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Highlights |
2018 68th Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann Held on NE Coast - Irelandby Harley Jones |
The 68th Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will be held on the north east coast of Ireland for the first time in it’s history, 12th-19th August 2018. The Fleadh is now the largest and most unique cultural festival in the world with a huge diatonic, concertina and accordion participation in the musical groups and competitions. Drogheda, one of the oldest towns in Ireland, announced a €130,000 sponsorship by Drogheda, district vintners and hotels with the sponsorship backed by all the publicans in Drogheda and their suppliers. Over 1,000 volunteers will be required to help stage this year’s Fleadh and ensure that Drogheda offers an enjoyable experience for the 400,000 visitors expected to descend on the area this August. Picture below: Fleadh Licence Application Submitted To Louth County Council in "musical style". |
Harmonika 2019 Weltmeisterschaft, St Peter-Freienstein - Austriaby Werner Weibert |
Harmonika 2019 World Championships (including the Austrian State Championships) for Steirische Harmonika will be held from 30 May to 2nd June 2019 in beautiful picturesque St. Peter-Freienstein, Steiermark, Austria. The event is held every two years organized by the HVÖ Harmonikaverband Österreichs led by President Werner Weibert (picture left) and Harmonika 2019 Competition Director Gottfried Hubmann (right). View the pictures and videos of the 2017 event at: 2017Harmonika For further information, contact Gottfried Hubmann email: gottfried.hubmann@aon.at |
12th Accordion Art Festival, Roseto degli Abruzzi - Italyby Renzo Ruggieri |
Extraordinary success for the participants and audience at the Accordion Art Festival 2018 which took place on 16 and 17 June in Roseto degli Abruzzi. Now in its 12th edition, the Accordion Art Festival features: - Italia Award 2018 International Contest; - Orpheus Award 2018 (Italians only); - Italian Selections CMA 2018 and is today, one of the important events in the Italian accordion calendar. President: Claudio Azzaro, Artistic Director: Renzo Ruggieri, Orpheus Award Artistic Director: Gerlando Gatto. On Saturday morning a prestigious jury selected the candidates for the CMA 2018 Trophee Mondial being held in Canada. Selected were: - Manuel Marchegiani (virtuous junior) - Lorenzo Assogna (junior virtuoso) - Giuseppe Di Falco (electronic accordion) In the afternoon the Italia Award (international competition) began, listening to the many categories and in particular the new section with "small orchestra" dedicated to the famous Italian composer Antonio Cericola. The winners are: - Accordion Trio Mktonovic-Treigys-Salvijus (Groups section) - Lorenzo Scolletta (classical accordion) - Manuel Marchegiani (virtuoso accordion) - Leonardo Cappelli (diatonic accordion) The evening concerts featured young artists such as "Virtuosity Duo" (Andrea Di Giacomo and Valerio Russo), Giuseppe di Falco with the new "Electro" project and the "Trio Los Colores del Tanngo" with Marco Gemelli (bandonoen), Paolo Angelucci (violin), Angelo Trabucco (piano). Last evening event was the Orpheus Award announcements. This is a critics award that assigns the Orpheus to the best Italian annual productions. Here are the winners: - Cesare Chiacchiaretta (Classical) - Giuliana Soscia (Jazz) - Riccardo Tesi (world) |
Reminder: Harbin Entries Close, Free Accommodation and Food for Foreign Candidates - Chinaby Harley Jones |
Reminder: Harbin Entries Close 30th June 2018 Rules, entry form in Chinese and English and poster download at: 2018Harbin Harbin Organising Committee offers full accommodation and food during the competition for foreign candidates. |
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration Results, Washington - USAby Rob Howard |
This year’s Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration took place from June 21st to 24th in the state of Washington, USA, attracted large numbers of players and enthusiasts, and was deemed a great success by all who were invited. Guest accordionists included Murl Allen Sanders, Cory Pesaturo, Michael Bridge, and Bruce Gassman. The various activities included a competition, with the results now published. Emmanuel Gasser, from Canada, won First Prize in all 5 categories that he competed in, at the recent Leavenworth event. Emmanuel Gasser is pictured below with Cory Pesaturo (left) and Michael Bridge (right). Full results at: 2018LeavenworthResults.pdf |
‘Scenes of Shetland’ DVD, Shetland – UKby Rob Howard |
‘Scenes of Shetland’ is a 30 minutes film giving a bird’s eye view of the rugged beauty of Shetland, covering the areas of Central Mainland, Scalloway, The North Isles, North Mainland, The Westside, and South Mainland. There is no commentary, and none is needed as the ever changing and often spectacular scenes speak for themselves. The views of the coastlines, cliffs and seas are especially striking. The aerial images are perfectly complemented by the lively music of the Peter Wood Shetland Dance Band, playing Scottish dance tunes plus a fabulous Swedish waltz composed by the great Carl Jularbo (Sweden’s answer to Jimmy Shand). Peter Wood is a fine accordionist and accordion teacher, who really knows what makes Scottish dance music tick, and ensemble playing is spot on. The picture quality and camera work are both excellent. The blurb on the cover says ‘The DVD Picture Postcard From Shetland’, which is a fair description, and the music soundtrack could stand alone as CD release. All in all, a first class production, and credit to all involved. The DVD is available via the Peter Wood Shetland Dance Band website. Music tracks: Jigs - The Weaver/Paddy MacDonald’s Breeks/Stoneypath Tower; Jigs – Mrs Macpherson of Cluny/Lizzie Duncan’s Fancy/Saddle the Pony/The Murray River; Reels – Roxburgh Castle/Calver Lodge/The New High Level; Swedish Waltz – Nya Varmlandvalsen (C. Jularbo); Waltzes (all composed by Peter Wood) – Hamish’s Boat/Da Sea Get Waltz/Emillie’s Waltz; Gay Gordons – The Auld Square (P.Wood); Hornpipes – The Ton/The Rose Tree/Bill Sutherland For further information email: peter@peterwoodmusic.co.uk |
Ronnie Ross CD ‘Scottish Accordion Gems’, Scotland – UKby Rob Howard |
Accordion entertainer Ronnie Ross has released a CD of Scottish accordion music, ‘Scottish Accordion Gems’. Tracks Include: Gay Gordons; Mary Hamilton of Achincruive; Gaelic Waltzes; Retreat Marches; Para Handy; Spring The Summer Long; Jigging; Only Our Rivers Run Free; 2-4 Marches; Aly & Eileen; Robbie Shepherd M.B.E.; Happy Hours; Only Flett; Waltz Selection; Coogie's Rally Reels; The Highest Apple; March Selection Ronnie Ross, from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, comes from a musical family. A self-taught accordionist, he is a resident entertainer in several hotels, and also owns a recording studio. He has recorded several CDs and DVDs. For further information email: martinbutterworth73@gmail.com |
Rachael McShane & The Cartographers New CD and Gigs – UKby Rob Howard |
The singer and fiddle player Rachael McShane & The Cartographers (featuring guitarist and singer Matthew Ord and Julian Sutton on melodeon) release a new CD, ‘When All Is Still’ (Topic Records), a selection of folk songs and tunes, on August 10th. The track list includes: The Molecatcher; Lady Isabel; Cropper Lads; Ploughman Lads; Waltzing at Giggleswick/The Ginger Cat; Monster; Two Sisters; Barley and Rye; Road to Tarset/Lake of Swans; Sheath and Knife; Sylvie; Green Broom. Their gig list reads as follows: July 7th – Folk at the Hall Festival, North Wales August 10th – The Bridge Festival, Newcastle August 18th – Folk East Festival September 1st - London Folk Festival October 20th – Manchester Folk Festival October 21st – Riverhouse Barn (Brunch Concert), Walton-on-Thames October 24th – Norden Farm Arts Centre, Maidenhead October 25th – Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham-By-Sea October 26th – The Lights, Andover October 27th – The Slaughtered Lamb, London October 28th – Quay Arts Centre, Isle of Wight November 1st – Alexander’s Live, Chester November 2nd – The Civic, Barnsley November 3rd – Kirkgate Arts, Cockermouth December 16th – The Froize, Woodbridge, Suffolk For further information email: keldamanley@live.co.uk |
Weird Science: Bond with your kids - and crank the musicby Harley Jones |
By: Jamie Morton Science Reporter, New Zealand Herald newspaper Sharing music with your kids while they're young can help your relationships later in life, researchers say. Most siblings have memories of - happily or unhappily - listening to whatever Mum or Dad had on the car radio on long trips away. In our unfortunate case, that was endless doses of Jim Reeves, Kenny Rogers and, if we were really unlucky, Engelbert Humperdinck. But now researchers say sharing music can do wonders for parents' future relationships with their sons and daughters. "If you have little kids, and you play music with them, that helps you be closer to them, and later in life will make you closer to them," said the University of Arizona's Professor Jake Harwood, co-author of a new study. "If you have teenagers and you can successfully listen to music together or share musical experiences with them, that has an even stronger effect on your future relationship and the child's perception of the relationship in emerging adulthood." Harwood and his colleagues surveyed a group of young adults, average age 21, about the frequency with which they engaged with their parents, as children, in activities such as listening to music together, attending concerts together or playing musical instruments together. Participants reported on their memories of experiences they had between ages 8 and 13 and age 14 and older. They also shared how they perceive their relationship with their parents now. Although shared musical experiences at all age levels were associated with better perceptions of parent-child relationship quality in young adulthood, the effect was most pronounced for shared musical experiences during adolescence. "With young kids, musical activity is fairly common - singing lullabies, doing nursery rhymes," Harwood said. "With teenagers, it's less common, and when things are less common you might find bigger effects, because when these things happen, they're super important." |
Future events |
Roman Jbanov and Anna Jbanova Recital, Tarn – Franceby Rob Howard |
On Saturday June 30th, 8.30pm-10pm, accordionist Roman Jbanov and his sister the pianist Anna Jbanova perform together in concert at La Grange de Mondelle, 596, route de Roqueserière, Saint-Sulpice-la-Pointe, Tarn 81370, southern France. Their programme will include classical music from Russia, Ukraine and France. Admission is 10 Euro. Ukrainian-born Roman Jbanov’s achievements include Grand Prize Beloborodov in Tula (Russia), Scholarship of the President of the Russian Republic, and in 1997 winning the CMA Trophée Mondiale. For further information email: lepindesarts@gmail.com |
Christine Schmid @ ‘Sommer in Wehr’, Kirchzarten - Germanyby Rob Howard |
On Saturday June 30th, 7pm, accordionist and vocalist Christine Schmid performs French songs in a ‘Vive la France’ set at this year’s ‘Sommer in Wehr’ festival at Talschulplatz stattfindet, Weher, Germany. Christine Schmid studied at the Hohner Conservatory Trossingen and at the Opera Workshop at Basel Conservatory. Later she attended the Jazz School Basel and Paris in music theory, accordion and vocals. After her studies she had various engagements such as the title role in ‘Marlene Dietrich’ at the Musical Theater in Basel and regular appearances as a guest soprano with the Spa Orchestra Badenweiler, followed by appearances on radio and television. Christine Schmid is also vocal and speech trainer and also as a successful model and mannequin. For further information email: christ.schmid@web.de |
‘Scandinavian Special’ Day, Manchester – UKby Rob Howard |
On Saturday June 30th Manchester EuroDance present a Scandinavian Special led by Daniel Reid - accordion, piano, saxophones, vocals, and Emma Reid - fiddle, Hardanger fiddle, viola, and vocals. The venue is St Werburgh’s Church Hall, 386 Wilbraham Rd, Chorlton, Manchester M21 0UH, and the organiser is Rosie Bryce. There will be music and dance workshops, a concert and a bal. Workshops 1 2.30 - 3.45pm Tunes with Emma and Daniel DIY Swedish dance with Rosie Workshops 2 4 - 5.15pm Musician's session Beginner's Swedish Dance basics 5.30pm Food (pre order only) 7pm Concert & Bal Daniel & Emma Reid are two of the busiest musicians in Sweden and have toured as theatre musicians and in folk and world music bands for the last 20 years. The duo-couple perform self-penned tunes, traditional material and songs from both Scandinavia and the British Isles, all with a remarkably close and spontaneous interaction. The eclectic mix of instruments and vocals combined with sheer musical brilliance makes for incredibly varied, evocative performances. For further information email: info@mysite.com |
Roberto Milesi ‘Tea Dance’, Paris – Franceby Rob Howard |
Musette accordionist Roberto Milesi and his orchestra plays for a tea dance on Saturday June 30th, 2.30 to 7.30pm, at the Salle des Fetes, d’ Enhien les Bains, a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. |
Accordion Café Holiday Special, Dortmund – Germanyby Rob Howard |
The Akkordeon-Café-Dortmund is an Open Stage Event taking place every first Monday of the month at 7pm at the ‘Fritz Henßler Haus’ Cultural Center, Geschwister-Scholl-Str 33, 44135 Dortmund, Germany. On July 2nd the meeting will be titled a ‘Holiday Special’. Since 2008 the Akkordeon Café has presented all kinds of accordion and harmonica music, such as Cajun and Zydeco, French musette, German folk music, sea shanties, Tango, Country, Pop, Irish traditional, Forro, Cumbia, traditional Balkan tunes, up to contemporary classical music. Accordionists, harmonica players - soloists, duos and trios, band with accordion, orchestras and music students - perform on our stage. Supported by our professional PA and light show or as an acoustic show they meet and enjoy an accordion enthusiastic audience. Free admission. |
Giorgio Albanese Concert @ Brooklyn Accordion Club, New York – USAby Rob Howard |
On Sunday July 1st, 2pm until 3.45pm, Brooklyn Accordion Club presents Giorgio Albanese in concert. Admission is $5. Giorgio Albanese was born in Ostuni, Italy. He has represented Italy three times at the World Accordion Championships with successes at 30 national and international competitions. In 2009 he gained a degree in ‘Jazz Music’ at the ‘Niccolò Piccinni’ Conservatory, Bari, and in 2012 specialized in ‘New Language Composition and Interpretation’ at the ‘Nino Rota’ Conservatory, Monopoli, achieving distinction both times. He is currently in the USA studying at Berklee College of Music. Giorgio Albanese has worked with many leading musicians, and has also been actively involved in a wide variety of musical projects that span traditional as well as more contemporary jazz, working across multidiscipline arts such as theatre, dance and cinema. His music is influenced by world sounds and sound experimentation, producing a more profound, intrinsic language of music. After his academic studies he focused on developing his own approach to music completely independent from the predominant aesthetic standards. This approach has enabled him to conceive the accordion as a ‘modern’ sound and language, a synthesis of a rich artistic journey which finds its origins in the language of contemporary jazz. His original, musical works were used in the short film ‘L’ultima partenza’. He has composed music for theatre and has experimented with the interaction between sound and video, and more generally between visual arts and music, always looking for the most innovative ways of making art. He leads workshops and master classes on jazz accordion, including musical improvisation workshops inspired by both the Afro-American jazz tradition and European contemporary music. He works on different projects and has performed in Italy, France, Argentina, UK, USA, Australia, China, South Korea, Holland, Portugal, Spain, Egypt, Morocco, Croatia, and Finland. Brooklyn Accordion Club meets at the Great Room at the LuEsther T. Mertz South Oxford Space/A.R.T., 138 South Oxford Street (between Atlantic Avenue and Fulton Street), Brooklyn, NY 11 217. For further information email: brooklynaccordionclub@gmail.com |
Duo NeSte Concert, Vienna – Austriaby Rob Howard |
The Duo NeSte – accordionist Nemanja Potparic (Montenegro) and pianist Stevan Savic (Serbia) – perform in concert on Monday July 2nd, 7.30pm, at Bank Austria Salon Im Alten Rathaus, Wipplinger Straße 8, Vienna 1010, Austria. Nemanja Potparic, from Pijevija, Montenegro, studies the accordion at the Muzicka Akademika, Zagreb, Croatia. |
Roger Dobson Band @ Rothbury Accordion & Fiddle Club, Northumberland – UKby Rob Howard |
On Thursday July 5th, 7.30pm, the Roger Dobson Band performs as guests at the Rothbury Accordion & Fiddle Club. The venue is the Queen’s Head Hotel, Townsfoot, Rothbury, Northumberland NE65 7SR. Roger Dobson, from Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland, has a long experience of playing Scottish dance music and plays the Shand Morino 3-row button accordion. |
Fiemme e Fassa Accordion Festival, Trentino - Italyby Rob Howard |
The ‘Pentagramma’ music school of Tesero, the pro loco of Castello-Molina under the patronage of the A.P.T of Fiemme and Fassa, organizes the third Fiemme and Fassa Accordion Festival, Trentino, which runs from July 5th to 15th. Concerts, cultural meetings and above all a very special event dedicated to accordion lovers, professionals and amateurs are all are invited to play in the beautiful scenery in Piazzol di Molina di Fiemme. This year’s guests include Giancarlo Campi, Emanuele Rastelli, Pierpaolo Petta, Ermes Costa, Tiziano Chiappelli, Paul and Anna Schulen. For further information email: info@fisafestival.com |
The Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 9th July - USAby Harley Jones |
Multi World Champion winner Grayson Masefield is sponsored by the American Accordionists' Association (AAA) to perform at the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 9th July and promote the 80th Anniversary of the AAA which starts on the Wednesday after this concert. Grayson Masefield will perform on the AAA Friday night Gala Concert and the AAA 80th Anniversary schedule is the website at: AAA |
New and Updated Sites |
Updated Site: Donald E. Grzanna New music - USAby Harley Jones |
Donald E. Grzanna new duet composition. Italian Tarantella solo has now had a duet part added, 1st accordion, 2nd accordion & score. eSheet (pdf format) sheet music able to be emailed to you. View sample and purchase at Catalog: grza152D |
CD Reviews |
Book Review: The Art of Arranging Classical Music for Accordion by Friedrich Lipsby Joan C. Sommers |
CD Reviews Index for the review of the Book titled "The Art of Arranging Classical Music for Accordion" written by Friedrich Lips, reviewed by Prof. Joan Sommers. Read the review at CD Reviews Index. Books available online by Friedrich Lips: Catalog: kslips00 The Art of Bayan Playing and Playing the Accordion Artistically Catalog: kslips01 Die Kunst des Bajanspiels, Methodik und Didaktik des künstlerischen Akkordeonspiels Catalog: kslips02 Die Kunst der Bearbeitung klassischer Musik für Akkordeon Catalog: kslips03 The Art of Arranging Classical Music for Accordion |
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