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Highlights |
Arseniy Strokovskiy Performs in New Opera by Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen - Germany
Accordion Summer School – Scotland
Ingunn Bjørgo Band Performs at Nordic Folk Alliance Festival – Denmark
47th Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival – Canada
2024 International VolksMusikMesse – Germany
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
World Accordion Day Reports from Around the World
Video: World Accordion Day "Flash Mob" - Canada
Published: Latest Expanded Article About AAA Commissioned Works - USA
Havard Svendsrud New Album – Norway
Video: Lyell Cresswell composed ‘Dragspil’ for James Crabb for the BBC Proms in 1995, New Performance - New Zealand
Future events |
Accordionist Manca Dornik’s Debut Concert at DKDM – Denmark
Ian Lowthian “Playing by Ear” Weekend - UK
Melissa Naschenweng May and June Concerts – Austria, Germany and Italy
Canterbury Accordion Association Jam Session – New Zealand
Avenir Accordion Chatelaine 90th Anniversary Performance - Switzerland
Black Pencil Perform at “Day of Early Music” Concert – Netherlands
"Improvisation Ensemble" 21st Summer Tour - France
2024 South Pacific and New Zealand Accordion Championships and Festival - New Zealand
Links to Previous News Still Current |
New and Updated Sites |
Kevin Friedrich Celebrates Launch of his Album “The Journey” Online Download
2024 Malaysia Accordion Festival, Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
Help Desk, Information needed, Readers CommentsSubmit Your Question, CommentSUBMIT NOW |
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Highlights |
Kansas City to Host Accordionists & Teachers Guild, International (ATG) Festival - USAby Mary Ann Covone, ATG President |
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 Kansas City's vibrant music scene is set to take center stage in a whole new way as it welcomes the Accordionists & Teachers Guild, International (ATG) for its annual Festival from July 23rd to 27th, 2024. Spanning five days of festivities, the ATG Festival will showcase the incredible versatility and artistry of the accordion, drawing participants and performers from not only the United States and Canada but from around the world. Audiences can expect to be treated to a breathtaking array of performances that will redefine their perceptions of the accordion. Evening concerts will begin Wednesday, July 24th, with Stas Venglevski premiering a new composition he wrote for Joan Cochran Sommers followed by Das Kollektive Duo (flute and accordion) from Austria. Thursday evening will feature the UMKC Accordion Ensemble directed by Joan Sommers, Mirco Patarini (Italy) (President of the Confédération Internationale Des Accordéonistes CIA), and Nikolay Bine, jazz accordionist from Canada. Friday evening will be an evening of Tango and Fusion. Bridge and Wolak (Dr. Michael Bridge on accordion and Kornel Wolak on clarinet) will begin with a concert of classical, jazz and world music fusing various genres of music to create a life-affirming concert full of beauty, virtuosity and humor. Next, Grayson Masefield (New Zealand) will be joined by a group of prominent Kansas City musicians, “Ensemble Iberica,” to present an all-tango program. The Festival will culminate on Saturday evening with a concert performed by Gorka Hermosa (Spain), followed by the ATG Festival Orchestra, conducted by Joan Cochran Sommers. Among other works, the orchestra will premier two new works commissioned by the ATG. The first is composed by Gorka Hermosa entitled Oparoa, which means in the Basque language “Truly full” (referencing the “truly full life’ that Professor Joan C. Sommers has had, giving so much to the accordion world in America). The second commissioned piece is Eternal composed by Ian Watson (UK in honor of Joan C. Sommers’ 90th birthday. For more information, visit: ATG |
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Arseniy Strokovskiy Performs in New Opera by Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen - Germanyby Christine Johnstone |
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 Arseniy Strokovskiy (picture left) will perform in the world premiere/commissioned work of a new opera by Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen entitled Gespenster (Ghosts).The performance will take place at the Staatstheater Meiningen (picture above) in Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany on May 15th, 2024 at 7.30pm. A second performance will be held at the same venue on June 13th, 2024 at 7.30pm. In Meiningen in 1886, George II performed Henrik Ibsen's "Ghosts" for the first time in public in the German-speaking world with great success. In 2016 Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen was commissioned to write his first music theatre – an opera based on Ibsen's "Ghosts". For details email: arseniy@strokovskiy.com |
Accordion Summer School – Scotlandby Christine Johnstone |
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 Applications are now open for The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Accordion Summer School, held in Glasgow, Scotland from August 5th to 9th, 2024. The summer school will be led by Djordje Gajic (picture left).This accordion summer school is an intensive and inspiring five-day course for musicians aged from 12 to 17, who will have the opportunity to work with teachers from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The course is designed to help develop and strengthen technical and musical skills, through knowledge of repertoire and healthy practice habits. Students will benefit from daily warm-up sessions, technique classes, individual lessons, ensemble playing and performances. The course is suitable for students of any style of music. Students will also learn about accordion manufacturers, great accordionists and what life is like as a full-time music student at a Conservatoire. On the final day of the course participants will take part in an informal sharing for friends and family. For details email: summerschools@rcs.ac.uk |
Ingunn Bjørgo Band Performs at Nordic Folk Alliance Festival – Denmarkby Christine Johnstone |
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| The Nordic Folk Alliance Festival will be held in Roskilde, Denmark from May 21st to 24th, 2024. Entertainers include the Ingunn Bjørgo Band (Norway – picture below). The group was selected to perform at the festival from over 150 professional performers. Only 12 artists from Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were chosen. For details email: ingunnbjorgo@gmail.com |
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47th Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival – Canadaby Christine Johnstone |
 Video: BuenRostro (Mexico) performing on 28th April 2024.The 47th Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival 2024 will take place from July 19th to 21st, 2024 at Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The event will feature over 40 music acts from more than 13 countries, 9 US states and 6 provinces & territories. Accordion performers include sextet BuenRostro (Mexico – picture below), which features Carlos Pacheco (accordion), Arturo Barcenas (guitar), Eluterio BuenRostro (bass & vocals), Enrique “Flaco” (Peruvian box & congas), Lupita Buenrostro (vocals & jarana) and Santiago Buck (drums). Daniel Lapp & TMT (British Columbia), an ensemble that features Daniel with three Vancouver Island teens who are members of Daniel Lapp’s BC Fiddle Orchestra. "TMT perform electrifying arrangements of original fiddle tunes and tunes taken from Daniel’s collection of over 3000 indigenous BC tunes collected from over 300 composers." The group includes the youngest entrant ever invited: Nateo (Teo) Thompson (accordion). Second Moon (Korea) “perform traditional Korean music melded with Irish folk, American country western and bluegrass, Romani jazz manouche, and Chinese opera. The result is unexpected, spellbinding, a little quirky, and just tremendous fun, all executed with verve and superb musicianship.” The group includes accordionist Jinkyung Choi. For festival details email: info@thefestival.bc.ca |
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2024 International VolksMusikMesse – Germanyby Christine Johnstone |
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| The 2024 International VolksMusikMesse (Folk Music Fair) will be held at the Turnhalle der Realschule (Secondary School Gymnasium) in Regen, Bavaria, Germany from May 18th to 20th, 2024, organised by Music Leipold. The fair, which is for “instrument makers, music and sheet music publishers and music dealers has been an integral part of this folk music spectacle since 1998.” Exhibitors from Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovenia offer a wide range of products to around 3,000 visitors annually. For details email: info@volksmusikmesse.de |
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
Video: Concert of the Cycle “The Gnesins Present” - Russiaby Dr Herbert Scheibenreif Manager of Friedrich Lips Productions |
 Video: Concert of the Cycle “The Gnesins Present” held on April 20th, 2024 at the Concert Hall of the Russian Academy of Music named after. Gnesins.0:06:50 J.S. Bach - Passacaglia and fugue in C minor for organ Performed by: Winner of the competition for the best performance of Baroque music Yulia Popkova 0:21:20 W. Lutoslawski - Variations on a Theme of Paganini 0:26:55 N. Rota - Fellini Medley Performed by the duet Daria Sakharova and Alexey Loganov 0:33:55 J.S. Bach - Organ Prelude and Fugue in E minor Performed by Anastasia Zhuk, winner of the competition for the best performance of Baroque music 0:40:07 Viatcheslav Semionov - Suite “Seasons”. World premiere Performed by a duet consisting of: Alexander Komelkov and Denis Koptelov 0:57:50 M. Bronner "Dolce appassionato" / Mikhail Bronner Dolce Appassionato (2020) 1:02:10 E. Grieg-Y. Shishkin "Stream" 1:05:01 R. Leoncovallo "Tarantella" Performed by Arslan Aliyev 1:08:01 I. Panitsky - RNP "Peddlers" Performed by a 6th grade student at the Children's Music School named after. F. Lista Dmitry Misharin 1:13:30 Liszt - Etude in F minor “Lightness” 1:18:40 Paganini – Liszt - Caprice N 24 Performed by Dmitry Khodanovich 1:24:50 Astor Piazzolla "Tango of the Devil" 1:28:58 I. Stravinsky "Tango" 1:32:55 A. Schnittke "Polka" Performed by “Appassionato duo” consisting of: Ksenia Gavva and Anastasia Tatarina 1:36:33 Andre Astier - Polka “Satellite” 1:39:20 Jose Flores - Cock Dance 1:42:52 Turner Layton - After you left Performed by Nikita Kuznetsov Project leader Prof. Friedrich Lips |
World Accordion Day Reports from Around the Worldby AWW |
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| Reports of successful concerts to celebrate World Accordion Day (WAD) have been coming in from around the world. See World Accordion Day videos. pictures and reports at: 2024WADreport Just online is a WAD Report from the USA. A World of Accordions Museum (AWAM) in Superior, Wisconsin, USA, celebrated WAD and the Dr. Willard Palmer Festival Thursday, May 2 – Sunday, May 5, 2024. The report was sent by Jane Christison, Secretary, A World of Accordions Museum Board. View at: 2024WAD-US |
Video: World Accordion Day "Flash Mob" - Canadaby Harley Jones |
 Video: The Victoria Accordion Club Band created a "flashmob" at the Mayfair Shopping Centre in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, to celebrate World Accordion Day (WAD)."The Mall Management were so very supportive, and the audience (pretty sure we surprised them) loved it." Their program included La Cumparsita; Rock around the Clock; In the Mood; Beer Barrel Polka. |
Published: Latest Expanded Article About AAA Commissioned Works - USAby Dr. Robert Young McMahan Chair of AAA Composers Commissioning Committee |
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 Now published is the expanded article from the Past Annual Series of Articles for the AAA Festival Journal:2015: Four of the Five Commissioned Works for the Intermediate Level Student Solos by David Diamond, William Grant Still, Carlos Surinach, & José Serebrier. View the expanded article at: http://www.ameraccord.com/aaacommissions21.php This article continues the progress in expanding the annual articles I wrote between 1997 and 2019 on the AAA commissioned “classical” repertoire of the late twentieth century. The AAA Composers Commissioning Committee founder and first Chair, Elsie Bennett, decided during the mid-to-late 1960s to re-commission four previously AAA engaged composers, namely Paul Creston, David Diamond, William Grant Still, and Carlos Surinach, as well as a first-time contributor, José Serebrier, to supply solo works at the intermediate rather than the normally assumed advanced/professional level. The results were Creston’s Embryo Suite, (released in web format in January 2024), Diamond’s Sonatina, Still’s Lilt, Surinach’s Prelude to the Sea, and Serebrier’s Danza Ritual. Elsie’s stated purpose for this project was to expose promising young students who through hard and earnest work had achieved a solid intermediate level of performance, usually via their other more traditional tonal repertoire (which was often accordion transcriptions of other instruments’ works), to the “New Music” of their own time. This gateway into original “classical” and idiomatically conceived music for the accordion was and continues to be vitally important since the accordion’s late invention during the previous three-century “Common Practice” era and slow technological evolution in the nineteenth century delayed the creation of its own classical repertoire well into the twentieth century. To be sure that this endeavor would succeed, these little masterpieces were often required as test pieces in the AAA competitions of the 1960s and later and were admissible in the separate “Original Solo” contest divisions as well. As is the mission of this expanded series of past articles, this current one on these four very diverse compositions (that excludes Creston’s contribution which was covered in the 2017 article) are discussed both historically and theoretically in much greater detail and well beyond the scope, of its original publication in the 2015 AAA Festival Journal. View the expanded article at: http://www.ameraccord.com/aaacommissions21.php |
Havard Svendsrud New Album – Norwayby Christine Johnstone |
 Havard Svendsrud has released his new solo album “Selected Works by Johann Sebastian Bach”.The release, which includes 14 works, has received a lot of attention in Norway where Havard Svendsrud has been a professional freelance musician for 25 years. He is known from a wide range of music projects, both as a soloist and in various collaborations. Download the tracks list and color album booklet: BachAlbum.pdf which contains detailed album information and information about Havard Svendsrud. Label: Aksent For further information email: haavard@hsvendsrud.com |
Video: Lyell Cresswell composed ‘Dragspil’ for James Crabb for the BBC Proms in 1995, New Performance - New Zealandby Harley Jones |
| Video published April 25, 2024. Lyell Cresswell composed ‘Dragspil’ for the BBC Proms in 1995, its solo accordion part written for James Crabb. Crabb returned to the work for its New Zealand premiere with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (conductor Luke Dollman) last year and you can view the SOUNZ Film of this explosive, sinewy and entirely Cresswellian piece below. Audio recorded by Radio NZ Concert, Film funded by NZ On Air. Ahead of the performance James Crabb spoke with Elizabeth Kerr for her excellent music blog Five Lines, saying, “It [Dragspil] has a pulsating groove, a ceilidh stomp. I can just see Lyell chuckling away at this incessant, primal thing…It takes you by the collar and won’t let go. And when you think it’s over, it steps up another level and off it goes again. You’ve just got to hang on.” The 2023 concert preview is here: https://www.fivelines.nz/articles/apo-and-cresswells-dragspil-a-concerto-comes-home |
Future events |
Arte Duo Tango Concerts - USAby Christine Johnstone |
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| The Arte Duo will perform tango, jazz and chamber music concerts with Claudio Ortego in the San Fransisco Bay area this weekend. See poster for details. |
Accordionist Manca Dornik’s Debut Concert at DKDM – Denmarkby Christine Johnstone |
 Accordionist Manca Dornik (Slovenia) will give her debut concert at the Det Kongelige Danske Musikkonservatorium (DKDM) Concert Hall in Frederiksberg, Denmark on May 13th, 2024 at 7.30pm.Manca’s program will feature solo pieces and pieces with percussion and electronics including: J. S. Bach: French Overture, BWV 831; Rebecca Saunders: Flesh (2018) for accordion with narrator; Philippe Hurel: Plein-jeu (2010) for accordion and electronics; Toshio Hosokawa: Sen V for accordion solo; and Magnus Lindberg: Metal work for accordion and percussion. Admission is free of charge. For details email: dkdm@dkdm.dk |
Ian Lowthian “Playing by Ear” Weekend - UKby Christine Johnstone |
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| Ian Lowthian will hold a “Playing by Ear” weekend in Ettrickbridge, Scottish Borders, Scotland, UK on May 18th and 19th, 2024. This event will be held live and online. No music required. Playing by ear, or without any music can be a bit daunting, but on this weekend Ian will explore ways of training our ears to pick up tunes, or parts of tunes at least and practice playing our instruments without the visual aid of sheet music. For details email: ianlowthian@yahoo.co.uk |
Melissa Naschenweng May and June Concerts – Austria, Germany and Italyby Christine Johnstone |
 Melissa Naschenweng, who won the Folk Music category at the 24th Amadeus Austrian Music Awards 2024 on April 26th, 2024 in Vienna, Austria will hold concerts (with her band) in Austria, Germany and Italy during May and June 2024 as follows:• May 18th: Open Air concert at Badesee Uttendorf, Austria • June 1st: Steinertor Festval in Krems an der Donau, Austria • June 2nd: Beelitz Spargelfest in Beelitz, Germany • June 7th: Schlosswiesen Festival) in Neumarkt am Wallersee, Austria • June 21st: Alpen Flair Festival at the NATO Barracks in South Tyrol, Italy • June 22nd: Open Air concert at the Campo Tures Fairground in Taufers im Münstertal, South Tyrol, Italy • June 28th: Open Air concert in Fürstenfeld, Austria • June 29th: Volksfestplatz Schöllnach in Schöllnach, Germany For details email: office@melissa-naschenweng.at |
Canterbury Accordion Association Jam Session – New Zealandby Jeanette Perry |
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| The Canterbury Accordion Association will hold their next Jam Session at the Methodist Centre in Upper Riccarton, Christchurch, New Zealand on May 19th, 2024 at 3pm. See poster for details. |
Avenir Accordion Chatelaine 90th Anniversary Performance - Switzerlandby Christine Johnstone |
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| The Avenir Accordion Chatelaine will present a concert “Back to the Future: A Musical Temporal Odyssey” at the Avanchet-Salève Festival Hall in Vernier, Switzerland on May 25th, 2024 at 7.30pm. This concert is the second which celebrates their 90th anniversary, with both concerts having the theme of time travel. Information on the concert program: “In 1934, a mad scientist develops a strange machine... An accordion to travel back in time! Without a second thought, here he is testing his invention. Unfortunately, not everything goes according to plan and here he is starting to travel randomly during the 20th and 21st centuries – but only in the years ending in a 4! Will he manage to return to his time... in music?” See poster for details. |
Black Pencil Perform at “Day of Early Music” Concert – Netherlandsby Christine Johnstone |
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| Black Pencil (picture below) will perform at the opening concert of the “Day of Early Music” 2024, held at the Kunstlinie in Almere, Netherlands on May 25th, 2024 at 12 midday. The event will feature a “varied program with English music from the 16th and 17th centuries, a pearl by Monteverdi, music published in Romania in the 17th century and fragments from Shakespeare's MacBeth”. |
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"Improvisation Ensemble" 21st Summer Tour - Franceby Christine Johnstone |
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| The Improvisation Ensemble of Eric Blin (accordion) and Natalie Blin (cello) will begin their 21st Summer Tour with a concert in Landry, France on July 14th. The tour will finish on July 26th, 2024 in Courchevel Moriond 16 50, and include concerts in the Alps region departments of Savoie and Haute Savoie. Their classical program will include works by Beethoven, Dvorak, Bach, Borodin, Schubert, Vivaldi and Rossini. For tour details email: original.music@wanadoo.fr |
2024 South Pacific and New Zealand Accordion Championships and Festival - New Zealandby Renee Jeffries, NZAA Competition Secretary |
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| The 2024 NZAA South Pacific Accordion Championships & Festival will be held at the superb Raye Freedman Arts Centre (picture below), Silver Rd, Epsom, Auckland on 1-2 June. The Finale concert will be held at 2:30 pm Sunday 2nd June with the performers listed on the poster above. For further details email NZAA Competitions Secretary Renee Jeffries at: nzaacompsec@gmail.com |
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Past News List of Linksby AWW |
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2024 Coupe Mondiale Information 2023 Coupe Mondiale Daily Reports, Video |
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Information 2024 World Accordion Day, 2023 World Accordion Day Report, 6th May each year |
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Articles Index page |
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PIF Castelfidardo 2023 2023 PIF Castelfidardo Daily Reports, Video |
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2023 AAA Festival Daily Reports 2023 AAA Festival Daily Reports |
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Interviews Index page |
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2023 ATG Competition and Festival Photo Report 2023 ATG Competition and Festival Photo Report |
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2023 XXXV International Festival, Moscow News and Daily Reports and videos |
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2023 Accordion Cruise, Finland Information, News article |
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Accordion Reed Production Article Link |
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Chronology of Production of Italian Accordions Article Link News article about Beniamino Bugiolacchi Article Link |
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Serenellini Know the People Interview News Link |
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Accordion Study Produces Community Benefits Article Link |
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Playing the Accordion Benefits Your Brain News Link |
New and Updated Sites |
American Accordionists' Association (AAA) Festival July 12-14, 2024 PA - USAby Frank Busso Jnr., AAA President |
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  The AAA has announced its 86th anniversary festival in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, in the Philadelphia area. The event will kick off midday on July 12 and conclude midday on July 14.Download the 2024 AAA Festival Registration Form 2024AAARegistration.pdf to pay by check. You may register online and pay with credit card: AAA-Store Link for reserving hotel rooms: ameraccord.com/hotel Competition rules and entry forms are now online at AAAFestival. The schedule will be filled with events, performers, workshops, and food functions, beginning with a welcome luncheon on Friday, July 12. This year, our guest artists will include Hanzhi Wang, Joseph Natoli, Dallas Vietty, Nikolay Bine, and the Festival Orchestra directed by Frank Busso Sr. We invite you to save the date and join us for this special event! |
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Kevin Friedrich Celebrates Launch of his Album “The Journey” Online Downloadby Harley Jones |
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| To co-ordinate with World Accordion Day on May 6th, Kevin Friedrich has just released his album "The Journey" as an online download. Download online: https://music.drm.co.nz/thejourney where Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube are linked. MusicForAccordion.com download album link is: JourneyAlbum Only US$10 Marking a 30 year collaboration between Kevin and renowned New Zealand composer Gary Daverne, the album is performed both live and as pre-recorded items by Kevin solo and Kevin with symphony orchestra and various supporting artists. View further information, track list and sound samples at: JourneyAlbum Picture below: Kevin Friedrich (left), Sound Engineer Mal Smith and Gary Daverne (right). |
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2024 Malaysia Accordion Festival, Kuala Lumpur - Malaysiaby Harley Jones |
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 Pictures above: 01. & 02. Posters03. China-Malaysia Cultural Tourism Project Signing Ceremony attended by the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Malaysia. 04. Promotion in Malaysia, celebrating the signing. Hundreds of accordionists are meeting from 13 - 17 May, 2024 in Kuala Lumpur for the annual Hohner Accordion Cup (held most years in China), a Seniors Accordion Festival and a series of musical activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia. Festival organizers are Ding Peng (Deputy Secretary General of Accordion Society of Chinese Musicians Association Accordion) and Huang Da. Picture right. A full report of these events are planned this month. |
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