great time dancing and listening to the accordion music. Near midnight, everyone from not only that café but about 3 or 4 others in the same vicinity assembled in the middle of the street to dance and sing the New Year in, at the same time blocking six lanes of traffic! A great time was had by all.
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TWO NOTED ACCORDION TEACHERS LAUDED Contributed by Faithe Deffner, President of the American Accordionists' Association Elsie M. Bennett, director of the Bennett Music School of Brooklyn, New York and Arlene Boddicker, music director of the Boddicker School of Music of Rapid City, South Dakota (formerly of Cedar Rapids, Iowa), both celebrated their respective 50th anniversary as noted accordion educators. The Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes issued a commemorative citation for each in recognition of their achievements and contributions to the accordion community. Elsie Bennett's long and productive career includes the past- presidency of the American Accordionists' Association and long-term chairmanship of AAA's Composer Commissioning Committee, which resulted in the organisation's extensive library of accordion works composed by contemporary giants such as Robert Russell Bennett, Henry Cowell, Paul Creston, David Diamond, Ernst Krenek, Otto Luening, Alexander Tcherepnin, Virgil Tompson and others. Arlene Boddicker served as a past president of the Accordion Teachers' Guild and been active with CIA and other music groups. In addition to conducting her outstanding accordion orchestra which toured extensively, she taught accordion students at Coe College and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, where the instrument was accepted for major and minor study toward several music degrees. A number of her students were top prize winners in national and international competitions.
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ACCORDION EVENING PARTY FOR CHINESE SPRING FESTIVAL Contributed by Wu Jie It has been announced that on the 16th February at 7.30pm an accordion evening party will be held to celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival (Chinese New Year's Day). It will be in the hall of the Wuhan Song & Dance Troupe, in the province of Hubei. Forty accordionists (all students of Mr Xiao Shunkang) will perform solo, duet and ensemble. Highlights of their programmes will include Waltz Skating, Rhapsody in Blue, Flowers and Children, Dance Spanish Bullfighters, Polka of Boxers, Overture to "Bat".
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NEW ZEALAND JAZZ ACCORDIONIST INVITED BACK TO CHINA Contributed by Wayne Knights Well known jazz accordionist Grant "Yogi" Martin travelled to China in September last year to perform concerts, conduct workshops and teach jazz accordion techniques. He has just received confirmation that he has been invited back in March to pass on further knowledge. He will visit both Sichuan and Kunming. In September last year he and famous Russian artist Viatcheslav Semionov became close friends as they toured through China together. Together they performed in front of sold-out audiences and on live television and radio.
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1996 YEAR OF THE ACCORDION PRODUCED GREAT PUBLICITY Contributed by Faithe Deffner, President of the American Accordionists' Association More than 100 significant newspaper and magazine articles as well as TV mentions during the past year can be traced to the promotional efforts prepared by the public relations firm of Stephen Koenigsberg in conjunction with accordion spokesperson and president of the American Accordionists' Association, Faithe Deffner. The campaign was to be funded with $US12,000 for the year. Major contributors were the American Accordionists' Association ($3,000), the Accordion Teachers' Guild ($3000) and the Accordion Teachers Association of Massachusetts ($2,000). Other contributors who donated lesser amounts were several regional organisations. The $12,000 goal is still $1,850 short and further contributions are being sought.
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CELEBRATION OF ACCORDION LOVE IN FRANCE Contributed by Claude Cavagnolo, Europe Musique Instruments At 9.00pm on Friday January 17th, a concert in honour of the accordion will be held. It is called "It is Exciting to Passionately Love The Accordion". It will be held at the Community Hall of La Colomiere, in the Upper Savoy region of France. The compere will be Danny Maurice and accordionists will include Armand Lassagne, Alain Musichini, Rene Dessibourg (Switzerland), Stephanie Rodriguez, Georges Spanos (Greece), Domique Emorine, Rene Grolier, Alain Ladiere and Jean-Marc Torchy.
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ACCORDION COMPETITION IN NORTHEASTERN USA Contributed by Faithe Deffner, President of the American Accordionists' Association Roger Latulippe, president of the Accordion Teachers Association of Massachusetts (ATAM) announced that the organisation will hold its annual competition at the Marriott Hotel in Newton, Massachusetts during the weekend of April 4-6, 1997. Festival participants are from Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and other states of the New England area. |
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ACCORDIONIST TREASURES OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM Contributed by Tom Collins Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka has been an accordion player since she was a child and, upon request will make appearances with her accordion. During her past political campaign travels, Treasurer Topinka would dazzle voters at many stops across the state with her accordion playing. Judy has a radio programme named "Stump the Treasurer". She fulfils requests called in by listeners. No one has been able to stump her with a song that she could not play.
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Contributed by Faithe Deffner, President of the American Accordionists' Association The Texas Accordion Association will hold its festival in Dallas the weekend of March 14th to 16th, 1997. Joan Cochran Sommers of the University of Missouri at Kansas City will conduct a master class and work with the massed band of participating accordionists who are scheduled to appear in concert during the event. Several members of the famous UMKC Accordion Orchestra which Professor Sommers conducts will also perform, including popular vocalist and accordionist Jane Christianson who will also do a workshop on pop music.
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ROSE CITY ACCORDION CLUB - PORTLAND, OREGON, USA Contributed by Tom Collins The Rose City Accordion Club is a newly formed club looking for accordion players and accordion lovers - for good times, good friends and good music. The RCAC welcomes all players, whether amateur or professional, all types of music styles and accordions, all groups, and anyone who simply loves accordion music. They meet the third Saturday of each month at the Gresham Senior Center, 50 NE Elliott Avenue, Gresham (corner of Elliott and Powell, near Hood Theatre) from 1.00 to 5.00 pm.
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TIMES SQUARE PARTY HERALDS IN THE NEW YEAR, NEW YORK, USA Contributed by Faithe Deffner, President of the American Accordionists' Association What better way to ring in the New Year than with a 92 year old tradition - the Times Square Party. Noise makers, confetti, and wall-to-wall people invaded Broadway and 42nd Street for New York's Rocking New Year's Eve Party hosted by TV personality Dick Clark. Run in cooperation with a fabulous live concert at the Meadowlands, the Times Square Party provided top talents such as Kiss, the Tony Rich Project, Hootie and the Blowfish (accordionist Peter Holzapple), accordion-wielding Weird Al Yankovic, and others, televised internationally.
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ACCORDION GETS A BIG PLAY IN KLEZMER MUSIC Contributed by Faithe Deffner, President of the American Accordionists' Association The Klezmer Conservatory Band featured Boston-based accordionist Evan Harlan in its segment on the Planet Squeezebox compilation (two CDs and a book) of accordion music from around the world. Another Klezmer group, the Klezmatics (who feature accordionist Lorin Sklamberg) add their own unique flavour to Eastern European Klezmer music by infusing it with jazz, rock and improvisation. The Klezmatics recorded live with virtuoso violinist Itzhak Perlman, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City for the recently released CD titled Live in the Fiddler's House. They also performed with Perlman for public television in a documentary which traced the history and renaissance of Klezmer music and pictured several accordionists within the various ensembles.
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FAMOUS ACCORDIONISTS IN THE MEDIA - USA
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COMPOSER ACCORDIONIST PAULINE OLIVEROS IN KANSAS CITY Contributed by Faithe Deffner, President of the American Accordionists' Association The much-acclaimed New Year Contemporary Group which brings the newest in multi-media and avant-garde music to the public, will feature composer accordionist Pauline Oliveros in a forthcoming performance. The Group which does six concerts annually, introduces concert-goers to unique, cutting-edge music, and has received top reviews from the critics as well as audience acclaim.
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MUNDINGER ACCORDION ORCHESTRA OF TORONTO Contributed by Faithe Deffner, President of the American Accordionists' Association In the 1950's the Mundinger Accordion Orchestra of Toronto, was one of the foremost accordion orchestras of North America, perhaps of the world. Three cassettes have recently been issued, capturing the "hey-day" of the accordion in superb performances by the Mundinger Accordion Orchestra under the baton of Eric Mundinger, at famous Massey Hall. Accordionists will be thrilled with these great orchestral renditions of classic favourites, the group's brilliant accompaniment of operatic vocalists and other instrumentalist, as well as solos and duets by students of the day.
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Contributed by Tom Collins and Heinz Siemens Accordion teacher Heinz Siemens has written the following ideas for practicing the accordion: Much time is wasted by students because they do not use a regular system of practicing. That's why music that should take one week to learn, often stretches into much more time. Here are some proven suggestions:
REMEMBER - At the end of a practice session, it is better to have mastered one line than to have stumbled through the entire piece.
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