Editors Note

As I know you will all be aware, Christmas is approaching fast. In New Zealand we are very busy with a variety of Christmas concerts involving orchestras and soloists and I am sure this will be happening all over the world. Please send us details of your Christmas accordion event so we can let accordion enthusiasts know of all the wonderful Christmas cheer the accordion is spreading throughout the world.

Wayne Knights Webmaster

The Accordionists & Teachers Guild, International (ATG) will hold a festival to celebrate Anthony Galla-Rini's 99th Birthday in San Diego, California on January 17th and 18th, 2003. Tony is the ATG's President Emeritus, one of its Founding Members, and he has supported the ATG through its many years of activities. In addition, he has given so much to the accordion and all accordionists through his own original compositions and the great number of arrangements for both soloists and ensembles.

The ATG looks forward to accordionists contributing to the festivities, which will include Birthday Orchestra Rehearsals, a 99th Birthday Banquet and concert.

Registrations are due by December 17th, 2002. For further information email Joan Sommers at: sommersj@umkc.edu

Contributed by Li Cong

The 2002 Golden Cup Accordion Examination Grades Competition was held on November 16th and 17th at the Jingan District Teenagers Centre in Shanghai. Over 550 competitors attended this event, which was the biggest competition in Shanghai accordion history. Competition classes were held for each of the ten examination grades. Well known accordion specialists from various areas of China were the final competition judges including Professor Li Weiming (Vice President of China Accordion Association), Guo Yu Guang and Deputy Professor Yang Guoli (Vice President of Beijing Accordion Association), Professor Chen Yiming (Shandong Normal University), Deputy Professor Chen Jianyi (President of Shanxi Accordion Association), Deputy Professor Xu Dawei (Jilin Art Conservatory) and Huang Zhensheng (Vice President of Anhui Province Accordion Association).

Winners are as follows:

Grade 1: Miss Gan Yinglu
Grade 2: Mr Wang Shuxing
Grade 3: Mr Lu Chen
Grade 4: Mr Zhao Tianjiao
Grade 5: Mr Ma Qijie
Grade 6: Mr Liu Chenxi
Grade 7: Miss Wu Yingjie
Grade 8: Mr Ren Zhongjia
Grade 9: Mr Wang Jiazhi
Grade 10: Miss Gao Xian

This competition was sponsored by the Golden Accordion Factory and organised by the Shanghai Accordion Association.

Accordionists Karen Tweed, Andy Cutting and Bengan Janson will hold a "Pushing Yourself Forward Accordion Weekend" at the Aston Court Hotel in Derby from December 13th to 15th. This will be an intensive weekend course which will include concerts and workshops with Jo Freya, Fi Fraser and Barry Coope as part of an holistic approach to accordions and music making. For details email Karen Tweed at: kstweed@yahoo.co.uk

The Paris-Moscou Duo (which includes Domi Emorine and Roman Jbanov) will tour Russia from December 2nd to 20th. Their tour will begin with concerts at the Concert Hall in St. Petersburg on the 2nd and 5th, followed by concerts in Novokuybyshevsk, Togliatti, Samara, Otradnyi and Novossibirsk. For tour details email: roman.jbanov@libertysurf.fr

Autumn Tour by Duo Popolzin - Germany

Contributed by Edmund Schwarz

The Duo Popolzin toured Germany during November, performing in Bungertshof (Koenigswinter), at the health farm in Bernkastel Kues, at the TiKK theatre in Heidelberg, and at the Immanuelgemeinde in Koenigstein, Frankfurt. Their well received program represented a musical voyage around the world with marked stopovers in Moscow, Venice, Granada, Brussels and Paris under the slogan "Long is the Way" (from Siberia to Europe). The arrangements and compositions by Vladimir Popolzin (which included jazz elements) combined with the duo's well received performance left a very positive impression on their audience.

The North Shore Music Makers Orchestra (conducted by Christine Adams) and the Musicale Accordion Orchestra (conducted by Heather Masefield) entertained residents at the Hillsborough Village recently. This enjoyable concert also included a variety of solo performances.

The following week, the North Shore Accordion Orchestra (conducted by Lionel Reekie) entertained at the annual Christmas Parade in Auckland city. Many thousands of people received the opportunity to hear the group perform a varied program, which included Christmas pieces, the theme from the TV show "Mission Impossible" and "Baby Elephant Walk".

USA accordionist Jon Hammond performed to a capacity audience at the "Rag Time" Club in Osaka on November 23rd with well known Japanese musician Midori Ono, accompanied by Hidefumi Nose (guitar) and Kengo Komae (drums). The event was organized by Osamu Yamamoto of the YS Record Company. Their program included many standards including "Days of Wine and Roses" (Henry Mancini), "Moanin" (Bobby Timmons) and "Blue Bossa" (Kenny Durham).

Osaka radio station Radio Co Co Lo 76.5 FM (Osaka/Hawaii) were interested in playing selections from Jon's CD "Late Rent" and his new CD (due to be released in January 2003) entitled "Hammond's Bolero".

The Association des Accordéonistes de Montréal (ADAM) will hold their annual Christmas Party on December 1st at the La Fornarina Restaurant in Montreal, Quebec. Interested people are advised to bring their accordion and their wine!! For reservations phone Jean-Pierre Attorre at: +1 514-721-1273

"Swap" Tours Denmark and Sweden

"Swap" will tour Denmark and Sweden from December 1st to 8th. The group includes Karen Tweed (accordion and vocals), Ian Carr (guitar), Carina Normansson (violin and vocals) and
Ola Bäckström (violin and vocals).

Accordionist Karen is well known for her work with The Kathryn Tickell Band, The Poozies, Roger Wilson, and her insatiable appetite for Irish sessions. For tour details email: kstweed@yahoo.co.uk

The XIV International "Sound Ways" Festival of New Music was held in St. Petersburg from November 17th to 24th, featuring performances by guest ensembles and soloists, such as "New European Winds" (Switzerland), Kazimierz Davidek (Poland) and Markus Berzborn (Germany).

Accordionist Sergej Tchirkov performed two concerts at the event, presenting different programs. On November 22nd Sergej gave a recital of works by Mauricio Kagel, Edisson Denisov and Klaus Huber. This was followed by "Cage Session" (dedicated to American composer John Cage) on November 23rd, where Sergej performed works by J. Cage such as "Souvenir" (for accordion solo), "Two 4" (for accordion and violin), "Five" (for accordion, piano, flute, clarinet and violin) and "Atlas Eclipticalis" (for accordion, piano, flute, violin and vocals).

Sergej recently completed a tour of Switzerland performing both solo recitals and joint concerts with pianist Margie Wu (Zurich). Their programme included works by Bach, Radvilovich (premiere), Palmer and Prokoffiev.

Saturday Night Contra Dance - USA

"Klezmos" (which features accordionist Wendy Morrison) will perform at the Shepherdstown Saturday night Contra Dance at the War Memorial Building in Shepherdstown (WV) on November 30th. Attendees are encouraged to put on their festive holiday attire and dance to the lively music on the first night of "Hanukkah". The caller will be Robbin Schaffer. For further information email: wendy@klezmusic.com

Contributed by Christine Adams

Young accordion sisters Kristina, Stephanie and Olivia Panzic entertained members of a local Genealogy club in Auckland with fellow accordionist Shane Adams recently. The accordionists (aged from 8 to 14 years) played a variety of solos and trios, completing their program with a Christmas quartet, which was very well received.

Contributed by Florencia Herrera

A new CD of pieces by former students of the Academy of Raul Varelli has just been released entitled "Jovenes Maestros del Acordeon". The CD was presented to the public at the National Day of the Accordion on November 17th, where artists played a variety of music such as tangos, mazurkas, waltzes classical pieces and works by Piazzolla. The CD artists also played pieces from the CD. For CD information email: fiobergi@infovia.com.ar

"Panta Rhei" presented their new album "Strides" at the Cultural Arts Centre in Riches-Claires on November 20th and 21st. The group is back (after several years of absence) as a sextet to release their fourth CD (Wild Boar Music) in which improvisation assumes greater importance, even if the original concept is still present. The musicians, who come from varied musical circles (jazz, classic, traditional & folk) bringing their own personal touch, creating a wide musical palette and producing melodies and traditional pieces with new coloration and finesse. For CD information email: info@muziekpublique.be

Roberta would like to know the year of manufacture of a 120 bass Frontalini piano accordion, made in Italy. The serial number is not clear but could be either 2S0-190, 250-790 or 2S0-790. Email: love@nanaimo.ark.com

Denise would like information on a red Mother of pearl accordion with "Pietro" on it, made in Germany. Email: DeniseCnnnghm@aol.com

Tom Wolsey would like information on the history and origin of the Royal Accordion, made in Germany. Email: twolsey@palliserhealth.ca

Yutaka M. Usui would like information on the manufacturer of the Hero (very tiny model) accordion or their North American representative. Email: Yutakausui@wmconnect.com

Sue LaBonte would like information on the Ludwig Pine Tree button accordion (pictured), believed to be over 50 years old, made in Germany with the following markings "Excelsior reeds", "steel bronze" and "accordion brand". There are two large "paddle like" buttons on the bass side of the instrument. Email: suebeeq@earthlink.net

Sergio Bilous would like information on a 120 bass Premiata Fabbrica D'Armoniche Organola made about 1920. Email: bilous@infovia.com.ar