Editors Note
This week we have updated the "Comments" section of Accordions Worldwide. We have received many positive emails from our readers (which is great for the accordion), so please take a look at this section of our site. If you would like to submit a comment please email: news@accordions.com

Wayne Knights Webmaster

Swedish accordionist Johan Kullberg performed for the President of the USA, George W. Bush at a Meeting of the European Council on June 14th in Gothenburg. This is the first time a US President in office has been to Sweden. The performance by Kullberg took place at the evening reception for delegates and media representatives in Sweden's new national science discovery centre, Universeum. Johan's program included his own arrangements such as "Gaffaman", "Jubileumspolka", "Keep 'em coming" and "Mosquitohunters".

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

The 7th International Competition "Città di Casarza Ligure" for accordion, keyboard, organ, guitar, wind and stringed instruments was held in Casarza Ligure (Genoa) from June 2nd to 9th 2001, organized by Casarza Ligure C. D. M. I. (Italian Centre for Music Teaching) in cooperation with the town of Anconas, Liguria Region, Genoa Province, A.P.T. Tigullio, Petronio Valley Council, the Casarza Ligure Town Council, Pro Loco and Patrizia Merciari, Chairperson & Artistic Director.

Results:

Accordion section: 1st - Marco Valenti (Milan)
"Prime Note" ensemble music section: 1st - duo Lightblue Angels (Genoa)
Ensemble section: 1st - Circolo Mandolinistico Euterpe (Bolzano)
Electronic instruments section: 1st - Alessio Benedetti (Lecco)
Trophy winner: Mrcela Smiljan (Croatia)
Scholarships were awarded to Mrcela Smiljan, Claudio Botto, Marco Valenti and Dario Bonnuccelli.

Contributed by Gary Blair

The successful Rencontre Europeenne De L'Accordeon Festival was held in Chartres, France on June 9th and 10th. The event included entertainment at two halls running simultaneously. One venue provided the ''Bal musette'' dance with guest performers including Alain Musichini and his Orchestra, Sebastien Debard, Marielle Roy, Arnuad Guimard, Loic Mallemanche and Jo Sony. A folk dance and "Gala" concert were held at the second venue with international guests Antonio Rivas (Colombia), Gary Blair (Scotland), Joaquin Diaz (Dominican Republic), Raynald Ouellet and his band and Boo De Le (Switzerland).

Limited vacancies are now available for the "Accordion and Alexander Technique for Musicians" workshop in San Sebastian from July 13th 22nd. The event is organized by Acco Land, a cultural association to promote the accordion, led by accordionist Anne Landa.

The accordion workshop will be tutored by Jean Luc Manca (France) who is an accordionist and musical pedagogue. The workshop will be specifically for accordion students and teachers and consist of a cycle of individual lessons through which students can improve their own repertoire and their technical skills.

The Alexander Technique workshop will be tutored by accordionist Anne Landa (Spain). The workshop is for instrument players, singers, conductors and music teachers and will cover the improvement of the general music use of each student and the problems that specifically each instrument shows.

Students can apply for these courses as active students or passive students. For further details email: allend@teleline.es

Contributed by Li Cong

The 2nd Parrot Cup National accordion competition was held in Beijing last month, organized by the Chinese Accordion Association. Nearly 600 accordionists attended the event from all over the China, aged from only 4 years old to 51 years old. This year, there were new classes for seniors, teenagers and impromptu accompaniments.

Winners:

5 years and over solo: Gao Xin
7 years and over solo: Zhang Xiao Yi
9 years and over solo: Shang Ying
12 years and over solo: Wu Qiang
15 years and over solo: Qi Bo
18 years and over solo: Li Fei

The next Parrot Cup national competition will held in 2003.

Contributed by Owen Murray

Over 30 concerts of "Western classical music", contemporary works and premieres, early music and jazz were held at the recent Reger Festival, a three week event in Newcastle. A variety of performers attended the festival including the Royal Northern Symphony Orchestra, The Almeida Players, The Newcastle Sinfonia & chorus, The Brukner Quartet and the Czardas Duo which includes accordionist Ian Watson. The duo played works by Charpentier, Jacob, Gubaidulina, Piazzolla, Grainger and Messiaen from June 9th to 12th. Two of these concerts were a sell-out in the 500 seat theatre.

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

The Perugia Classico event will be held from September 12th to 16th in Perugia (Italy). Now in its eighth year, Perugia Classico is rapidly becoming one of the most important events dedicated to acoustic instruments in Italy, and its attendance is a must for industrial firms, professional musicians, enthusiasts and all those who carry out musical activities either at professional or amateur level. All the initiatives included in the event, such as exhibitions, concerts, master classes, conferences, etc. revolve around musical instruments. For further information email: info@perugiaclassico.it

Accordionist Tom Torriglia performed on NPR's nationally broadcast West Coast Live radio show on KALW 91.7 FM on June 16th to help promote the Day of Accordion festival. He also took part in interviews on KFRC and their sister station, KYCY (Country 93.3). For further details on the Day of Accordion festival email: bellows@ladyofspain.com

Contributed by Jutta Menn

Accordionist Viktor Romanko will tour Switzerland during September this year, performing concerts at the Galerie "Juri" in Winterthur and in churches in Kloten and Dietlikon. For further details email: JBMenn@gmx.de

Contributed by Bernadette Conlon

Ukrainian bayanist Pavel Fenyuk was recently was nominated (and the nomination was accepted), for him to become a Professor at the Ukrainian National University in Kiev. Pavel is the winner of many accordion competitions, including Klingenthal, Germany (1987), Moscow, Russia (1990), Witten, Germany (1991), Arrasate Hiria Accordion Competition, Spain (1993) and 2nd place in Castelfidardo (1993).

This year Pavel has adjudicated in Russia and Germany, as well as tutoring and examining in Ukraine. The appointment was made following the death of Professor Ivan Jaskevich, well known bayanist, and former teacher at the Ukrainian National University.

Musical Youth Concert - Italy

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

On July 6th, Giorgio Dellarole will perform a concert in Sesto Calende for the "Musical Youth of Italy". His program will include works by Scarlatti, Pozzoli, Scappini, Piazzolla and Würthner. The following day Giorgio will play works by Farkas, Fugazza, Piazzolla and Solotarev at a concert in Vallemosso (BI). For further details email: giorgio.dellarole@libero.it

Contributed by Faithe Deffner

The long-awaited English translation of the legendary book "Die Kunst des Bajanspiels" (Playing the Accordion Artistically) by Friedrich Lips, famous Russian virtuoso and professor at the Gnesin Music Academy in Moscow, is now available.

The book has over 200 pages, more than 100 sketches with musical notations in an easy-to-read format. The original German version which first appeared in 1990, was considered a milestone in the history of music literature for accordionists. The publisher refers to the volume as "a Bible for classical accordionists as well as all others who wish to improve their musical comprehension and proficiency."

The contents deal with every aspect of accordion playing, including: Creating Tone (Bellow-Finger Coordination, Keystrokes, Bellows Techniques, Vibrato, Articulation, Registers and Combinations); Playing Technique; Interpreting a Musical Composition; Particulars of Concert Activities; and a wide variety of references, musical examples, a biographical register, etc. The editor notes that "the word bayan, which originates in the Russian language, can be used as a synonym for the word accordion."

For further information on this book and Lips' CD recordings see Ernest Deffner Publications or email: FDeffner@aol.com

The group "Pit Budde & Karibuni" will play at a concert entitled "Fliegende Feder" in Essen, Nordrhein-Westfalen on June 23rd. The group, which includes accordionist Klaus Jochmann plus guitar, vocals and percussion will perform Indian culture music and dance for children. This program will be repeated at concerts in Moelln (June 27th) and Münster (June 29th and July 1st). For further details email: klausjochmann@web.de

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Ivano Battiston will tutor an accordion course to be held at the Church of "S.S. Giacomo e Anna" in the former primary school Pianaccio (Bologna) from August 3rd to 10th. The course, which is organized by the Lizzano in Belvedere City Council, Bologna Provincial Council and Corno alle Scale Regional Park, will cover methodological aspects of accordion study and is open to all musicians, both Italian and foreigners, without age limitations, who can take part either as active or listening participants.

Accordionists will be encouraged to form ensembles with musicians of other instrumental courses (that will run at the same time) and perform pieces proposed either by the students themselves or by the teachers. Courses will also be offered in piano, guitar, violin and vocals.

The course will include public performances and a final concert. The closing date for enrolments is June 30th. For further details phone/fax: +39 0534 51052

Contributed by Raquel Ruiz

Spanish accordionist Angel Luis Castaño has performed three different and successful concerts during the past two weeks, showing a varied musical program. Firstly, he played a contemporary solo program with music by Ligeti, Nordheim, Gubaidulina, Soler, Olavide and Jesús Torres at the Nick Havanna Konzertsalle in Barcelona. This concert was recorded by National Classical Radio.

Castaño's next concert was held in the Segovia Museum with David Apellaniz (cello). Their program included modern music by Kodaly, Ligeti, Falla, Chaviano and Piazzolla. His final concert was held at the Segovia National Education Institute and included a classical program of works by Albeniz, Granados, Piazzolla, Solotarew, Chenderew, Semionov, Bellochisky, Rossini and others. All of the concerts were well attended.

In July, Castaño will tutor at seminars in Alcazar de San Juan (July 1st to 7th) and in Andorra (July 8th to 14th). He will also be a member of the jury at the First International Accordion Competition in Andorra from July 16th to 18th. For further details email: ANGELLUI@teleline.es

Colombian accordionist Lácides Romero performed at a concert at the "Amira de la Rosa" theatre in Barranquilla to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the "Abolition of Slavery in Colombia" in May. His program included classical, baroque, Colombian folk music and international folk pieces such as "Hungarian dance No 5" (Brahms), "Pasacalle Con Variaciones" (Handel) and "Contrastes" (Piazzolla).

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

The Italian Accordion Culture musical association (directed by accordionist Gianluca Bibiani) recently organised (as part of a project aimed at promoting popular music) an event in Paris that featured some of the most renowned personalities of the local folk scene. The dialogue between the two cultures was very fruitful for the professional growth of those involved, and produced new and intriguing ensemble projects. Of particular success was the performance of Ivano Pescari, a popular Italian accordionist and entertainer, who with his great stage presence gave a significant contribution to the success of this event. The initiative was received so favourably that the association was invited to take part in the Musette Accordion Festival, which will be held in Paris in March 2002.

This week the Free Reed festival featured performances by a variety of artists including the "Rubinchik's Yiddische Band", "The Austin, Texas Trio" (includes accordionist Don Weeda), Jo-Asgeir Lie (Norway) who presented a series of original and traditional compositions for solo accordion and a duet for accordion & violin and the group "Rotondo Tramonti" (Italy), which includes Franco Ghigini (melodeon).

Upcoming featured artists include Mats Eden (Sweden) and Sam Pirt (UK). For further details email: cliff@rootsworld.com

Accordionist Renzo Ruggieri recently took part in the recording of the first CD by Orchestra Contemporanea, an orchestra based in Teramo and conducted by Toni Fidanza. This lively group, which features a string section, a wind section and a whole rhythm section (guitar, bass, drums and piano) presents an elegant repertoire which spans a bridge between European and Northern African music. Its first CD entitled "No Music" was launched this month and features guest appearances by many prominent personalities of the Italian jazz scene, such as Fabrizio Bosso and Maurizio Giammarco. In this album Ruggieri performs pieces by Galliano and some of his own compositions. The launch included well-received concerts in several Italian towns including Pescara, Teramo and Val Tidone.

Debbie would like some information on a Bruno accordion made in Germany and brought to the USA in the 1800's. The instrument also has the words "Professional concert" and the trade mark registered "Lyra" on it. Email: ka8ykk@concentric.net

Lynn Kirchner would like details on a German accordion "Trossert Musik Instrumente Danzig Heilige Geislg 17" which was brought to the USA at the beginning of the 19th century. Lynn is considering donating this instrument to a suitable museum. Email: lynnk@rof.net