The ATG Festival Orchestra will be conducted once again by Joan C. Sommers who is certainly one of the busiest conductors in the accordion field today. She has conducted all levels of players of all ages and finds all groups exciting. Joan is well known for her symphonic accordion orchestra arrangements for large orchestras and considers Anthony Galla-Rini her inspiration for continuing her great interest in that particular field of the accordion.
 
She is the founder of the World Accordion Orchestra sponsored during the Coupe Mondiale competitions under the auspices of the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes. She serves as a Vice-president of the CIA, is a past president of ATG, and was awarded the Professor Emerita designation upon her retirement from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. Joan has conducted several times at ATG and AAA Festivals, the Las Vegas Accordion Convention and just recently the Mesa Accordion Event honored her upon her 80th Birthday in February.

In addition, outstanding Nashville musician Jeff Lisenby will conduct one of the pieces of the ATG Festival Orchestra. A former student of Joan, Jeff was the US Champion and twice won a bronze medal at the Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships. He currently is one of the most sought after session musicians in Nashville, and also proudly serves as a member of the ATG Board of Directors.
 
If you wish to participate in the ATG Festival Accordion Orchestra, just complete the ATG Registration Form found on this site, be sure to complete the information relevant to the Festival Orchestra and the music will then be sent to you.
 
It would also be very helpful if you would please e-mail it to: Joan C Sommers at: joansommers@kc.rr.com with your playing ability level and information about your experience such as if you have participated in a Festival Orchestra before, and if so, which one. This information will prove valuable in selecting repertoire and seating assignments.  
 
We look forward to welcoming you to San Francisco!
 

 
Joan Cochran Sommers, Coordinator
e-mail: Joansommers@kc.rr.com
Telephone: (913) 722-5625
Cell phone during the Festival: (913) 269-7723
 
Greetings to everyone! The ATG is very happy to have you performing in the ATG Festival Orchestra. The orchestra will be conducted by Joan Sommers and Jeff Lisenby and will perform on the Grand Finale Concert presented on Saturday evening at 7:30 PM.
 
Because of the very limited amount of time available for rehearsals it is extremely important that all players come to the rehearsals prepared to perform their parts. These rehearsals are not meant to be a time for learning notes, please; they are meant for creating performance with proper balance and musical excitement. You are urged to be on time, even early, for rehearsals. If you have questions, please direct them to Joan Sommers previous to the actual rehearsals, thereby conserving valuable group time. Orchestras are fun and very enjoyable, but they are made even more so if we show our respect to our fellow musicians by observing the simple rules of rehearsal and performance etiquette. Every minute is important; let’s make the most of them!
 
The repertoire for the ATG 2014 Festival Orchestra is as follows:

• Finlandia conducted by Joan Sommers
• Marocco Medley conducted by Joan Sommers
• MacArthur Park conducted by Jeff Lisenby

The Schedule for Rehearsals is as follows:

• Thursday (July 24): 9 AM Orchestra Rehearsal for 2 hours
• Friday (July 25): 9 AM Orchestra Rehearsal for 2 hours
• Saturday (July 26): 4 PM Orchestra Final Rehearsal for 1 hour … Concert is at 7:30 PM

General information for the orchestra: For performance, members are requested to wear black trousers or pants with a white or black shirt or blouse. Ladies who wear skirts should be sure it fuller and perhaps longer than you might normally wear. Gentlemen do not need to wear a jacket but you might consider wearing a tie, if you wish. Ladies, please do not bring purses onstage during the performance; leave them elsewhere, especially since there is always a limited amount of space onstage. Be sure to bring your own music stand, pencil and music; have your name on everything, including your music stand, instrument and case. Accordion cases are not acceptable to be used as a music stand. The ATG cannot furnish extra music or music stand. Please be prepared.
 
The seating assignments will be announced at the first rehearsal; however, these may change or be adjusted at any time during the rehearsals. Please sit in your assigned seat and do not move around arbitrarily. Always remember that every part is important and necessary; no one part is more important than another! You do not need to memorize any of the music but you do need to be able to watch the conductor at all times.
 
Switch marks are extremely important; please observe them carefully. There may be substitutions but do not ever use a lower reed than is indicated unless you also play an octave higher. Please do not use a wet-tuned (musette-tuned) reed in any of the pieces. If an optional divisi is indicated on your part, please check with your neighboring players to be sure both the upper and lower notes are covered. If you have left hand notes, please do play them; they are necessary and important.
 
The ATG is expecting a full house for all its concerts, events which will give all of us memorable accordion experiences. The ATG is especially proud to have you participate in either of the orchestras and we thank you for all your extra efforts in making it musically successful. If you have been assigned a part, please do not back out at the last minute and thereby upset the planned balance of parts and players. If, for any reason, you cannot make the rehearsals, or if the assigned part is not suitable for you, please contact Joan Sommers as soon as possible.
 
Good luck and we will see each other very soon at the ATG Festival Headquarters in The Crowne Plaza, San Francisco Airport, 1177 Airport Boulevard, Burlingame, CA.
 
It has been said that “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” The greatest learning often comes from watching and listening to others, and assimilating ideas.