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Highlights |
Pantonale Exceptional Concert in Zehlendorf, Berlin – Germany
Beltango Quinteto Perform “Kiss and Tango” in Skopje – North Macedonia
American Accordionists' Association (AAA) 2020 Festival in Alexandria - USA
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
Duet by Igor Zavadsky (Ukraine) and Frank Villen (France)
Welcome to Chicagoland Accordion Academy - USA
Future events |
SaxAkkord Duo Concert “From Baha to Piazzolla” - Russia
Steve Riley’s International Accordion Kings Concerts – USA
VI All-Russian Bayan and Accordion Festival, Nizhny Novgorod - Russia
Closing Dates: Accademia del Ridotto 3rd Stradella International Music Competition – Italy
XXXIV Bayan and Accordion Music Festival, St. Petersburg - Russia
7th Internationaal Accordeonfestival Stadskanaal - Netherlands
CNIMA March 2020 Courses, Ludovic Beier, Patrick Brugalières – France
"Playing together with the Squeeze", Wesseling – Germany
New and Updated Sites |
Chinese Report Page Translation Now Completed: Oleg Sharov and Grayson Masefield at Zhongsin International Music Competition - Singapore
World Accordion Day - What are you Doing? - International
New Website: Ivan Dyma of SaxAkkord Duo - Russia
Updated: Accordion Russia News, New Articles Online - Russia
Help Desk, Information needed, Readers CommentsSubmit Your Question, CommentSUBMIT NOW |
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Highlights |
21st International Accordion Festival 2020, Vienna - Austriaby Holda Paoletti-Kampl |
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 The 21st International Accordion Festival 2020 will be held in Vienna, Austria from 22nd February to 22nd March, 2020, directed since inception by Friedl Preisl (picture left).As well as daily accordion concerts and entertainment, new activities will be featured this year with over 40 events. A new addition is "Vive la France", dedicated to the exciting music of France, special evenings entitled "Moving Accordions" will take place on February 27th, March 7th, 20th and 21st. This series offers movement on stage and in the audience who will be encouraged to dance beside their seats. A new venue “Die Bühne Purkersdorf” in Lower Austria will be part of the accordion festival on March 6th. Download the 37 page color festival program with a full list of all the well known performers at some 40 concerts and other events: 2020Vienna.pdf |
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Pantonale Exceptional Concert in Zehlendorf, Berlin – Germanyby Yuri Shishkin |
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 If you got the idea that the accordion is not just one instrument, but an entire orchestra that makes you cry and rejoice, if you stopped breathing, so as not to miss a single note, if you thought that the sounds will rise to heaven and become like an angel singing, it means that on January 19th you were at a concert of accordion masters at Jesus Christus Kirche in Zehlendorf, Berlin.Each year, Pantonale (organizer and enthusiast Waldemar Fleischhauer), hosts a series of accordion music concerts in Berlin. Photos were made by the organizer Waldemar Fleischhauer. The main event is the performance in May in the small hall of the Berlin Philharmonic accompanied by a chamber orchestra of the Berliner Symphoniker. The peculiarity of the project is that along with experienced players, young talents enter the stage. On January 19th, a concert was presented to the public of performers who will take part in the May concert. For many in the hall, this was a real discovery! Performers Yuri Shishkin, Sergey Osokin (Russia), Egle Bartkeviciute (Lithuania), Ryan Corbett (Scotland), Nikita Gestrich (Germany), Gorka Hermosa and his trio Malandra Club (Spain) performed classical masterpieces, original music for the accordion, their own compositions, jazz to the music and several premieres were voiced. The level of performers was so high that it seemed incredible. I would like to say thanks to the organizers, since such musicians are rarely seen in one concert. The inspiration with which they played, plus the magical acoustics, warmth and admiration of the audience turned each artist's output into a great musical event. Yuri Shishkin, performed Georges Bizet‘s Habanera in a piano transcription for four hands as well as and music by J. Rossini, V. Vlasov and T. Kuliev. In May, he will perform at the Berlin Philharmonic with his student, Peter Yarinenko, winner of the 2019 Junior Coupe Mondiale in China. Lithuanian accordionist Egle Bartkeviciute performed her solo program vividly and very musically. In addition she played with Russian accordionist Sergey Osokin. Their duet caused a flurry of applause. The audience did not want to let the musicians off the stage. Sergey Osokin is a teacher at Schnittke's Moscow State Institute of Music. His arrangements presented that evening, were full of imagination and drive. The trio of Gorka Hermosa became the highlight of the concert. It is perhaps difficult to recall such a subtle and at the same time temperamental performance in any festival. The audience was truly lucky to hear these amazing musicians. Ryan Corbett (Scotland) brilliantly played the virtuoso works of Scarlatti, Moshkovsky, as well as the music of V. Troyan. Along with these well known musicians, a young accordionist Nikita Gestrich (Germany) also performed V. Semionov’s Caprice N° 1 in this concert. He still attends a music school, but his talent and performing skills captivated the audience no less than professionals. Accordion and button accordion followed each other on stage. The concert became a firework of joy, skill and beauty. If you are able to spend the evening in the small hall of the Philharmonic of Berlin on May 16th, I am sure you will remember the event for life. CD's available online at: Yuri Shishkin, Sergey Osokin and Gorka Hermosa. |
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Beltango Quinteto Perform “Kiss and Tango” in Skopje – North Macedoniaby Christine Johnstone |
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 Quinteto Beltango will give a special concert entitled “Kiss and Tango” in Skopje, North Macedonia on Valentine’s Day, February 14th. This concert will be held in coproduction with the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Mirian Khukhunaishvili - picture left) and their program will include tango music arrangements specially made for Beltango and the Symphony orchestra.Beltango members, picture above, left to right: Aleksandar Nikolic (bandoneon), Ivana Nikolic (piano & vocals), Petar Holik (double bass), Antonija Barna (violin), Bogdan Pejic (guitar) will also perform some traditional tango pieces, some works by Astor PIazzolla, “Balkango" tunes – a unique mixture of Balkan and tango music composed by founder of Beltango, Prof. Aleksandar Nikolic. The group celebrated 20 years of giving concerts last year and they plan to continue in 2020 with concerts tours to Europe, Asia and Canada. Five CD's available online at: Beltango |
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American Accordionists' Association (AAA) 2020 Festival in Alexandria - USAby Harley Jones |
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 American Accordionists' Association (AAA) 2020 Festival will take place July 8-12, 2020 at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Alexandria, Virginia.Full information to book your hotel room and the link to receive the AAA group discount is now on the AAA website: American Accordionists' Association New and exciting honors competition categories with cash awards will be added as well as sponsorships at all levels for the artists and events, will all be announced in the upcoming AAA February Newsletter and here on accordions.com For information released so far about the event and the performers, download the 2020 AAA Festival flier: 2020AAAFlier.pdf |
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
“Astor Piazzolla Award” – New Category of PIF 2020 – Italyby Christine Johnstone |
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 PIF 2020 will be held in Castelfidardo, Italy from September 16th to 20th, 2020. Artistic director Renzo Ruggieri (picture right), has announced a new category for 2020: the “Astor Piazzolla Award”.The “All Colors of the World” theme of PIF 2020, favors the encounter between cultures, between musical genres and the spread of the accordion with the other arts. “Tango” could not be missing with a dedicated category. Hence the “Astor Piazzolla Award”. “Astor would have appreciated with great enthusiasm that there was a section dedicated to him at the Castelfidardo International Festival! “ (from Laura Escalada Piazzolla). This new award has no age limit and is for soloists or groups (maximum 12 people) with at least one accordion or a bandoneon in the main role. Formations with all reed instruments are also allowed (accordion, bandoneon, melodica, diatonic accordion, harmonica, etc.). Their program must exclusively contain compositions, or free arrangements, of the music of Maestro Astor Piazzolla, not exceeding 18 minutes. A Special Prize “Aldo Pagani” Plaque and scholarship will be awarded in collaboration with A. Pagani Edizioni Musicali. The prize will be awarded at the discretion of the jury. A Concert Prize with hospitality in collaboration with the Astor Piazzolla Academy (City of Paola, Italy) will be awarded to the best classified Italian soloist candidate. For details email: info@pifcastelfidardo.it |
Duet by Igor Zavadsky (Ukraine) and Frank Villen (France)by Christine Johnstone |
| Video: Duet by Igor Zavadsky (Ukraine) and Frank Villen (France) Recorded at House of Actor in Ukraine in January 2020 |
Welcome to Chicagoland Accordion Academy - USAby Kevin Friedrich |
 The recently established accordion program in Chicago is off to a great start with new enrollments furthering the excitement. Founder Mary Ann Covone (picture left) reports that the interest is high and the students are motivated and committed to their newly established accordion orchestra. In the 1940-60s, the accordion was a very popular instrument in Chicago. There were schools in every section of the city with hundreds of students at each school taking lessons and participating in “accordion band.” When the students were very young and novices at the accordion, they played in the “beginner band.” As their skills developed, they would progress moving up to the intermediate band and ultimately to the senior level band! These bands traveled to competitions around the country sponsored by the American Accordionists Association (AAA) and the Accordionists and Teachers Guild (ATG). The accordion was a part of every day life and had its own “social life” as accordionists from all over the country (and the world) shared this common interest and came to know each other! Mary Ann recounts that she grew up in that life (albeit a little later in time), and the good times, good teachers and good friends have impacted and influenced her life in ways I could never have imagined. I am grateful for those experiences and am planning to recreate them for all through the Chicagoland Accordion Academy (CAA). Anyone that has ever played the accordion, and it still holds a special place in your heart, or those wishing to learn for the first time, are invited to join the activities! Together they are renewing the enthusiasm and recapturing the fun of playing the accordion! The Chicagoland Accordion Academy classes are geared toward adults who want to learn to play for their own enjoyment. Students learn to read music and to listen to music and learn how to adapt it to the accordion. Our students have expressed a variety of reasons why they want to play the accordion such as: • They like the sound of the instrument • They have an older relative who played • They inherited an instrument • They want to play with an ethnic group • They want to play music of their heritage • They played as a child and want to resume learning • They played the piano but want to learn accordion because it is portable • They know that playing the accordion provides an outlet from the stress of everyday life. Whatever your reason is for wanting to play the accordion, the Academy will work with you and help you achieve your goal! Mary Ann Covone is one of a handful of classical accordionists in the United States. She studied with Joan Cochran Sommers and continues to play in the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC) Chamber Accordion Ensemble under her direction. Mary Ann graduated with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Accordion Performance from UMKC and has performed and taught extensively in the Chicago area for many years. She has presented programs that include light pop, ethnic and semi-classical music. Recently, Mary Ann performed with the West Suburban Orchestra and the Loyola University Orchestra in various Shostakovich works. She has also played in the pit orchestra in the show Cabaret with the Beverly Theater Guild. Mary Ann is available to teach all genres of music at all levels. For more information email: maryann@chicagolandaccordionacademy.com |
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Future events |
Duo Vilda at Celtic Connections 2020 - Scotlandby Christine Johnstone |
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| Celtic Connections 2020 began on January 16th and will run until February 2nd, 2020. Duo “Vilda” which includes accordionist Viivi Maria Saarenkylä and indigenous Samí singer Hildá Länsman (Finland) will perform at the event on January 31st at Tramway in Glasgow. The duo play original music composed and written by themselves and influenced by the northern nature, traditional Samí joik and Finnish folk, shamanic grooves, beatboxing, throat-singing and pop music! For details email: viivi@saarenkyla.fi |
SaxAkkord Duo Concert “From Baha to Piazzolla” - Russiaby Christine Johnstone |
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  SaxAkkord Duo will perform concerts in Moscow next month entitled “From Baha to Piazzolla”. The duo members are: accordionist Arseniy Strokovskiy (picture above) and Ivan Dyma (saxophone – picture left). Their program will include works by V. Manferdini, Bach, Dauland, Rossini, Vivaldi, Bartok, Gershwin, Galliano, Piazzolla and Khachaturian. Concert dates: February 2nd: St Andrew's Anglican Cathedral at 7pm February 9th: St. Peter and Paul Cathedral at 7pm For details email: adyma@yandex.ru |
Steve Riley’s International Accordion Kings Concerts – USAby Christine Johnstone |
| Accordionists Alex Meixner, Steve Riley, Geno Delafose, Yves Lambert and Josh Baca (pictured below) will perform two concerts entitled “International Accordion Kings” next month. The first will be held at the Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge, LA on February 6th. The second concert is a Crossroads Show which will be held at the James Devin Moncus Theatre, Acadiana Center for the Arts, in LA on February 7th. The concerts feature Alex Meixner (and Alex Meixner Band’s guitarist, Jim Meyer) who will join the other accordionists for a night of accordion music moderated by cajun accordionist Steve Riley. Attendees can look forward to Cajun & Creole music, French Canadian music, Eastern European folk music, Conjunto music, Polka music & more. For details email: info@alexmeixner.com Pictured left to right: Josh Bacca, Steve Riley (bottom), Yves Lambert (top) & Alex Meixner (right). |
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VI All-Russian Bayan and Accordion Festival, Nizhny Novgorod - Russiaby Arseniy Strokovskiy |
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| The VI All-Russia Bayan and Accordion Festival will be held at the Nizhny Novgorod Conservatory Glinka from February 11th to 15th, 2020. The festival will be dedicated to the 105th anniversary of the birth of well regarded composer, teacher and musical public figure, participant of the Great The Patriotic War, the honored artist of the RSFSR, Professor Nikolai Yakovlevich Chaikin, who worked from 1964 to 1993 at the Department of Folk Instruments of the Gorky (Nizhny Novgorod) Conservatory. The goals and objectives of the festival are: To preserve the best domestic traditions in academic music To encourage the creative activity of young people To give advice to teachers and students of music schools To introduce a wide range of listeners to the composer's work (N. Chaikin) To assist with contemporary bayan-accordion art. The festival program includes concerts, creative meetings and workshops, and training of teachers of music schools. The Great Hall of the Conservatory will host 5 multi-genre concerts (each beginning at 6.30pm) in which a variety of performers from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas will play. Performers include Sibduo (Alexander Sirotkin & Andrey Bitky), Style-Zuartet, Bayan Trio (Evgeny Skurikhin, Maxim Stephanopoulos & Artyom Kharitonov), EspresSio", "Fantasy Duo", Sergey Ozerov, Yevgeny Suslov, Professors Gennady Mamaykov, Yuri Gurevich & Ruslan Razvayev, Joseph Puric, Lev Lavrov, Venedikt Peunov, Alexander Lukashevich, Alexey Plekhanov, Evgeny Melikhov, Fyodor Lysyakov, Mikhail Mayasov and Matvey Kortikov. See poster above for details. |
Closing Dates: Accademia del Ridotto 3rd Stradella International Music Competition – Italyby Christine Johnstone |
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| The Accademia del Ridotto 3rd Stradella International Music Competition will be held at the Stradella Theatre in Pavia Province, Italy from April 1st to 5th, 2020. Closing date for entries is February 29th, 2020. Prizes include the Professional Performance Prize for accordionists: “Mariano Dallapé” Accordion Prize Age Category Competition “Accademia del Ridotto” Prize Click here for competition Rules: 2020StradellaRules.pdf The Accademia del Ridotto is an advanced artistic and musical training center, based in the Theatre of Stradella. Closing date for registration for the Accademia del Ridotto annual courses – Academic year 2019/2020 - Second Term is February 15th, 2020. For further information email: info@accademiadelridotto.com |
XXXIV Bayan and Accordion Music Festival, St. Petersburg - Russiaby Arseniy Strokovskiy |
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| The XXXIV Festival of Music for Bayan and Accordion will be held at the Concert Hall at the Finnish Arsenal Embankment from February 14th to 16th. This year the festival is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Honored Artist of Russia bayanist Vladimir Kuznetsov (1920-2012). The festival will open with a concert featuring festival guests Roman Baghilin and Viktor Novikov. Roman Baghilin is a distinguished artist of Russia, professor of the Tambov Institute of Arts named after S.V. Rachmaninoff, and a well-known accordionist, composer and teacher. He is the author of compositions for accordion, ensembles and orchestras, music for documentaries, radio broadcasts, and performances of drama and puppet theatres in Russia. Viktor Novikov is a distinguished artist of the Republic of Udmurtia, bayanist and composer. He is one of the most famous contemporary composers, writing music for bayan and an orchestra of Russian instruments. See poster above for details. |
7th Internationaal Accordeonfestival Stadskanaal - Netherlandsby Christine Johnstone |
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 The 7th Internationaal Accordeonfestival Stadskanaal will be held at the Geert Teis Theater in Stadskanaal, Netherlands on March 8th.This one day accordion festival will feature performances by national and international guests including Matthias Matzke (Germany), Egle Bartkeviciute (Lithuania), Rik Cornelissen (Netherlands) and Duo Heesbeen (Netherlands). For further information email: info@accordeonfestival.nl |
CNIMA March 2020 Courses, Ludovic Beier, Patrick Brugalières – Franceby Christine Johnstone |
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  The CNIMA directed by Nathalie Boucheix will hold masterclasses by Ludovic Beier and Patrick Brugalières in March 2020 as follows:March 10th to 12th, 2020: "Accompanying the accordion" with Patrick Brugalières (picture left). This course, which will cover accompaniment of a voice or a soloist, means mastery of his instrument: technically, rhythmically and harmonically. The objective during this masterclass is to identify the different possibilities that the accordion offers us through listening, transcription and then original achievements in various styles. Patrick Brugalières is a musician and composer. He has toured the stages with some of the most renowned French singers. His specialty: composing and orchestrating music - very often the opposite of what you would expect from an accordionist. March 24th to 25th, 2020: Style and improvisation – dedicated to Gypsy music with Ludovic Beier (picture right). For 2 days, he will introduce you to the game and improvisation of this style of music and reveal all its secrets. Day 1 will cover “Swing Manouche” and day 2 will cover "Gypsy Music". Both sessions include individual practise and interviews, finishing with a meeting at the end of the day. For further details email: cnima@orange.fr |
"Playing together with the Squeeze", Wesseling – Germanyby Christine Johnstone |
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| The Accordion Orchestra Wesseling (conducted by Anita Brandtstäter) will host their final accordion concert "Playing together with the Squeeze" at the Aula Elementary School Keldenich in Wesseling, Nordrhein-Westfalen on March 26th at 7pm. The concert series has included 22 performance workshops in which accordion students can enjoy playing together with others in the orchestra! Participants include parents, siblings and friends of the participants. In addition soloists, ensembles and the orchestra entertain the audience with a selection of music from original compositions to tango Nuevo, world hits and Kölsche songs. Admission is free. Donations for the association's young talent and cultural work are requested. For details email: a.brandtstaeter@netcologne.de |
New and Updated Sites |
2020 China Harbin Summer International Accordion Art Week - Chinaby Harley Jones |
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  The 2020 China Harbin Summer International Accordion Art Week is hosted by Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the PRC and Harbin Municipal People's Government, undertaken by Harbin Normal University, Harbin, China. The event is part of the 35th China Harbin Summer Music Festival. Harbin was named a UNESCO City of Music in 2010. Harbin becomes "the capital of music" from July 27 to 31 2020, with some of the finest accordionists competing and performing at the Concert Hall of Harbin Normal University. There will be concerts, workshops and a major international accordion competition. Full information including rules and regulations, download poster and music at: 2020Harbin Entry Dates: March 1 - May 31, 2020 Organization Art Director Professor Wang Hongyu is the Dean and the PH.D advisor of the Music College of Harbin Normal University. He is the President of Heilongjiang Province Musician Association. The first chief experts of the Priority Cultivating Project, and the chief expert of the University League of Heilongjiang Province in China. Since 1998, he has also been a jury member of international repute, judging many prestigious international accordion competitions including competitions in Russia, France, Italy, Lithuania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Australia, and New Zealand. Prof. Wang Hongyu ran the very successful Harbin 2010, Harbin 2012, Harbin 2014, Harbin 2016, Harbin 2018, Summer International Accordion Art Week and Competitions which attracted over 500 entrants with many competitors from outside China. |
Chinese Report Page Translation Now Completed: Oleg Sharov and Grayson Masefield at Zhongsin International Music Competition - Singaporeby Harley Jones |
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 Oleg Sharov (President of Committee, Zhongsin Int. Competition, picture above) and Grayson Masefield (picture below) were performing and on the jury at the major Zhongsin International Music Competition.Chinese Report Page Translation Now Completed: Full report and many pictures at: English 2020Zhongsin Chinese: 2020-Zhongsin |
World Accordion Day - What are you Doing? - Internationalby Harley Jones |
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 What are you doing for World Accordion Day to promote the accordion in your country? World Accordion day is on May 6th, which is the day the accordion was patented in 1829.World Accordion Day was started in 2009 by the CIA and has been very successful, generating a lot of positive publicity for the accordion. A key part of this event is the World Accordion Day website. Every association, group, orchestra, performer and teacher, is asked to actively support this event by encouraging national and local accordion activities to happen in their country on this day or the weekend either side of Accordion Day if that should be more convenient. Everyone can register their World Accordion Day activity on the website and send a report of their event after, for that website. No event is too big or too small. ALL accordion events celebrating World Accordion Day are welcome. This is a CIA promotion for the accordion in which every accordion enthusiast can participate and help bring our accordion world together as well as strongly promote the accordion. |
New Website: Ivan Dyma of SaxAkkord Duo - Russiaby Ivan Dyma, SaxAkkord Duo |
 New website for Ivan Dyma (saxaphone) of the SaxAkkord Duo with Arseniy Strokovskiy (accordion). Contact: Ivan Dyma, Professor of Saxophone, A. Schnittke Institute of Music, Moscow, Russia. Mobile: +7 9035821 529 E-mail: adyma@yandex.ru |
Updated: Accordion Russia News, New Articles Online - Russiaby Harley Jones |
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| 14 new articles since 1st December 2019 are listed in the Accordion Russia News in Russian language. |
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