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Above
left: AAA Presidential Advisor Steve Stolaruk, Award Honoree
and current AAA Executive Secretary Faithe Deffner and AAA President
Linda Soley Reed greeting guests as they arrive at the prestigious
Tavern on the Green in Central Park for the Cocktail hour.
Above
right: The
weather was perfect and warm for the Tavern on the Green Patio
Cocktail Reception. Located in the heart of Central Park in
New York City, this lovely outdoor setting was made even more
enjoyable with the beautiful music of the Frank Busso Jr. Trio.
Comprising
Henry Tyszler (violin), AAA
Governing Board member
Frank Busso
Jr. (accordion) and Bill Hone (double bass) they entertained
during the Cocktail hour and dinner.
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Above
left: Barbara Stefanelli and Lorraine DeBellis.
Above right: Linda Solely Reed greeting Robyn Leersnyder
(Washington DC) and Tony Davies-Jones (New Zealand).
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AAA
First Vice-President Frank Busso Sr. and Carmela Busso, Faithe
Deffner, Christina Busso wife of accordionist Frank Busso Jr.(background).
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Lou
Coppola, Peggy Falcetti, AAA Governing Board member Sam Falcetti,
Micheline and Sid Kowalczyk.
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Above
left: Doug and Patricia Cowgill and Anne Bargou.
Above
right: Faithe Deffner and Harley Jones, owner of Accordions
Worldwide (www.accordions.com).
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Above
left: Verne Deffner Levin, Ronald Uvezean and Faithe Deffner.
Above
right: Christina Busso Lammers, August and Judy Arruda.
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Above
left: Marshall Lammers and Roger Latulippe.
Above
right: Rita Davidson, Suzanne Busso, Joan Grauman and Emily
Geller.
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Above
left: Dominic Karcic and Don Gerundo.
Above
right: Carmela Busso, Harley Jones and Rita Davidson, Editor
of the USA Accordion News.
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Above
left: Master of Ceremonies for the event Kevin Friedrich and
Carmela Busso.
Above
right: Linda Soley Reed enjoying the fine music of the Strolling
Strings accordionist, Frank Busso Jr.
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Above
left: Valerie Piali and Faithe Deffner.
Above
right: Tom O'Neil (Connecticut), Walter Kasprzyk (of The K Trio)
and Sam Falcetti.
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Above
left: Guest artist Alexander Poeluev (Russia).
Above
right: Faithe Deffner conferring with Master of Ceremonies Kevin
Friedrich just before the dinner starts.
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Kevin
Friedrich opened the official proceedings with a welcome to all the
guests followed by a blessing of the food.
Dinner Blessing
by Amy Jo & Keith Sawyer
Our Father in
Heaven. We acknowledge thee as the source of all our many blessings.
We deem it a special blessing to honor our friend and mentor, Faithe
Deffner, as she receives this well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award
from the American Accordionists' Association. We beseech Thee to bless
her with health and vitality to enjoy life, and to continue her life's
dedication to our Accordion world. We love her and thank thee for
her positive influence in our lives. Now, we ask a blessing upon the
food that has been prepared for us, that it will benefit us and sustain
us in health and strength as we rededicate ourselves to serving Thee
and our fellow beings. We humbly pray for these favors and blessings
in the name of the Holy Creator of Heaven and Earth, and all that
in them is. Amen
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The
tables were beautifully presented and included a 40 page booklet
for the Lifetime Achievement Award of Faithe Deffner,
including all information about the performers, well wishes
from friends and the event information.
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Above
left: Master of Ceremonies welcoming guests and introducing
the guest of honor, Faithe Deffner.
Above right: Honoree Faithe Deffner enjoying the introduction
by Kevin Friedrich.
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Above:
Frank Busso Jr. Trio. Comprising
Henry Tyszler (violin), AAA
Governing Board member
Frank Busso
Jr. (accordion)
and Bill Hone (double bass) as they entertained during the Lifetime
Achievement Award Dinner.
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Above
left: fellow New Zealand citizens living abroad including Kevin
Friedrich (USA), Tony Davies-Jones (Cook Islands), Harley Jones
(Fiji).
Above
right: Dr. Helmi Harrington, curator
of A World of Accordion Museum in Superior, Wisconsin,
and Joan Grauman, AAA Historian and Board Member.
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Frank
Busso Jr. Trio began playing around the tables
during the Award Dinner
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The
magnificent Titano cake was a gift from the
Connecticut Accordion Association prepared by Judy Sehnal.
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Above:
Mary Tokarski, Dee Langley, Harley Jones, Rita Davidson and
Joan Grauman.
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Joanna
Arnold Darrow and Dean Ratzin
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Guy
Klucevsek, Harley Jones and Frank Busso Sr.
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To
create innovative and imaginative ways of expanding and promoting the
appeal of the accordion takes not only dedication and hard work, but
genius. Faithe Deffner, in her craft, is truly a genius. A dynamic personality
in the accordion world, Faithe Deffner has translated her passion for
accordion into action as she devoted her life's work to elevating and
advancing the instrument worldwide.
Throughout her career, Faithe Deffner has participated in almost every
aspect of the accordion world including manufacturing and distribution,
publishing music, Magazines and Newsletters, running a Music School,
representing the interests of the USA Internationally as a delegate,
media promotions, artist management, National and International festival
organization and the leading of Associations and Organizations.
As a business leader supporting our industry, she proudly takes her
firm into its 75th Anniversary this month. The firm includes Pancordion,
the Titano Accordion Co., Pigini Accordions and Ernest Deffner Publications.
The real hallmark of Faithe's work has been her vision to bring together
accordionists of all ages and from all corners of the world. Working
on behalf of the American Accordionists' Association as the organization's
president, Ms. Deffner introduced new concepts to bring public attention
to the accordion.
Whether helping to fill the decks of a cruise ship with 700 accordionists
playing Anchors Aweigh as they sailed past the Statue of Liberty, or
staging the 2007 Coupe Mondiale in Alexandria, Virginia where it was
attended by over 1,000 participants, or arranging for Myron Floren to
conduct six busloads of accordionists performing at the Liberty Bell
in Philadelphia, or collaborating with the Lawrence Welk Resort in a
two-year "Search for the Hottest" accordionist, Faithe Deffner
has created numerous significant opportunities to publicly showcase
talented accordionists.
She has also
served on numerous boards and committees in many accordion organizations.
Not afraid to think outside the box, she has been a driving force and
motivation for many groups including the Accordionists and Teachers
Guild, International, the Accordion Industry Council, the Confederation
Internationale des Accordeonistes, and the Accordion Federation of North
America, and the AAA. For over 50 years she has been a staunch supporter
of American Accordionists Association, as a member of its board and
she has also been the longest serving President of the association.
Acknowledging
the respect she commands from within our industry, Faithe Deffner has
been the recipient of numerous honors, such as CIA Merit Award, the
ATG Hall of Fame Award and recently the New Zealand Accordion Association
Merit Award to name just a few.
Faithe, it
is impossible to do true justice to this lifetime of work in this brief
summary, but we hope that today, as you listen to the words and performances
of your friends and peers, that you see how much we salute your lifetime
of work and inspiration.
AAA President
Linda Soley Reed - Presentation of Lifetime Award to Faithe Deffner. |
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Standing
ovation after Kevin Friedrich's speech for Faithe Deffner.
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Faithe
Deffner acknowledging the long standing ovation.
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AAA
President Linda Soley Reed presenting the Lifetime Achievement
Award to Faithe Deffner which initiated another lengthy standing
ovation.
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MARY
TOKARSKI (member of the AAA Board of Directors) has performed
worldwide as a soloist and as a guest artist with Symphony orchestras
as far a field as the Moravian Philharmonic in the Czech Republic
to the Auckland Symphony in New Zealand to the Mantovani Orchestra
tours throughout China.
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DR.
WILLIAM SCHIMMEL (member of the AAA Board of Directors) graduated
from the Juilliard School has performed with virtually every
major symphony orchestra in the United States as well as with
Chamber groups and a variety of Productions and Shows in New
York. An avid composer he has been commissioned for many different
projects in all genres. Dr. Schimmel performed a composition
written in honor of Faithe Deffner.
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BEVERLY
ROBERTS CURNOW (member of the AAA Board of Directors) a United
States Champion, won the CIA Coupe Mondiale World Accordion
Championships in Malta. Remaining an active accordionist throughout
her teaching career she has made many guest appearances for
the AAA including giving the recent world premier of their most
recent Commission, Samuel Adler's 'Canto XVIII' (18).
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THE
BUSSO TRIO unites brother and sister Frank Junior (member
of the AAA Board of Directors) and Christina with their
father Frank Snr. (member of the AAA Board of Directors)
into a dynamic family ensemble. Each a champion in their
own right, the Trio have performed at many events and festivals
in the United States.
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Concert Interval
Presentations and Remarks were made by the following:
- Dee Langley
Greetings from ATG President
- Dr. Helmi
Harrington Speech
- Roger &
DeeDee Latulippe Presentation
- Sam and Peggy
Falcetti Presentation from the ATAM
- Steve Stolaruk
- Dr. Salvatore
Febbraio (Chairperson of the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee)
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Presentation
from Roger and DeeDee Latulippe and Sam and Peggy Falcetti and
the Accordion Teachers Association of Massachusetts (ATAM).
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Above
left: President of Accordionists and Teachers Guild, International
(ATG), Dee Langley making a speech in honor of Faithe Deffner
on behalf of the ATG, for which Faithe Deffner has been a Board
of Director for many years.
Above
right: Dr. Helmi Harrington presentation to Faithe Deffner for
her support of 'A World of Accordion Museum' in Superior, Wisconsin.
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Above
left: Steve Stolaruk making a speech in honor of Faithe Deffner.
Above right: Dr. Salvatore Febbraio, Chairperson of the Lifetime
Achievement Award Committee.
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KAREN
FREMAR is a renowned performer, composer and arranger, currently
writes for the musical group, Vivant! A United States Champion,
Karen won the CIA World Championships for Entertainment Music
in Stockholm and most recently performed with Pavarotti during
his World Farewell Tour. SARRAH CANTRELL (percussion) is currently
majoring in percussion at the University of Missouri at Kansas
City and plays professionally with the Midwest-based group,
Vivant! An assistant Director of Larson Percussion Studios,
she also coaches the drum line for High School Marching Band.
Karen was commissioned by the AAA to compose a work in honor
of Faithe Deffner. The title was "Herricks Road"
which is the address of the accordion businesses of Faithe
Deffner.
Performance
Notes for Herricks Road
Herricks
Road in Mineola, New York, was the location of Deffner Enterprises
from the early 1970s. The Ballad of this work portrays a thoughtful
Faithe Deffner at sunrise arriving at the office considering
her latest project. The traffic on Herricks Road begins to
pick up as the djembe enters and cars zoom by. The accordion
business in the shop begins in earnest with the entrance of
the main theme at measure 24.
The
middle section is a nod to Faithe Deffner's wonderful organizational
skills in planning and orchestrating the many competitions
and conventions on behalf of the national and international
accordion organizations. She is heard ringing a hotel desk
bell as she visits with the management of various hotels to
find the great deals for which she is known. The conclusion
of this section with grand chordal progressions underscored
by suspended cymbal, illustrates the success of the events
she has planned. Various shop sounds emerge again as the work
returns to the facility on Herricks Road. The triumphant conclusion
represents the many successes of Faithe Deffner and Ernest
Deffner, Inc. over its 75 years of operations.
The
composition was conceived for accordion, African djembe and
other small percussion instruments, although the work will
stand alone as an accordion solo. If performed as a solo,
the accordion grill may be rhythmically tapped to compensate
for the absence of the djembe entrance, or measure 14 may
be omitted. If the performer does not have a converting bass
instrument, the Ballad may be omitted and the work should
commence with the upbeat to the Allegro.
Karen
Fremar
September 20, 2009
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GUY
KLUCEVSEK has created a unique repertoire for accordion through
his own composing and by commissioning over 50 works. He has
performed on several John Williams scores, as well in numerous
Broadway Shows.
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DEE
LANGLEY has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul
Chamber Orchestra and is a member of the performing groups Orkestar
Bez Ime and Wild Hollow. Dee is currently the President of the
Accordionists and Teachers Guild, International.
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Before
the final performance of the afternoon, in recognition for her
lifetime of work, Faithe Deffner was awarded the title of
AAA President Emerita surrounded by the AAA Board of Directors.
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To
conclude the afternoon Concert in honor of Faithe Deffner, CIA
World Champion Alexander Poeluev (Russia) performed. Alexander
received a standing ovation for his performance of the Viatcheslav
Semionov composition 'Divertimento' written in honor of Faithe
Deffner.
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Above:
Alexander with honoree Faithe Deffner
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Above:
Leaving the event are guest artist Alexander Poeluev, with honoree
Faithe Deffner and friends Ann Bargou and Harley Jones.
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Above
left: Florida Accordion Association President Karen Kasprzyk
with husband Walter Kasprzyk
Above
right: Kevin Friedrich and Linda Soley Reed saying good-bye
to Alexander Poeluev by the limo.
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Enjoying
a fun "eat your heart out" moment photo to send to
his friends back in Russia, Alexander Poeluev poses for
a final photo opportunity as he steps into his limo.
It was
a great day - "Accordionists Definitely Have More Fun".
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