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This
Weeks News
- New
Book: 'Accordion Jazz Chords' by Norbert Seidel - Germany
- Accordion
Orchestra in Concert, Bilbao - Spain
- NAO
Thames Area Festival, England - UK
- Russian
Festival, San Francisco - USA
- Argentine
Bandoneonist in Brass Festival - Germany
- BBC
Radio Two Folk Awards - Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham, London - UK
- Piazzolla
Quintet Concerts, Moscow - Russia
- The
Accordion Award Concert, Shanghai - China
- Milos
Milivojavic in Concert, London - UK
- 'Arrasante
- Hiria' Accordion Competition - Spain
- Doktorski
Plays Piazzolla, Pennsylvania - USA
- Demonstration
Concert, Scotland - UK
- Paris-Moscow
Duo, Bulle - Switzerland
- New
CD 'Chamber Music Today' - Spain
- Washington
Metropolitan Accordion Society's 2nd Anniversary Celebrations - USA
- Celebrity
Interview with Paolo Picchio - Italy
- Radio
Broadcast - France
- CD
Review
- New
and Updated Sites
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New Book: 'Accordion
Jazz Chords' by Norbert Seidel - Germany
Contributed
by Karthause-Schmülling
 German
publisher Karthause-Schmülling is releasing a new book titled 'Accordion
Jazz Chords' - about improvising freely on the standard bass accordion, and
written by Norbert Seidel. The 120-page book is written in English and in German
languages, high quality print and will be premiered at the Frankfurt Musik Messe.
This is an easily understandable instruction book for beginning and advanced players:-
Part
1: Theory (basics, numerous practical examples, interval position charts, chord
tables). Part 2: Practice (15 new music pieces from easy to intermediate difficulty).
The author shows, in an astonishingly simple manner, how a person can evolve
from the stereotyped major, minor, and seventh chords of accompaniment harmony
to achieve quite new, even exotic sounding chords in order to play jazz music
and lively accompaniment masterfully, or improvise to one's heart's content.
Beginners,
as well as advanced players, will receive much value from this instruction book.
If you order before March 31st, there is a special subscription price of only
19 Euro. Normal price - Euro 24.90. For further
information.
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NAO
Thames Area Festival, England - UK
Contributed
by Raymond Bodell of Charnwood
Publishing
 Another
successful National Accordion Organisation Area Festival was held on the 19th
February in North West London. A large number of the entries were from young players
who competed in this qualifying competition for the NAO
UK Championships, set for April 22nd to 24th. The adjudicator, from Scotland,
Mr Graham Laurie
(sitting left) was impressed with the very promising standard shown with highest
marks for the day being shared by six year old Alexander Bodell and Advanced Orchestra
Jenny's Accordionists (pictured), from Colchester, under their MD Jenny Neal.
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Russian Festival,
San Francisco - USA
Contributed by Jon Hammond
 New
York based accordionist Jon Hammond recently visited California, where he played
eight gigs in hospitals, visited three trade fairs and attended the annual Russian
Festival in San Francisco. Jon has written the following report:-
"I
have just attended the 17th annual Russian Festival, held at the Russian Center,
San Francisco, at 2460 Sutter St, from February 11th to 13th. It was a fantastic
celebration of Russian music, food and art. There was plenty of Bayan accordion
music. Yuri Fedorko, bayanist of Limpopo, really knocked me out. He could play
with accuracy while doing the Kazatsky dance all the way down to the floor! I
have never seen that done before.
The food was fantastic and I especially
enjoyed the Vodka Tasting Bar serving in several fruity flavors or straight from
the bottle. It was like going to Russia without ever leaving San Francisco! I'll
be sure to attend again next year".
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Piazzolla
Quintet Concerts, Moscow - Russia
Contributed
by Holda Paoletti-Kampl
The
Piazzolla Quintet will perform two concerts in Moscow: on March 3rd the Radisson
Hotel Concert Hall, and on April 14th at the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Center.
The Piazzolla Quintet members have prepared a new program, including pieces by
Astor Piazzolla in their individual interpretation. The new project includes:
the 'Four Seasons', the 'History of Tango' and a number of rarely performed, early
Piazzolla.
 The
Piazzolla Quintet features Yuri
Medianik on bayan and violin (pictured). An unique aspect of the Piazzolla
Quintet is that in addition to the usual instruments associated with Piazzolla's
work such as bayan, violin and piano, the members often also use such unlikely
instruments as marimbaphone or vibraphone, unusual Tibet musical instruments and
Brazilian percussions.
For further information email yuri@yurimedianik.com
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The Accordion
Award Concert, Shanghai - China
Contributed by
Lian Jones of Accordion
House
2004 Golden Cup Shanghai Accordion Grades Competition Award
Concert was held before the recent Chinese Lunar Festival. Over 800 accordion
students and teachers attended the event. The competition attracted nearly 500
competitors. It had 1st and 2nd rounds for 10 different solo and ensemble classes.
The adjudicators for the final rounds were: Mr Zhang Ziqiang, the President of
Chinese Accordion Association, Li Weiming, Wang Xiaoping, Yang Guoli, Chen Jun,
the Vice Presidents of the association; and Chen Yiming, Guo Yuguang and Chen
Jianyi.
Yu Zheng, the Vice President of Shanghai Musicians Association
and Guo Qianghui, the Vice Secretary of SMA awarded the prizes. Zhu
Yiqing, the winner of Grade 10; 1st and second competitors of Ensemble Class;
and guest artists from Music Department of Shanghai Normal University showed their
talents to the audience. Complete
prize list (chinese).
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Doktorski Plays Piazzolla,
Pennsylvania - USA
Contributed
by Kevin Friedrich
 On
February 12th, accordionist Henry Doktorski performed as soloist with the Butler
County (Pennsylvania) Symphony Orchestra in a performance of 'Tres Tangos' by
the Argentinean-born composer and bandoneonist, Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992). Elisabeth
Heath-Charles conducted the concert.
'Tres
Tangos' was written in 1962 and premiered under the direction of Paul Klecky in
1963. The piece won the Hirsch Prize in the same year. It is scored for bandonoen,
harp, piano, percussion, and strings. The three movements are titled 'Allegro
tranquillo', 'Moderato mistico', and 'Allegro molto marcato'.
After
the 'Tres Tangos' performance, Doktorski returned to the stage and performed as
an encore his own 'Theme and Variation' on Richard Rodgers' 'Edelweiss,' following
which he accompanied soprano soloist and Butler native, Evie Barnes, in a medley
of four love songs to commemorate Valentine's Day: Irving Gordon's 'Unforgettable',
Burt Bacharach's 'I Long to be Close to You', and 'I'll Never Fall in Love Again',
and Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You'.
The
Butler County Symphony manager, Virginia Netchi, wrote, "The Piazzolla was
mesmerizing and Henry's playing introduced many people to the sublime possibilities
of the accordion. We hope other orchestras will invite him to play it with them
also."
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Demonstration Concert,
Scotland - UK
 Squeezebox
Scotland Ltd (Scotland's newest accordion retail business) is holding a Display
and Demonstration Day on March 10th, from 2.00pm until 11.00pm, for anyone wanting
to view and try accordions by Scandalli,
Paolo Soprani and SEM.
The venue is the Normandy Hotel, Inchinnan Road, Renfrew. Commencing at 8pm, there
will be a fee demonstration concert by Mirco Patarini and Renzo
Ruggieri, from Italy, and Scotland's Nicol McLaren.
For further information
email glaurie247@btinternet.com
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Paris-Moscow
Duo, Bulle - Switzerland
Contributed
by Holda Paoletti-Kampl
 The
Paris-Moscow Duo,
Domi Emorine and Roman Ibanov, were in Bulle in Switzerland, from the 7th to the
11th of February, for a master class event, which was organized by accordionist
Madame Chantal Genillour. The master class had 14 participants and was a great
success for all concerned. The facilities were excellent, and the eight hours
of study, although intensive, also proved to be very satisfying.
The
Paris-Moscow Duo's next master classes
are:
April 25th to 29th and 4th to 8th July, Saint Cast le Guildo in Brittany
August
2nd to 7th in Bourboule en Auvergne (center of France)
These master clases
are open for all levels.
For further information email demo0003@lsurf.fr
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 New
CD 'Chamber Music Today' - Spain
Accordionist
Iñarki Alberdi has recently released a critically acclaimed CD of works
by the composers G. Erkoreka, Z.F. Gerenbarrena, R. Lazkano, D. Del Puerto, J.M.
Sanchez-Verdu and J. Torres. Accompanying Alberdi are David Apellániz -
cello, Miguel Ituarte - piano, Pilar Jurado - soprano, and Josetxo Silguero -
saxophone.
For
further information email akoncert@ya.com
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Washington Metropolitan
Accordion Society's 2nd Anniversary Celebrations - USA
The
Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society celebrated its second anniversary on
February 8th 2005 with a big Polka Night. The festivities drew an audience of
70 people, including the twenty accordionists who played solos and duets to the
delight of the many participants who attended just to dance.
At each monthly
meeting, a member of the WMAS offers a one-hour workshop or presentation on various
aspects of the instruments (accordion, bayan, concertina, button-box) or music
(ethnic, regional, or by a composer) played on the accordions. Upcoming presentations
will be 'Bellows Techniques' (Jim Vandelly), and Playing By Ear' (Peter DiGiovanni).
The second annual Spring Concert will be held in May.
For
further information about the WMAS, email Jim Vandelly bayanjim@netscape.net
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 CD
Review
A
new CD
Review of David
Carovillano (accordion) and Becky Sajo (clarinets). Review by Paolo
Picchio. | | | |
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Edition
Harmonia web site update including a page about the owner Prof.
Walter Maurer of
Austria.
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Argentine
Bandoneonist in Brass Festival - Germany
On
February 16th, Fiddle player Aly Bain and accordionist Phil Cunningham were named
'Best Duo' at the 2005 BBC Radio Two Folk Awards. The live radio broadcast, hosted
by comedian Mike Harding (also an accordionist), was later also shown twice on
the cable television channel, BBC 4.
Accordionist
Milos Milivojavic (pictured) is in concert with Naomi Williams - cello and Alasdair
Beatson - piano, at the Wigmore Hall, London on February 28th. The concert begins
at 7.30pm. Their program of classical music includes works by JS Bach, Felix Mendelssohn,
Magnus Lindberg, Igor Stravinsky, Anthony Gilbert and Astor Piazzolla. For booking
email 