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Highlights |
2009 Strumenti & Musica Spring Festival, Spoleto - Italyby 2009 Strumenti & Musica Spring Festival |
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Daily Reports online of the 2009 Strumenti & Musica Spring Festival in Spoleto, Italy. Competitions and concerts from the 15th - 17th May with seminar and concert by Viatcheslav Semionov and a concert by Renato Borghetti and band. The two best Italian players will be sponsored by IAC (Italian Accordion Culture – Italian member of the CIA) for the travel and hotel for the CIA Coupe Mondiale in 2009, held in Auckland, New Zealand. Daily Reports online of the 2009 Strumenti & Musica Spring Festival. |
Daily Reports, Shanghai National Accordion Competition - Chinaby 2009 Shanghai Spring National Accordion Competition |
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Daily Reports of the 2009 Shanghai Spring National Accordion Competition are online. |
World Accordion Day Eventsby Rob Howard |
![]() There are new reviews of World Accordion Day events now online. To see details, go to the World Accordion Day website. |
‘An A to Z of the Accordion, Volume 4’, Stockport – UKby Harley Jones |
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![]() The articles include: ‘Accordion - a few playing tips’; ‘Accordion Manufacturing Process’; ‘Accordion Museum’ (written by Caroline Hunt); ‘The accordion with other instruments’ (Ingrid Gould); ‘All Scotland Champions’; ‘Beltona Records’; ‘Britain’s Accordion Scene…1829 onwards’; ‘Diatonic Musings’ (George Garside); ‘The Double Acts’; ‘International Stars of the Accordion’ (Gary Blair); ‘Irish Traditional Playing’; ‘Anglo-Italian Connection’; ‘The Jazz Accordionists’; ‘Memories of Don Destefano’ (Tony Compton); ‘Memorising’ (Conway Graves); ‘Paris Musette’; ‘Playing at the UK Championships’ (Ann Parker); ‘Playing From Piano Music’ (Gerald Crossman); CD/DVD/Book Reviews; ‘Getting to grips with the Roland FR7’; ‘The Serious Performer’ (Douglas Ward); ‘The Shand Morino’ (Roy Magna); ‘Tips for Practising and Playing Solos’ (Gerald Crossman), and various others. The biographies include Elaine Beecham, Ivan Black, James Coutts, Blair Douglas, Don Destefano, Emilio, Richard Galliano, Adrienne Griffiths, Thom Hardacre, Ron Hodgson, Eddy Jay, Flaco Jimenez, Ronnie Kennedy, Shona Kipling, Maurice Larcange, Margaret Mitchell, Owen Murray, Dermot O’Brien, Martin O’Connor, Brendan Power, Sean Quinn, Billy Reid, Donal Ring, Pete Shutler, Will Starr, Emile Vacher, T.W. Thurban, Valentino, Mika Väyrynen, Romano Viazzani, Douglas Ward, and many more. For further information email: robaccord5@hotmail.com |
accordion-space4u.com Site Updated - Internetby accordion-space4u.com |
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Log on to accordion-space4u.com for latest updates |
Future Accordion Kings, Valledupar - Colombiaby Rob Howard |
![]() Gil has about 1,000 students, some as young as 3 years old, but most between the ages of 6 and 15. They attend his school for free, with tuition supported by donations, proceeds from concerts, and tuition from other students who come from around the world to study with Gil. Many have the opportunity to win prizes at Valledupar’s annual accordion festival, but according to Gil, the accordion plays a more important role to his students, most of whom live in poverty: “A child who plays accordion or other instrument doesn’t pick up a gun… The music makes them noble, it changes their heart. They start to sing, they forget about their problems and they feel happy.” |
2nd National Diatonic Competition, Offida - Italyby Holda Paoletti-Kampl |
![]() The final date for entries is May 30th for the following categories: Cat. A until 12 years (born after 1997) Cat. B until 15 years (born after 1994) Cat. C until 18 years (born after 1991) Cat. D without age limit Music: 2 pieces – own choice For further information email: roncogia@libero.it |
7th Samara French-Russian Festival – Russiaby Holda Paoletti-Kampl |
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![]() ![]() This festival took place in the region of Povoljie and Samara (on the Volga river) in the cities Toliatti, Novokuibyshevsk, Chapaevsk, Otradnyi, Pokhvistnevo, Sergievsk and Borskoe. This year the invited artists were Nicolas Massoutié in duo with the guitarist Govanni Angotta (French variete), Emy Dragoi and his group (Rumania-France) with the music of Django Reinhard, Stephane Grapelli, Charli Parker, Chic Corea, Astor Piazzolla, Richard Galliano, André Astier, Marcel Azzola Brahms, Rimski-Korsakov, Paganini. Jean Louis Noton showed "the magic of the digital accordion" performing for the first time in this region of Russia, amazing thousands of audience with the extraordinary possibilities of the digital accordion "Odyssey". Jean Louis Noton also performed his own compositions and played with a magnificent dance group called "DNC". The Russian evening included soloists and groups, four beautiful accordionists of the group "Les Fiancees", Eduard Akhanov playing serious music and Russian entertainment of his own arrangement, music of Fancelli, Galliano, Piazzola, Vlasov, Musichini and "Trois Bogatyria" with the pieces of Vivaldi, Khachaturian, Panitskii and Sidorov. During this festival was the national competition "Vivat-Bajan", which was also the competition to select the Russian candidates for the CMA Trophee Mondial which will take place in Portugal in September this year. In the jury were the professors of: superior academy of Rostov Don Liudmila Varavina, Professor of musical academy of the Samara Alla Katz, Professor of the musical academy from Saratov Valerii Lomako, Professor of the school of the Samara Afanasiev Evgeni, Prize-winner of international competition, dean of the musical school Shnitke in Moscow Bobysheva Valentina, Institute of Lipetzk Viacheslav Melnik, Laureat of international competitions, the official delegate of Russia in the CMA and Professeur du CNIMA J.Mornet is Roman Jbanov. The winers in the category classic junior : 1- Kozlova Margarita from Rostov sur Don 2- Pavlov Kirill et Bedukha Ilia from Syzran et Toliatti 3- Sirenko Artiom from Kurgan. The winers in the category classic senior : 1- Safin Nikolai from Samara 2- Cherneikin Pavel from Oulianovsk 3- Dorofeev Anton from Jigulievsk The winers in the category senior Varietes : 3- Titarenko Alexandr from Rostov sur Don All these candidates were selected to represent Russia at the next Trophee Mondial in Portugal. The festival was a big success enjoyed by thousands of audience. For further information, email: j.r76@mail.ru |
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
2nd UNAC Accordion Meeting 2009, Segovia - Spainby Raquel Ruiz |
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![]() Participants from all parts of Spain (Cuenca, Barcelona, Galicia, Madrid, Pamplona....) were taking part in the seminars ‘Tune and Reparation - practice master class’ by Philippe Imbert (France) and ‘History and Mechanics of the Accordion’, by Jose Mari López (Spain). Participants studied their own instruments and saw the evolution of the instrument from several historical instruments up to the new Roland V-Accordion models. On Friday May 1st, UNAC also organised a concert, ‘Homage to A. Kusiakov’ who recently died. Three accordion students of the Superior Music Conservatory of Zaragoza (Olalla Otón, Xabier Olazábal and Daniel Pérez) played ‘Autumn Scenes’, ‘Sonata nº 2’, and ‘Sonata nº 4’, composed by Kusyakov. Angel Luis Castaño, UNAC President, on Sunday afternoon awarded diplomas to all participants, and talked about the importance of this kind of practical seminar, where participants can have a much greater knowledge about the workings of their instruments. For further information email: raquelru@gmail.com |
Stolen Accordion Recovered! - UKby Rob Howard |
![]() The instrument was left at the Central Police Station in Blackpool by an anonymous person/persons, and reunited with its delighted and relieved owner. Samuel Davis had won the ‘Senior Recital’ section at the UK Accordion Championships on Sunday April 28th is now reunited with his accordion. |
Steve Jordan’s Radio Broadcast, Minneapolis- USAby Rob Howard |
![]() On May 3rd the KFAI radio program ‘Encuentro’ broadcast a special program dedicated to the music of Esteban (Steve) Jordan, and his contribution to this polka inspired, accordion driven genre. After its broadcast, the program’s recording stays archived for a couple of weeks. The recording can be found in Encuentro’s web site: www.kfai.org/node/3344 |
Scottish Tango Ensemble, Edinburgh - UKby Paul Chamberlain |
![]() They are also performing a concert of Piazzolla’s music on Wednesday May 13th in Edinburgh at Stockbridge Parish Church. The concert begins at 7.30pm and also features a vocalist and a pair of dancers on stage. For more information please contact Paul Chamberlain – info@scottishtangoensemble.com |
6th Notre-Dame of Oè Festival - Franceby Harley Jones |
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![]() In the first part the duet "Paris Moscou" duo (Domi Emorine and Roman Jbanov) performed a musical trip of French and Russian compositions. After their brilliant performance and excellent communication with the audience, the young regional accordionist Alexis Lambert took over. His musette party was followed by the the tremendous group of Ludovic Beïer (Roland V-Accordion), Angelo Debarre (guitar) who charmed everybody with their professionalism and improvisations of gipsy music, jazz and french melodies. The public of the French region of Touraine were spoiled with this quality show. You can find the extracts of this concert on the Paris Moscou website. |
Future events |
‘Spring Instruments & Music Festival’, Spoleto – Italyby '2009 Spring Instruments & Music Festival’ |
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Download the Program of the '2009 Spring Instruments & Music Festival’ in Spoleto, Italy. Daily Reports of the event will be online. |
‘Music in the Parks’, Belfast – UKby Rob Howard |
‘Music in the Parks’ is a series of concerts taking place in parks across Belfast, Northern Ireland, from May to September. These concerts feature a range of musical styles, including jazz, blues and classical – and some of the concerts are presented by accordion bands. May 10th, 2pm until 5pm – East Antrim (Killyglen) Accordion Orchestra at the Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park May 17th, 3pm until 4pm - Brunswick Accordion Orchestra, Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park May 24th, 3pm until 4pm - Castlewellan Accordion Orchestra, Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park May 31st, 1pm until 2pm - Blaris Accordion Orchestra, Belfast Castle June 7th, 3pm until 4pm - Blaris Accordion Orchestra, Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park June 28th, 2pm until 5pm – East Antrim (Killyglen) Accordion Orchestra, Ormeau Park |
Accordion Festival, Amsterdam – Netherlandsby Rob Howard |
On May 10th, 2pm, an accordion festival takes place at the Café ‘t Eitje, Motorwal 282, north Amsterdam. |
Digital Accordion Category for AATA Championships - Australiaby Tania Lukic-Marx |
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![]() The AATA is proud to announce this new Digital Accordion category. This competition class is open to any country in the world and any type of digital accordion. Artistic requirement is the same as the newly established Coupe Mondiale Digital Accordion category: • Own Choice Show/Entertainment Program, maximum playing time 15 min. • External sound modules, MIDI modules, backing tracks including SMF, audio files, CD or MP3 player etc. may be used. The organiser will provide a mixer sound system with a mixer plug-in for 1 or 2 channels and a single power plug (local plug) of 230 volts. The candidate must provide all other equipment. • Rehearsal time of up to 15 minutes per candidate will be scheduled prior to the competition. • Performance sound set up time - maximum 2 minutes. Performance sound break down - maximum 2 minutes. • All types and make of digital accordion may be used and bellows must be the primary volume control of the digital sounds. Digital accordions with acoustic sounds are permitted with the reeds amplified provided the candidate uses the accordion and bellows to make substantial use of digital sounds. • The adjudicators marks will be based on: show/entertainment; musicality; digital technology use. Audience and/or candidates from other Coupe Mondiale categories may be adjudicators. Full rules and entry details are on the Australian International Championships website or email President Tania Lukic-Marx. |
Eurovision Song Contest Theme Gift – Israelby Harley Jones |
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![]() To get your free copy of Te Deum, email your request to: musicforaccordion@yahoo.com and the music will be emailed to you. Thanks to Yehuda for this most generous offer. If you want to view other Yehuda Oppenheimer arrangements, compositions or CD’s, please go to the Yehuda Oppenheimer website. |
Queensland Accordion Orchestra Concert, Brisbane – Australiaby Rob Howard |
The Queensland Accordion Orchestra perform in concert at Chermside Library, 375 Hamilton Rd, Chermside, Brisbane, on Monday May 11th, 10.30am. This event is part of ‘Brisbane 150’ celebrations. For further information email: marymartyn@bigpond.com |
Marie-Josée Houle Concert, Edmonton - Canadaby Rob Howard |
![]() Based in Ottawa, Marie-Josée Houle performs French café and gypsy jazz in her own highly individual style. Her solo debut CD, ‘Our Lady of Broken Souls’, was released in 2007. |
Timo Kinnunen Premiere Concert, Tokyo – Japanby Rob Howard |
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New and Updated Sites |
Salvatore Cauteruccio new CDsby Salvatore Cauteruccio |
A new site selling 2 CDs titled "NOVA 4TET Tangout" and "Acoustic Music Ensemble" with sound samples. Music performed by Salvatore Cauteruccio. Purchase online. |
Simeon Shmelkov new CDsby Shmelkov Semion |
A new site selling 2 CDs titled "The Poem" and "Sempre Majore! (Flute and Bayan)" with sound samples. Music performed by Simeon Shmelkov and Olga Zmanovskaja. Purchase online. |
Renzo Ruggieri new CDby Renzo Ruggieri |
Renzo Ruggieri selling 1 new CD titled "Collection" with sound samples. Music performed by Renzo Ruggieri. Purchase online. |
Mario D'Amario new CDby Mario D'Amario |
A new site selling a CD titled "Carnevale" with sound samples. Music performed by Mario D'Amario. Purchase online. |
Peter Piccini releases 1 new work for accordionby Peter Piccini |
Peter Piccini - accordionist, composer, arranger, performer, release 1 new work for accordion available for purchase online. 'French Song, catalog:pp282'. Samples of this music is available on the site. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card. |
H S Production New Music Releasesby H S Productions |
H S Production releases 7 new pieces, 'The Wind Blows At The Gate, catalog:hs502', 'Waltz Arrangement, catalog:hs506', 'German Song Arrangement, catalog:hs507', 'Dance Arrangement, catalog:hs513', 'The Bee Arrangement, catalog:hs516', 'Aria Arrangement, catalog:hs517', and 'Bagpipes, catalog:hs522'. Samples of the music are available online. The music are in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card. |
CD Reviews |
Accordeon Obsessionby Renato Belardinelli |
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Help Desk, Information needed, Readers CommentsSubmit Your Question, CommentSUBMIT NOW |