Attending the Castelfidardo Festival, many people take the opportunity to visit one or more of the factories. Nello Mengascini with grandson Matteo Mengascini of the Mengascini Accordion Factory.

Mengascini brothers Stefano and Fabio who manage and own
the Megnascini Accordion Factory.

Category D judges, left to right, Claudio Jacomucci, Li Cong, Fredrich Lips, Romano Viazzani, Alfred Melichar.

Frederic Deschamps and Klaudiusz Baran (university tutor - Poland) and adjudicator in Castelfidardo.

Competitors are also friends. Left to right: Category D contestants Ivan Svenko 1st (Croatia), Mia Cojbasic 4th= (Croatia), Speedy Gonzales 4th= (France), Grayson Masefield 3rd (New Zealand) all enjoying a drink after the competition with Frederic Deschamps and Harley Jones.

The Mayor of Klingenthal City Reiner Schneidenbach (center) greeting accordionists who had recently attended the Klingenthal Accordion Festival in May. Grayson Masefield, Jacques Mornet, Mayor, Frederic Deschamps, Harley Jones.

Prominent Chinese Li Yun and Li Yeng Si.

Mirco Patarini (Scandalli and Paolo Soprani Manager)
recently back from a concert tour in Brazil with Harley Jones.

Lovely weather was a feature and here the group from Hof Akkordeonorchester, Hof City, Germany enjoy lunch at the sea. Second from right is director Guenther Zeilinger and friend Martin Frey from Switzerland.

View from the restaurant.

Fine food and warm hospitality are a feature of Castelfidardo and here is a Pigini dinner party including many famous faces.

The On Stage venue had performances in the bar most evenings by accordionists and this was a very nice young group from Poland.

A gift from the City of Klingenthal - Reichenbacher Krauter Likor in a beautiful accordion shaped bottle.

Martin Frey (Pigini Switzerland distributor) and
Aleksandar Nikolic (University tutor, Serbia)

Compere and Beniamino Bugiolacchi back stage
preparing for the Final Prize Giving Concert.

Manfred Gabler (Klingenthal Internationale Accordion Competition Director), with Xenia Brunner (Klingenthal competition office) and Rob Howard, Accordions Worldwide news editor - England.

Friedrich Lips and Mirco Patarini discussing
the coming tour to Russia by Mirco Patarini.

Presentation to Alexander Dmitriev (Russia) for the most students achieving 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the Categories A to F, being presented an accordion as a prize by Andrea Ballone Burini.



Alexander Dmitriev with winning students:
Photo left to right:
Vitaly Pugachev - 1st Categories "C" and "G",
the teacher,
Anna Solyanikova and Albert Khatmullin - 1st Category "I"
Albert Khatmullin who won the 2nd Premio Solo Category

Aleksandar Nikolic, dynamic - full stretch of the bellows.

Aleksander and Ivana Nikolic dancing Tango

Ivana Nikolic singing - a real show and a wonderful level of music.

The Claudio Calista prize to the best Italian performance selected by the adjudicators was awarded to Cesarini Valentina.

The duet of Toeac Bekkers and Renee Olando
(Netherlands) won Category E

and being congratulated by Friedrich Lips
on their very musical performance.

Albert Khatmullin and a Balalaika player (Russia) won Category I.

Ivan Svenko (Croatia) 1st in Category D.

Category F was won by flute ( ) and accordion (Semjion Shmelkov) duo from Moscow with a very professional performance.

Important Castelfidardo City official
Beniamino Bugiolacchi makes his speech.
Compere Luana Guercio in the background.

Andrea Ballone Burini presenting a Special Prize.

Castelfidardo Premio Category Solo winner was
Semjion Shmelkov of Moscow.

Semjion Shmelkov being awarded the Premio Trophy
by Mayor of Castelfidardo City Mirco Soprani.

Semjion Shmelkov receiving the Accordions Worldwide Scholarship from Manager Holda Paoletti-Kampl.