Hi everyone,

Accordions Worldwide is becoming more and more popular among accordionists and accordion fans throughout the world. We receive many emails with comments, suggestions and wishes from our readers. For that reason we now have a special page of "Readers Comments". If you would like to comment or have a question about anything to do with Accordions Worldwide, please send me an email.

Please remember that the closing date for the Accordions Worldwide Survey is on March 19th. Don't be late to complete the Survey Form and be in to win a CD!

Wayne Knights Webmaster

Contributed by Li Cong

CCTV (China Central Television) Channel 1 will feature accordionist Zhang Guo Ping on March 21st on the program Art and Literary Circles View. The program will be repeated several times in March.

Zhang Guo Ping will perform Sonata in F Major (Scarlatti), Rassypuha (Gridin), "Tian Nu San Hua" (Chinese Music) and others.

Zhang Guo Ping has released popular CD's, cassettes and a video.

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Thieves recently burgled the Cavagnolo Factory stealing a number of accordions including several from the Cavagnolo collection. These very characteristic models, made from 1900 to 1939, and square shaped accordions made from sculpted wood, or with mother-of-pearl or pearl decorations.

If you have any information regarding these accordions please email: cavagnolo@wanadoo.fr

Accordionist Dragan Vasiljevic from the Kragujevac Music School took part in the annual Serbia Republic competitions from March 10th to 20th in Beograd. Dragan entered the Chamber Music trio category with Vladimir Blagojevic and Katja Milosevic performing Rondo Capricciosso (V. Zolotariov) and King's Nightingale (V. Trojan), receiving maximum marks - 100!

The trio will compete in the competition finals, which will be held in Subotica from May 1st to 15th.

Contributed by Reuters News Service

Santa Claus was seen skiing and playing the accordion on the slopes of a Yongpyong, South Korean resort recently! The resort was hosting the Asian Winter Games and Kim Yong-nam (alias Santa) helped to relax competitors with his music.

The Saint Nicholas impersonator claims to be Korea's first Santa Claus and said he plays over 20 musical instruments. He was also a former a professor at Sangmyung University Education College, South Korea.

Since he began his musical activities on the slopes 10 years ago, Kim has suffered broken ribs, implanted steel rods in his right ankle and had all of his upper teeth replaced because of ski accidents!

It seems that playing the accordion is definitely safer! (Editor)

Finnish accordionist Mika Väyrynen has completed recording his new CD which will be released later this year and distributed worldwide. The CD includes music by Astor Piazzolla such as "Aconcagua Concerto " (for accordion and orchestra conducted by Atso Almila).

On March 16th Mika performed with the "Tango for Four" quartet at the Kuusankoski-concerthouse in Finland. Their program included Finnish tangos and a variety of works by Piazzolla including "Libertango" and "Oblivion".

Following this Mika will make a recording of music by Gubaidulina and Stravinsky for the national broadcasting company.

Contributed by Martin Mansdotter

The "Accordion Sound Orchestra" is formed by members of the Akkordeon-Spielring Walsrode Accordion Association. The orchestra performs concerts in their local region as well as at events all over Germany and Europe.

At the end of December their orchestra leader and conductor, Enno Meyenburg sadly passed away. They now have a new conductor, Dietmar Steinhaus, who has been a club member for over 20 years.

The "Accordion Sound Orchestra" will perform an open air concert on May 16th outside the town hall in Fallinbostel. Their program will include many of their own arrangements such as Granada, Mary Poppins and Sousa Marches.

At the end of February selection auditions were held for the "Spring Voices" Competition, which will be held from March 24th to 28th in the concert hall of the Shnitke Moscow Musical College, Moscow. Over 500 young musicians took part with 72 selected.

The Competition will be held in two categories:
A - 9 to 12 years
B - 13 to 15 years.

Head of the jury will be Viacheslav Semionov.

Contributed by Hillebrand van der Veen

On May 16th an Accordion Orchestra festival day will be held in the centre of Amsterdam assisted by the Flemish Cultural Center ("De Brakke Grond"). Amsterdam orchestras including "Forzando", "Insulinde", "Musica", "Novam Amsterdam", "Alphen Opus 2" and Belgian orchestras "Dessaline" and "Der Verenigde Vrienden" will perform at the open podium in the square in front of "De Brakke Grond" (Nes 45, Amsterdam) beginning at 10am. Admission is free.

The aim of the festival day is to encourage new members to join and have fun playing the accordion.

For further information email: H.J.Veen@net.HCC.nl

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

Renzo Ruggieri recently founded "Solo Accordion Project", a new venture that aims to explore improvisation techniques for acoustic and MIDI solo accordion. The project has already produced a series of concerts at the "Archimimus" Theatre, Viterbo, in Baragiano during the "Fisarmoniae 98" seminar, and in Roseto degli Abruzzi for the "Music & Culture" Association. At this last concert Ruggieri presented his first CD, entitled "Improvvisazioni Guidate". This album, which consists entirely of solo accordion improvisations will be released in the near future. .

The "Solo Accordion Project" is available for concerts. For further information email: renrug@tin.it

Contributed by Frédéric Deschamps

Daniel Jurquet (A.P.H. Professor), organised a masterclass with Frédéric Deschamps in Strasbourg on February 27th and 28th. The programme included the practical application of pedagogical pointers and advice on the interpretation of new music (by Thomain, Kussiakov and other composers).

The masterclass was followed by a very popular concert by Jérôme Richard, who is currently preparing for the International Klingenthal Competition in May.

Contributed by Vladimir Ushakov

On March 7th the "Tango, Foxtrot, Vales" concert was held in the Concert Hall of St. Petersburg, Russia. The concert was organised by Victor Dukaltetenko (teacher at the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music).

Over 600 people enjoyed the popular retro music performance. The program included works by Frosini, Fossen, Frank, Pizzigoni, Dorsi and Russian National music.

Performers included accordionists Vladimir Kuznetsov and Ivan Tihonov. The St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble performed music by Galliano, Piazzolla and Lihachev. Vladimir Ushakov's new composition "Backbird" (polka) received a standing ovation. This composition won 1st prize at a recent "Best Composition" competition. The concert finale was an encore performance of "Sakkijarven Polka".

Contributed by Frédéric Deschamps

At the Frankfurt Music Fair (from March 3rd to 7th) Hohner stand musicians performed in a dark night-club atmosphere. Frédéric Baldo and Jérôme Richard gave a series of demonstrations on a new "Fun Flash" instrument. The pair enjoyed giving solo performances and an improvised duo of French musette classics to the excited crowd.

Their next performance will be at the Music'mania stand from April 9th to 13th with the complete Hohner team including Marielle Roy, Vincent Peirani, Arnaud Guimard, Alexandre Leauthaud, Mickael Richard, Vincent Carenzi, Benoît Chabod, Xavier Rollet and Frédéric Deschamps.

Accordionist and yodeler Kerry Christensen is performing on the cruise ship "Vistafjord" for the next two weeks. The ship left from San Diego (USA) and will travel to Alcapulco, Costa Rica and on to Aruba, finishing in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Kerry will perform a regular one-hour show for the 800 passengers.

Kerry's Silver Dollar City (USA) performances in April have been cancelled.

The "Celebrity Interview" with Professor Walter Maurer, Secretary General of the Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes (CIA), President of the Austrian Accordion Association (HVO), President of the International Accordion Orchestra Society (IAOV), teacher, conductor and member of the Vienesse Accordion Chamber Ensemble is now online.

Contributed by Uli Ebner

The Nufringen Accordion Club orchestra (conducted by Günther Stoll) is inviting guests to an entertaining evening with a varied program in Nufringen on March 20th.

The program contains many well-known melodies including "Beauty and the Beast", "Rhapsody in Blue" and "New York, New York". The audience will also be given the opportunity to win prizes.

For further information phone: +49 7032 82341

Contributed by Li Cong

The "Music Teaching Material of Intermediate Normal School Music Compilation" meeting was held on March 14th in Shanghai organized by the Chinese Government Education Committee. Meeting decisions will lead to changes in the Chinese accordion education system.

The accordion will now be included as a compulsory course in National Intermediate Normal schools, requiring students to learn the accordion for at least 2 years during their schooling period. This will lead to over 200,000 students learning the accordion every year.

This will increase the popularity of the accordion in China. Xiong Chen Min (Chairman of Hu Bei Province Accordion Association) and Wang Jia Xiang (President of Zhe Jiang Province Accordion Association) believe this is an important break-through for the accordion in China.

Wouldn't accordion manufacturers love that in every country!! - Editor

Contributed by Amarillie Ackermann

On March 12th accordionist Sergio Zampolli performed at the Sandton Art Gallery in Johannesburg to an enthusiastic audience. His program covered a broad spectrum of the accordion repertoire, from MIDI to acoustic pieces.

Contributed by Christine Adams

On February 27th accordionist Tracey Collins was guest performer at a wedding in Auckland. Tracey played Yugoslav, French and Italian pieces including "Volare" and "Autumn Leaves" for the newlyweds and 80 guests. Tracey was very surprised, that the wedding venue, (a private residence next to a busy walking street) had lots of uninvited onlookers poking their heads over the fence to listen and even applauding her performance.

Contributed by Viacheslav Semionov

Competitors aged from 14 to 18 years took part in the National Accordion Competition in Sochi, Southern Russia from February 25th to March 1st. The jury consisted of famous accordion teachers and performers such as Youry Dranga, Oleg Sharov and Viacheslav Semionov (Chairman).

The winner of the "Cup of Kuban" was Anton Yaroshenko, who is currently a student of Krasnodar Musical College. Alfia Sharipova (2nd year student of the Volgograd Academy of Arts) won the Youth category.

Contributed by Laurie Rosewarne

On February 13th Pierre-Paul Provencher (bandoneon) and Patrick Roux (guitar) performed Piazzolla music with the "Orchestre de la Societe de guitare de Montreal" conducted by Jacques Joubert. Over 120 people enjoyed the concert which took place at the Tabaret Hall, University of Ottawa, Canada.

http://www.accordions.com/mickedwards Information on accordionist Mick Edwards from England