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28th September 2001 This weeks news | Past News | Send news


Editors Note
Accordions Worldwide coordinator of the East European News Sergej Tchirkov (Russia), was competing at the International Lasse Pihlajamaa Competition held this month in Ikaalinen and Tampere, Finland. Sergej was selected as one of six finalists, achieving third place in intense competition. Accordions Worldwide would like to congratulate Sergej on his very successful performances.

Wayne Knights Webmaster

 


This Weeks News


International Lasse Pihlajamaa Competition - Finland

Veli KujalaLasse Pihlajamaa, Heikki Eranen & Maire PihlajamaaContributed by Kimmo Mattila

The first International Lasse Pihlajamaa Competition for virtuoso accordionists was held from September 17th to 22nd in Ikaalinen and Tampere, organized by the Finnish Accordion Institute under the patronage of the President of Finland Tarja Halonen. The Artistic director was Matti Rantanen and Chairman of the organizing committee was Kimmo Mattila. Competition finals were held at Tampere-talo followed by a prize giving ceremony. Lasse Pihlajamaa personally presented awards after the final round and congratulated all of the finalists.

Harri Wessman & Matti RantanenPerformances were given by The New Young Chamber orchestra (UNKO) conducted by Jani Telaranta (which was broadcast by Finnish TV), accordionist Matti Rantanen, Mika Väyrynen & Marko Ylönen (cello) who performed Finnish music by Nuorvala, Kantelinen, Kaipainen and Kuusisto, and the premiere performance of Accordion Concerto, op. 60 by Timo-Juhani Kyllönen.

Sergei TchirkovFinalists included Aidar Gainullin (Russia), Teemu Kyllönen (Finland), Sergei Tchirkov (Russia), Niko Kumpuvaara (Finland), Veli Kujala (Finland) and Alexandre Matrossov (Russia). Jury members included Harri Wessman (Chairman- Finland), Merja Ikkelä (Finland), Vladimír Cuchran (Slovakia), Max Bonnay (France) and Stefan Hussong (Germany).

Results:

1st Prize: Veli Kujala (Finland)
2nd Prize: Aidar Gainullin (Russia)
3rd Prize: Sergei Tchirkov (Russia)

The event was very successful and participants were impressed with the well organized event.

 


New Accordion Association in Qingdao - China

Contributed by Li Cong

The "Qingdao Musicians Association Accordion Professional Board" in Shandong Province was formed this year, as there has been many accordion events in Qingdao City in recent years, with increasing numbers of people learning the accordions. The association aims to promote the accordion in this area.

Over the past few months the association has sent 20 accordionists to attend the 2nd Beijing Yingwu Cup Accordion Competition, organised for an accordion Trio to appear on the Qingdao Radio Live programme, sent 14 people to the Summer Accordion Camp (organised by the China Accordion Association), held the 1st Qingdao Accordion Competition (co-organised with the Qingdao Dairy Food Company), and set up the Qingdao Teenager Accordion Orchestra. The association will also send accordionists to compete in the Shangdong State Accordion Ensemble & Orchestra Competitions.

The committee of the Qingdao City Accordion Association includes Cui Shao Hua (Chairman), Wang Ming Zhi, Lu Mei, Han Lu (Vice Chairmen) and Zhao Yi Gang (Secretary). For further information on this association phone: +86-532-5729116

 


Accordionist Receives Composer Award - USA

Accordionist Guy Klucevsek received a composer award on September 21st in New York. The award reads: "Dance Theatre Workshop presents a New York Dance and Performance Award, in recognition of outstanding creative achievement during the 2000-2001 season, to Dan Hurlin and Guy Klucevsek, for a "bunraku musette of puppetry and accordion, a toy theatre of the examined life," in Everyday Uses for Sight: No. 7, The Heart of the Andes".


Festival Alexandriana - Egypt

Mirco PatariniContributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

On September 13th a concert was held at the theatre of the Sidi Gaber Cultural Palace in conjunction with the "Festival Alexandriana". Performers included Mirco Patarini (Italy), Saleh el Artist (Egypt) and other musicians from Spain, Sweden and France. The theme was "Meeting with Islamic traditions in the Mediterranean World."


Timbre Russian Accordion Group Concert Tour - Switzerland

Timbre Russian Accordion GroupContributed by Martin Frey

The "Timbre Russian Accordion Group (Moscow) will tour Switzerland and Germany from October 20th to November 2nd. The group includes five musicians from the Gnessin-Institute in Moscow, who are winners of several important world competitions such as the Citta di Castelfidardo (Italy). Their instruments are constructed by Russian engineer Nikolaj Kosokruzow, who designed the instruments specially for the ensemble and similar to instruments of a symphony orchestra.

The ensemble will play a variety of classical music by composers such as Tchaikovsky & Vivaldi, folk pieces from Russia and South America, Piazzolla tangos as well as contemporary works from Russian and international composers.

Concerts will be held in Gurtweil, Ravensburg, Meckenbeuren and Allgäu (Germany) and at the Aula des Schulhauses Wydenhof in Ebikon, Switzerland (October 27th), Zug Musikschule on October 30th and a final concert at the Haldenbühlkirche Pfarreisaal in Gossau on November 2nd. For further details email: akkdino@cwmail.ch


Arbroath Accordion & Fiddle Club Meeting - Scotland

Contributed by Sheona Smith

The Arbroath Accordion & Fiddle Club will hold their next meeting at the Viewfield Hotel, Arbroath, Angus on October 7th with guest Ian Cruickshank. The club holds regular meetings on the first Sunday of each month. Members, non-members and musicians are all very welcome to attend. For further details email: ssbolshan@btinternet.com



Minister Teufel Attends 70th Anniversary Celebrations - Germany

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Minister Erwin Teufel and Mayor Lothar Wölfle attended the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Deutscher Harmonika Verband e.V. (DHV) in Trossingen on September 15th. Over 3,500 accordion orchestras and ensembles are members of this association and 80% of its members are children, teenagers and young adults. In Baden-Württemberg approximately 45,000 accordionists are members of many orchestras and associations.

The Minister and Mayor were guest speakers at the event. Musical entertainment was given by the Akkordeon-Landesjugendorchester Baden-Württemberg (who toured the USA, New Zealand and Fiji during August 2001) conducted by Bernd Maltry, the Ensemble Via Class, soloist Stephanie Hodde and harmonica world champion Yasuo Watani.


Tribute to Anconetani Family - Argentina

Contributed by Angel Russo

The Secretariat of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires has issued an invitation to accordion lovers to attend a tribute to the Anconetani family on October 7th in Capital Federal. Giovani Anconetani travelled from Italy to Argentina in 1892 and began the first and only Argentinean accordion manufacturing business 105 years ago in 1896. His four children Luis, Juan, Josefina and Nazareno continued the business which is now run by the two survivors Josefina (86) and Nazareno (80).

The family, together with other accordionists, founded the Asociación Internacional de Acordeonistas - AIDA (Argentina Accordion Association).

For further details email: maquinapastarusso@fullzero.com.ar

 


Kantou Area Competition - Japan

Contributed by Toru Katou

On September 30th the annual Ensemble and Concert Section of the Kantou area accordion contest will be held at the Kameido Culture Center, Koto Ward, Tokyo. For further information phone Mr Tsukamoto at: +81 44-877-9871



Band Plays Traditional Balkan Music - USA

Contributed by Joyce Clyde

Popular group "Anoush" will play Southern Balkan music at the Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center in Berkeley on October 2nd. Anoush consists of Dan Ziagos (accordion), Michael Matthews (clarinet), Ken McCormick (violin & vocals), Michele Simon (tupan & vocals) and Ken White (darabuka & defi). For further details phone: + 1 510 525-5054



Church Concert - Germany

Contributed by Marc-Oliver Brehm

The orchestra and quintet of the Handharmonika-Spielring Stuttgart-Möhringen will perform a concert in the Martinskirche in Stuttgart on October 7th. Their varied program will range from the masterpieces of the Baroque period to works by Mozart and Grieg and contemporary compositions. In addition, the program will include a new arrangement of the theme from the film "Schindlers List" and three works performed by accordion soloist Andrej Baumgard. Entry to this concert is free. For further information email: hsm-online@gmx.net


Frosini-Deiro Society Concert - Sweden

Contributed by Knut Halling

The Frosini-Deiro Society held a concert on September 22nd in memory of the great Pietro Frosini, who died in September fifty years ago. The concert took place at the Music Museum in Stockholm, with performances of Frosini's music.


"October in Normandy" - France

Pascal ContetContributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Accordionist Pascal Contet will perform five concerts during the "October in Normandy" festival in France. Two of these will be with the National de Lille Orchestra (directed by Jean-Claude Casadesus). Contet's solo recitals will include works by Scarlatti, Couperin, Arne Nordheim and Camille Roy. For details email: pcontet@hotmail.com



Innovative Liturgies - USA

Accordionist and composer Dr William Schimmel works closely with Pastor Rev. Robert Brashear to bridge the relationship between music, arts and worship at Manhattan's West Park Church. Schimmel is no stranger to liturgical music having been involved with experimental liturgies as far back as the 1960's and having composed innovative Masses which include his three hour mass for chorus and orchestra (1973 Juilliard Doctoral Dissertation) and his tango mass which was performed in such prestigious institutions as Riverside Church, Union Theological Seminary and General Theological Seminary.

At West Park Church, Schimmel draws upon the rich cultural diversity of Manhattan's upper West Side using salsa, tango, conjunto, Celtic, gospel, classical, jazz, punk, grunge, cajun, reggae and makes the accordion a significant part of the celebratory experience.

Schimmel feels that the accordion is the perfect catalyst for bridging the gap between musical cultures as well as ecumenical forms of worship. In keeping in the spirit of the recent tragedy at the World Trade Center, the liturgies will take on a more meditative and reflective dimension.

 


Accordion Association Entertains - Puerto Rico

Contributed by Jane Berkovitz

On October 6th, the Accordion Association of Puerto Rico will perform at the Club Deportivo de Ponce, an elite social club in the largest city of Puerto Rico. A varied program is planned to entertain club members and guests.



Successful Weekly Radio Show - Australia

The weekly Australian radio show "The World Of The Accordion" hosted by Robert Gesmundo has been very successful thanks to the accordionists that have submitted recordings to producers, CLP Productions. The show has featured Frank Cambareri (CD - Tender Feelings), Bernadette Conlon (CD - Accordionally Yours), Eddie Chavez, Enzo Toppano, Lou Toppano, Lou Campara, Ron Pearce, Sam Aquilina, Joseph Castorina, Guz Merzi, Air New Zealand Accordion Orchestra (CD - On Tour), Pearl Fawcett (CD - Ettore Fantasia) and the Peter Piccini Jazz Trio (CD - Cool Change). This CD (Cool Change) has also been played on many of the top Jazz radio programs around Australia. Accordions Worldwide included a CD Review of the CD by Tania Lukic-Marx on August 31st.


Pretoria Boer Music Meeting - South Africa

Contributed by Séan Minnie

The Pretoria Branch of the Boer Music Club will hold a meeting and social night on October 6th at Odendaal High School in Pretoria. For details phone Tom Adams at: +27 12 651 3700

 


Langenhagen Orchestra Concert - Germany

Contributed by Jan Hülsmann

The Akkordeon Club Langenhagen 74 e.V. will perform at Aula Schulzentrum (near the City hall) in Langenhagen on October 28th. Their program will include "Sister Act", "Miss Marple" and "Rhapsodie Andalusia". For further details email: ACL74EV@aol.com


Marilyn Monroe Impersonator Performs - USA

Cybelvis MonroeMiss Cybelvis Monroe, a Marilyn Monroe impersonator who interprets Elvis Presley's hit songs to accordion & sequencer backing by Botielus of Samsonite & Delight-Ya, will perform at "Plan B" in Portland, Oregon on October 11th. The show will include a variety of "hip gyrates" and bellows shakes and is a cabaret style musical comedy with a touch of burlesque and "a whole lotta camp goin' on". Cybelvis is a "hunka hunka burnin' blonde" with her clinging pink & black jumpsuit and crimson lip curls! For further details email: Cybelvis@Cybelvis.com


New CD "Appassionata Vol.2" - France

Bruno MauriceAccordionist Bruno Maurice will release his new CD entitled "Appassionata Vol.2" on October 30th. A concert promoting the CD's release will be held on November 4th at the Church Madeleine of Paris (Eglise de la Madeleine à Paris). For further details email: Bruno.maurice@mageos.com



New Sites/Updated Sites

www.accordions.com/mika Information on Finnish accordionist Mika Väyrynen, who has won a total of eight prizes in International Competitions, including first prize in the Confédération Internationale des Accordeonistes (CIA) Coupe Mondiale. He is currently one of the most active performers and recording artists, concertizing and recording both as a soloist and with major orchestras worldwide.



Accordion Information Required

Jean-Paul Malengreaux would like a manual or information on a Russian button accordion with three treble rows and 5 bass rows. The instrument has Russian writing on it. Email: c&m@skynet.be


 

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