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This
Weeks News
- Mika
Väyrynen to appear with conductor Okko Kamu, Espoo, Finland
- Classical
Concert, London - UK
- HOHNER
extends Management Team, Trossingen - Germany
- Dermot
O'Brien's Tour of Ireland Cancelled, New York - USA
- Accordion
CD Nominated for Award, Taipei - Taiwan
- Yuri
Medianik Concert, Moscow - Russia
- Panoply's
Tango Night in Beijing - China
- Paris-Moscow
Duo Master Class, Ortuella - Spain
- Duo
Accordiomania, Seoul - South Korea
- 15th
International Moscow Festival 'Bayan and Bayanists', Moscow - Russia
- New CD from
Joe Burke, Galway - Ireland
- Russian
Youth Accordion Orchestra's First CD, St Petersburg - Russia
- CD
Review
- New
and Updated Sites
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Mika
Väyrynen to appear with conductor Okko Kamu, Espoo, Finland
Contributed
by Kevin Friedrich
 Friday
December 17th will see the last concert for the year of Finnish accordionist Mika
Väyrynen. Mika will be the featured soloist with the 'Tapiola Sinfonietta',
one of northern Europe's best medium sized orchestras. The Concert will be held
in 'Tapiola Hall' (in Tapiola Cultural Center) in Espoo, which is one of the country's
biggest cities and located close to Helsinki.
The conductor for this concert
will be Mr. Okko Kamu, the winner of 1st Herbert von Karajan competition held
in 1968. Mika will perform 'Barabbas Variations - Chamber Music 5' composed by
Profesor Aulis Sallinen. This is the second time Mika has performed with Mr. Kamu;
the first time was in 2003 when he was the featured soloist with the Helsinki
Philharmonic Orchestra. The composer Professor Sallinen will celebrate his 70th
birthday in 2005, and throughout the year, Mika will perform his 'Barabbas Variations
- Chamber Music 5' with several different orchestras.
For more information
on Mika and his many recordings, please visit www.accordions.com/mika
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Classical Concert,
London - UK
Contributed by Rob
Howard
 Phuong
Ngyuen, the Vietnamese-born classical accordionist now living in England, and
his wife, Japanese-born pianist Miho Sanou, will give a lunchtime recital on Christmas
Eve, December 24th. The venue is St Martin's-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square,
London, at 1pm, and admission is free.
The
program includes:-
1)
César Franck
2) Camille Saint- Saëns
3) Nobuya Monta - Pavane
4)
Nobuya Monta - Minuet
5) Nobuya Monta - Last Dance
6) Three Impressions
for Accordion and Piano
7) Traditional Christmas Carol Medley
8) Astor Piazzolla
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Hohner
extends Management Team, Trossingen - Germany
Contributed
by Holda
Paoletti-Kampl
 The
Supervisory Board of M. Hohner
Ltd, Trossingen, Germany, at its meeting of 11th December 2004, appointed Mr.
Stefan Althoff as vice member of the Management Board with immediate effect. With
this extension of the Management Board, based on the successes of the company
in recent years, Hohner want to further integrate their worldwide business activities.
Stefan Althoff, aged 43, since 1998 Managing Director of the Hohner
subsidiary SONOR GmbH & Co KG, Bad Berleburg - Aue, will also continue to
function in this capacity.
For further information email Vorstand@hohner.de
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Dermot O'Brien's
Tour of Ireland Cancelled, New York - USA
Contributed
by Rob
Howard
 New
York-based Irish accordion entertainer Dermot O'Brien has cancelled his planned
tour of Ireland, scheduled from December 16th to January 8th, due to family illness.
His wife Rosemarie is recovering from the effects of a brain aneurysm, whilst
Dermot himself is continuing to receive chemotherapy treatment as an outpatient.
Rosemarie has been advised not to fly for several months, and this has led to
the decision not to travel to Ireland.
Dermot O'Brien has been a full time
professional entertainer since 1962, and at one time had his own program on Irish
television that ran for seven years. As an accordion entertainer he has few peers,
and Dermot's worldwide record sales and countless personal appearances make him
Ireland's most popular and commercially successful accordionist over the last
four decades. Despite recently receiving treatment for cancer, he has resumed
performing and recording and has recently recorded a best selling CD of seasonal
songs and tunes simply titled 'Christmas'.
For further information email
DermotOB@aol.com
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 Panoply's
Tango Night in Beijing - China
Contributed
by Lian Jones of Accordion
House
British
golden band Panoply will be playing a few concerts in Beijing during the Christmas
holiday season. Their repertoire includes a wide range of music, from classical
works to pop music. Members
of Panoply include Chinese youth accordionist Yao Yi, who has gained two Grand
Prix awards in the competition of Arrasate Hiria, Irish youth violinist Anna,
British youth guitarist Carl Henry, British youth percussionist Alexander, American
youth cellist Marshal Belly, and Malaysian youth pianist Ceng Hao Bin. They will
be playing at Beijing University at 25th December, then at the Forbidden City
Concert Hall on 26th.
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15th International
Moscow Festival 'Bayan and Bayanists', Moscow - Russia
Contributed
by Herbert Scheibenreif
of Friedrich Lips
Productions
 The
15th International Festival 'Bayan and Bayanists' was held in Moscow from December
15th to 19th 2004. The opening gala concert was dedicated to Russian prizewinners
of national and international competitions: M. Vlasova, S. Osokin, A. Sheliganov,
J. Kotchetov and A. Selivanov. People's Artist of Russia V. Semjonov did the Moscow-first
performance of his 'Concert for bayan and Chamber Orchestra'. T. Mynbajev conducted
the chamber orchestra of the Gnessin Music Academy.
Each year another region
of Russia is highlighted for its extraordinary achievements on the bayan culture.
This year the focus was on Woronesh so that A. Skljarov, People's Artist of Russia
and one of the outstanding and legendary performers on the bayan, had another
opportunity to show his unique talents. After the break the bayan-trio of Lipezk
formed by V. Melnik (People's Artist of Russia), V. Karpij (Merited Artist of
Russia) and S. Eltchaninov charmed the public.
In the afternoon of December
17th, the firm of instruments called 'AKKO' from Woronesh presented an exhibition
of its new models. R. Sviackevicius
(accordion) together with E. Kulikauskas (violoncello) from Litvia were the international
guests of this year's bayan festival showing the versatility of the accordion
in chamber music. It is part it of the tradition of this festival to solemnly
celebrate special birthdays with concerts. In the occasion of F. Rubtsov's 100th
birthday, A. Selivanov played his concert together with the Folk Orchestra of
the Gnessin Academy conducted by V. Petrov. A.Nayunkin celebrated his 50th birthday
with a composer's portrait.
 The
following concert was dedicated to the works of composer A. Kusyakov (pictured)
who had a great influence on the bayan literature by creating his 'Winter sketches'
and several sonatas. Merited Artist of Russia J. Shishkin (bayan), A. Gorbatchov
(balalaika) and the symphonic orchestra of Tambov were the artistes of this evening.
The final gala concert offered the audience varied programs of most different
styles that were very well received by the public. P.Sjabko, V. Sergejev, S. Abkerimov,
the duet 'Russkij Akzent', N. and D. Dmitrienko and the trio 'Balalaika - Nueva'
(A. Papernij, N. Böttcher, A. Stepanenko) impressed with original works,
transcriptions as well as variations about themes of Russian folk melodies.
It
is for sure that Moscow's 15th International Festival 'Bayan and Bayanists' will
remain in the memory of the many attendees. Everybody is already looking forward
to 2005 when some of the best and most famous bayanists and accordionists from
all over the world will join for the next 'Bayan and Accordion Competition'.
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New CD from Joe Burke,
Galway - Ireland
Contributed
by Rob
Howard
 Two-row
diatonic button accordion player Joe Burke has released a new 21 track critically
acclaimed CD titled 'Mountain Mist', with piano accompaniment from Charlie Lennon.
This is Joe Burke's first recording since 1996, and marks a successful renewal
of a very successful partnership with pianist Charlie Lennon (also famous in his
own right as a traditional fiddle player).
Joe Burke was All-Ireland Senior
Button Accordion Champion in 1959 and 1960, and later emigrated to New York where
he became a legend amongst the Irish American community. He has recently returned
to Ireland, and lives in Galway where he teaches and runs music courses for accordion.
For further information email joeburkemusic@eirecom.net
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Russian
Youth Accordion Orchestra's First CD, St Petersburg - Russia
Contributed
by Holda Paoletti-Kampl
 The
Russian youth accordion orchestra known as 'Harmonica' and the tango-quartet 'Resurrection'
announce their joint CD 'Harmonica forever!' The orchestra has recorded its Italian
tour program, as performed in Castelfidardo
in October this year.
Both groups are located in Gatchina, close to St.
Petersburgin Russia. Their program widens includes classic and contemporary music
such as the 'Boardwalk Suite' by Dutch composer Ad Wammes, 'Tired 'Sun' tango
transcribed by L. Desjatnikov, and Richard Galliano's 'Tango pour Claude'.
The 'Resurrection' quartet, specialise in Argentine tango, and members are
students and graduates of St. Petersburg Conservatory and University of Art. The
'Resurrection' tango-quartet is now preparing its own CD dedicated to Astor Piazzolla's
heritage.
For
further information email cult@gatchina.ru
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Russian
accordionist Yuri Medianik will perform a concert on the 19th December in Rachmaninov's
Hall at the Moscow Conservatory. Yuri Medianik has invited some of his best friends
to play music together in different combinations, and intends himself to play
two instruments at this event. 
