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United
Kingdom Championships 2002 - England
 Contributed
by Gina Brannelli
The successful United Kingdom Championships
2002 were held at the The Spa Complex, Scarborough from May 3rd
to 5th May organized by the NAO.
The event began with an Evening Welcome night with guest performers
Gina & Romany Rye. Over 400 contestants took part in a variety of
competition categories throughout the event. Presentations were
held on the Saturday evening following entertainment by the Millennium
Orchestra. The NAO
special award was given to Elaine and Ron Beecham as a joint award
for their remarkable service and support of the Movement for so
many years.
 Competition
winners:
Virtuoso: Robert Cherry
Senior Recital: Larysa Bodell
17 Years & Under: Larysa Bodell
15 Years & Under: Jennifer Maxwell
13 Years & Under: Ashley Dudderidge
11 Years & Under: Curtis Lam
9 Years & Under: Graham Laurie
7 Years & Under: Anton Bodell
Scottish 16 Years & Over: Stewart Walker
Polka Senior: Neal Galbraith
Musette Senior: Paul
Chamberlain
Open Premier Duet: Kim Catling & Daniel Shave
Advanced Duet: Alison Hope & Caitlin O'Donnell
Art Level Group: The Burton Accordion Group
Advanced Group: Burton Advanced Group
Intermediate Group: BL Munchkins
Entertainment: Colchester Accordion Showband
Advanced Orchestra: Colchester Advanced Band
Intermediate Orchestra: Graham Laurie Paisley Intermediate
Orchestra
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Scottish Stage Show - Scotland
 Contributed
by Holda
Paoletti-Kampl
Accordionist Paul
Chamberlain is currently organising a Scottish stage show entitled
"The Pride of Scotland" which is packed with old-fashioned qualities
portraying a clean image of Scotland through humour, music, dance
and song.
The show, which will be held in the Borders,
Tait Hall, Kelso on May 25th, and the Volunteer Hall, Galashiels
on May 26th, brings together professional Scottish performers from
around the country. Compered by "Scotland's Son of Fun" Eddie Rose
(from Pitlochry), the show incorporates vocalists Thora Ker & Colin
Jackson, plus the Shotts & Dykehead Caledonian Pipe Band, who are
classed as one of the finest pipe bands in the world. Backing the
vocalists and providing toe-tapping music is Robert Baird and his
Scottish Dance Band.
These shows are the first of many being planned
and arrangements are currently being negotiated for venues throughout
the UK and overseas. For further details email: Paul@theaccordionist.com
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"Gem of the Kaipara" World Premiere
a Major Success - New Zealand
 Contributed
by Lionel Reekie
New York based accordionist Kevin
Friedrich and the Auckland Symphony Orchestra strings presented the
world premiere of "Gem of the Kaipara" for solo accordion, string orchestra
and percussion, composed by Gary
Daverne last weekend to a completely sold-out audience in Dargaville,
New Zealand.
 Written
as a musical tribute to the late Jenny Cocurullo, long time accordion
and arts supporter and Life Member of the New
Zealand Accordion Association, the premiere of "Gem of the Kaipara"
received a standing ovation. At the request of the concert organizers,
the work was played a second time and received another standing ovation.
Jenny had always promoted the Kaipara region of New Zealand as the gem
of the north, however, she was in turn considered the Gem of the Kaipara,
thus the title of the new work by Gary Daverne which was commissioned
by the Kaipara District Council.
Kevin, President of the Confederation Internationale
des Accordeonistes (CIA),
presented a series of three concerts as guest soloist with Gary Daverne
and the Auckland Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand's largest Symphony orchestra
with over 80 members. Performing in both Auckland and Dargaville utilizing
his talents as an exponent of the button and piano accordion, Kevin also
performed "Rhapsody for Accordion Orchestra" (Gary
Daverne) on bayan and "Gem of the Kaipara" for accordion and string
orchestra on piano accordion.
Performing to a combined audience of over 3,000 people,
the well received concerts provided great exposure for the accordion as
well as presenting an exciting new accordion/orchestral work by Gary Daverne.
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Accordion Folk Workshop - Germany
Contributed by Jo Meyer
An accordion workshop will be held in Rudolstadt,
Thuringia from July 1st to 5th, the subject being creative music
making on the basis of folk music with tutor Alan Berne (USA). The
course will show the accordion as a nationally, stylistically and
socially marginal instrument and the musician is the defining character
between the various overlapping cultural identities. Accordion music
is the lens through which one can see and the catalyst for the creative
and conscious handling of these processes.
Alan Berne, accordionist, pianist and composer
has toured America, Europe, Israel and Japan with groups "Brave
Old World", "Accordion Tribe" and "Klucevsek/Bern Duo". He has held
courses and workshops for accordion, composition and cultural studies
at the European Summer Academy (Weimar, Germany), Sibelius Academy
(Helsinki, Finland), Center for Intercultural Studies (University
of Mainz), Indiana University (USA) and Cincinatti Conservatory
(USA). For further details email: meyer.jo@gmx.de
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Florence Conservatorium Accordion Ensemble
in Concert - Italy
 Contributed
by Holda Paoletti-Kampl
"Le Fisarmoniche del Conservatorio di Firenze" (the
Florence Conservatorium Accordions), an ensemble which includes Modestino
Musico, Gabriele Venturi, Paolo Sparnacci and Fabio Colaceci (all students
of Ivano
Battiston at the "Luigi Cherubini" State Conservatorium), will perform
at the prestigious Villa Strozzi in Florence on May 19th. Their program
will feature pieces by Seiber, Pachelbel, Battiston and Piazzolla. For
details email: ivanobattiston@tin.it
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Accordionist Performs at 50th National
Lions Convention - Australia
 Australian
accordionist, Bernadette
Conlon, gave three concerts at the 50th Annual Australian National
Lions Convention, held in Geelong last week. The convention, attended
by over 1,400 Lions and Lionesses from all over Australia and neighbouring
countries, was also attended by the International President of Lions
International, J. Frank Moore III and his wife Rita (USA).
The convention was formally opened by the Victorian
Governor, His Excellency, John Landy. Bernadette performed at a
lunchtime fashion parade, gave a lunchtime recital, and performed
requests and gave a floor show at the Lionesses formal evening dinner.
All performances were on midi acoustic accordion, with music ranging
from classical to popular pieces. Among those to compliment Bernadette
were the International President and his wife, who publicly congratulated
Bernadette on the performances they attended.
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Alexander Korbakov Tours the UK
and Ireland
Contributed by Jean Shearman
Accordionist Alexander Korbakov (Russia) will
tour the UK from May 17th to June 21st performing at a variety of
venues in Guildford, Ilminster, Colyton, Jersey, Soar Valley, Cambridge,
Castlegory, Ireland and Tipperary. His program will include pieces
of abiding beauty like Caccini's "Ave Maria" and "Valse Triste"
(Sibelius), the fiery "Sabre Dance" (Khachaturian), Strauss' s "Trich
Trach Polka" and some of his own arrangements of Russian folk music.
Alexander Korbakov currently plays with the
Russian State Concert Orchestra, with small ensembles and as an
accompanist. He has received acclaim as a soloist in many countries
in Europe, with regular annual tours of the United Kingdom, Ireland
and Germany. He has broadcast on the BBC World Service and recorded
cassettes and CDs, the latest of which, "Light & Shadow", is proving
extremely popular. He has also produced a video "Alexander Korbakov
in Profile". For further concert details email: jean.shearman@virgin.net
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Mississippi Gulf Coast Concerts
- USA
In last week's news we reported incorrect information
about Bulgarian accordionist Milen Slavov's concerts. On May 11th
Milen performed with Teodor Dimitrov (gudulka) at the 7th Annual
Culture Shock Family Arts Festival in Gautier sponsored by Jackson
County Arts Council.
On June 1st and 2nd he will be joined by acclaimed
Strandzha singer Zhivka Papancheva at the Ocean Springs Renaissance
Festival in Marshall Park, Ocean Springs, MS. Their program will
include original Bulgarian music in traditional and contemporary
styles. For further details phone: +1 228 875-4424
We apologise for this error. The information
listed in the Future
Events section of our Yellow
Pages is correct. Ed
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Familie Popolzin Concert - Germany
 Contributed
by Edmund Schwarz
The Familie Popolzin (Siberia) will perform
at the Kirche St. Johann in Kronberg on June 8th. This will be followed
by a concert at the Festsaal Wohnstift am Zoo in Frankfurt on June
17th. The group includes bayanists Wladimir and Irina, who performed
as the "Duo Popolzin" at the Castelfidardo International Competition
(Italy) in 2000, winning first place in the Jazz Category, and their
daughter Natascha who plays violin.
Their program includes works by Bach, Dvorák
and Gershwin many of which have been arranged especially for the
family group by Wladimir. For further details email: Duo-Popolzin@edi-schwarz.de
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Accordion Information Required
Sharon Sanders would like information about
Morbidoni and if they made Philharmonic accordions. Email: champion740@eatel.net
A reader would like accordion sheet music for
modern music by artists like Britney Spears and Shakira. Email:
ManuelaTrinker@aol.com
Dale would like information on a Capitol Deluxe
Petite accordion made in Italy. Email: DATTHINGS1@aol.com
Colleen Nancysbarn would like information on
a General C. Shabra & Co. accordion, coloured red mother of pearl,
made in Italy, Federfisa 231. Email: nancysbarn@msn.com
Joanna would like accordion sheet music or books
by Gigi Stok. Email: jroylance1@comcast.net
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Accordionist
Music
School Concert - Poland
The
S-ART Music School held their end of year concert at the Centre
of Catholic Culture in Wroclaw, Poland recently. Performers included
students, teachers, accordionist Olexiy Suslov and the Harmonica
Orchestra (conducted by Galyna Suslova) who played an extensive
repertoire of music such as Entrance the opera "Carmen" (Bizet),
Waltz of Flowers from Nutcracker Ballet (Tchaikowsky) and Paganini
etudes.
The
Gavle Festival will be held in Gavle, Sweden on May 18th organized
by Magnus Backstrom. Popular group "Swap", which features accordionist
Karen Tweed will perform at the festival. Their program will include
pieces from their new CD "Mosquito Hunter" such as "Creme Fraiche"
(Carina Normansson), "Mosquito Hunter" (Ola Backstrom) and "Crowley's
Reel" (traditional Irish reel). For festival details email: