2009 Shanghai Spring National Accordion Competition

WELCOME

Welcome to the 2009 Shanghai Spring National Accordion Competition. The memory is still very clear about the 2006 Shanghai Spring International Accordion Festival and today, we once again gather in Shanghai.

With the pace of opening up, China and Chinese accordionists have been steadily moving into the world family of accordion. Different styles all over the world, different types of accordion music is constantly being introduced, is being accepted, and the Chinese accordion is quietly undergoing a number of important changes.

Experts and scholars started to attach importance to the socialization of accordion music functions and social values; professional institutions and students enjoy playing with groups, bands, orchestra's, pop music played on accordion; more people become accordion lovers. Countries like France and Italy have a close folk history and life with accordion music, and they have from the accordion a joy of music which is a part of their lives.

Many young accordion students, including students in the Conservatories, are now interested in popular accordion performance and have started to learn it.

This competition and festival aims to "further promote the diversified development of the accordion". Let the world look forward to the future, and our common cause to create an expanded world of accordion as we move forward hand in hand together.

In 2011, we are hosting in Shanghai the 64th Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships. We look forward to meeting you again in Shanghai for that very important event.

Organizing Committee of the 2009 Shanghai Spring National Accordion Competition.

ARRIVAL IN SHANGHAI

Welcome at Shanghai International Airport

The superbly organised Shanghai Spring Festival arranged for me (Harley Jones - Accordions Worldwide) and my sister Heather Masefield to be met at the airport. Meeting us were music students from the Shanghai Normal University.
Left to right: Heather Masefield, Xiong Wan Min, Zhang Yang, Ding Jia, and Xu Zheng and Harley Jones.

	At the hotel we were warmly welcomed by Prof. Li Cong, Vice-Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 2009 Shanghai Spring National Accordion Competition. With over 400 competitors and many accordion dignatories from around China coming, the phone of Prof. Li Cong was being called regularly. The Event Schedule was available.
Also being welcomed at the airport, arriving with many accordions was Roberto Ottavianelli (Bugari Armando accordion factory) and Andrea Ballone Burini (Ballone Burini accordion factory), both from Italy.	There was a free night to recover from the international travel which included a lovely meal in the University Hotel which is called the Shanghai International Center for Educational Exchange.