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Hohner and Bob Dylan Historic Collaboration - Germany
First Coupe Mondiale Digital Accordion Category – New Zealand
Translators of Accordion Worldwide Weekly News - Europe
VIII International Accordion Competition in Belgorod – Russia
Latest edition of Strumenti & Musica – Italy
New Book: 90 years of Maugein Accordions, Tulle – France
| Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
Premiere of ‘Rejoice!’, Segovia - Spain
Grayson Masefield Featured on French TV - France
Henry Doktorski as Artist-In-Residence, Iowa – USA
'Paris Moscou Duo’ School Concerts – Switzerland
New Accordion Club Opens, Pocklington – UK
‘A Christmas Carol’ with Accordion!!, Randers- Denmark
Alex Meixner Concert, Ohio – USA
Zero Sette Akordeoi Orkestra Concerts – France, Spain
Donal Ring’s Golden Anniversary Concerts, Cork – Irish Republic
“HEIMAT”, Leos Janacek, Stefan Heucke
New Music - ‘Temptation', 'Anton Young'
New Music - 'Cool March', 'Fantasia Gitana'
Coupe Mondiale Website Updated
 What happens when you join a 151-year-old musical instrument manufacturer with one of the world’s most legendary musicians who happens to be the single most influential harmonica player in the annals of popular music? You have history in the making, of course!
The Hohner company and Bob Dylan are proud to announce ‘The Bob Dylan Collection’ of hand-signed harmonicas, celebrating the accomplishments and legacy of both Dylan and Hohner. Bob Dylan has used the accordion and harmonica in many album sound tracks.
Hohner has manufactured and distributed musical instruments since 1857, making it one of the world’s oldest musical instrument makers, most famous for its reed instruments.
Bob Dylan – venerated American singer-songwriter, author, poet and disc jockey – has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. During his career, Bob Dylan has won awards for his song writing, performing, and recording, earning him eleven Grammys (including a Lifetime Achievement Award), Kennedy Center Honors, and an Academy Award.
He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2008, Bob Dylan was awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power."
Appropriately named the Bob Dylan Signature Series Harmonica, this new product is available individually in the key of C, as well as in a set of seven natural keys of A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonica features custom cover-plates bearing Bob Dylan’s signature, a carrying case embossed with Bob Dylan’s “Eye” logo, and an outer gift box featuring an exclusive picture of Bob Dylan in the inside cover. |
First Coupe Mondiale Digital Accordion Category – New Zealand by Harley Jones
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 The newly published rules for the 2009 Coupe Mondiale have added a new Coupe Mondiale Digital Accordion category with rules that are a radical departure from the past.
The candidates are asked to perform an “Own Choice Show/Entertainment Program.” In a very unusual move, this competition allows candidates to use all the technology that they might use if they were a commercial accordionists working professionally - “External sound modules, MIDI modules, backing tracks including SMF, audio files, CD or MP3 player etc. may be used.”
Each candidate is only limited by the requirement to have his/her equipment work with the sound system that will be provided at the venue. “The organiser will provide a mixer sound system with a mixer plug-in for 1 or 2 channels and a single power plug (local plug) of 230 volts. The candidate must provide all other equipment.”
These ground breaking new rules also include: “All types and make of digital accordion may be used and bellows must be the primary volume control of the digital sounds. Digital accordions with acoustic sounds are permitted with the reeds amplified provided the candidate uses the accordion and bellows to make substantial use of digital sounds.”
Also revolutionary is how the marks may be awarded. “The adjudicators marks will be based on: show/entertainment; musicality; digital technology use. Audience and/or candidates from other Coupe Mondiale categories may be adjudicators.” with the aim of ensuring that the competitors are really performing an “Own Choice Show/Entertainment Program.”
This new category is sure to create huge interest amongst accordionists and in those countries where for 2009, they will use these rules for national qualifications. |
Translators of Accordion Worldwide Weekly News - Europe by Harley Jones
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 These translators listed below help Accordions Worldwide to publish the Accordions Worldwide Weekly News Highlights free to you in 7 languages.
Yulia Amerikova - Russian News
João Gentil - French News
Holda Paoletti-Kampl – German News
Jesús Peñaranda Portilla - Spanish News
Antonio Spaccarotella – Italian News
Guo Xingming - China News
This is a very popular service, read by some 50,000 people each week. We would like to publicly thank all our translators for their valuable highly appreciated collaboration in enabling the news to be available free to you each week. Accordions Worldwide thanks them all for their excellent collaboration. |
 From 10th to 14th November in Belgorod was the VIII International Competition 'Cup Belogorya'. In 2008, this competition has become the most representative in its history with more than 130 young artists from 36 cities in 3 countries.
The competition had a very prestigious jury which included:
Friedrich Lips, Vladimir Besfamilnov, Oleg Sharov, Michael Shvetsov, Miron Bull.
Part of the festival was the Ensemble "teremok i sohter" (St. Petersburg) and accordionists Pavel Mangasaryan (Saratov), Sergei Osokin (Moscow), Alexander Poeluev (Rostov-on-Don) performed solo concerts during the event.
The 2008 Belgorod International competition results are attached. |
 Oswaldinho Do Acordeon (Brazil), Kevin Friedrich, and the CMA are all featured in the latest edition of ‘Strumenti & Musica’. In the latest issue of you can find interviews, stories and information of the greatest Italian and foreign musicians.
And not only this. For all accordion lovers our column ‘Trucchi & Astuzie’ by Frederic Deschamps, the Jazz Accordion by Renzo Ruggieri, all necessary details, the right microphones and appropriate techniques in order to amplify the trumpet and trombone in our column ‘The way to amplify’.
And also…. news, events and concerts organized around the world.
To subscribe visit the site www.strumentiemusica.com - you can do so…wherever you are!
For further information email: dimpeto@gmail.com |
New Book: 90 years of Maugein Accordions, Tulle – France by Harley Jones
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 A new book, ‘90 ans d'éruption de boutons’, has just been published that traces the history of Maugein accordions since the company was founded in 1918.
The authors are Florence Coudert - text, and Pascal Rabot – photographs, in collaboration with Laurence Lamy (Director of the annual Nuits de Nacre accordion festival) and René Lachaise (Director of the company Maugein Accordions de France).
The book is on sale at the Maugein premises, Tulle, or by mail to the publishing company Mines de Rien.
For further information email: contact@editionsminesderien.com |
| Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
Angel Luis Castaño, Spanish concert accordionist, took part last week in the premiere of ‘Rejoice!’. ‘Rejoice!’
Angel Luis Castaño – (accordion), Carmen Gurriarán (soprano), and David del Puerto – (guitar) presented the new music show ‘About the night’, by Spanish national award composer David del Puerto, at the Esteban Vicente Museum in Segovia. This concert-show was included in the XV Contemporary Music Days of Segovia.
This show included live music, electronics, poems and improvisations, and has been interpreted with voice, Roland V-Accordion, and amplified guitar. The journal critics said: "This new show presents an evolution of the contemporary music, and far from avant-garde languages, takes more influences from jazz and world music." |
Grayson Masefield Featured on French TV - France by Harley Jones
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 On Tuesday 18th November, the TV show with Pascal Savard as the Presenter on LMTV Sarthe, featured as the guest artist, Grayson Masefield of New Zealand. View some of the performance at Grayson LMTV site.
Grayson was the winner of the 2009 Trophée Mondiale Variete entertainment accordion category and second in the classical accordion category, organized by the CMA, and held in Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1 to 5 October 2008.
From New Zealand, Grayson Masefield has spent much of the last 3 years in France for tuition with famous accordion teacher Frédéric Deschamps.
This is his first television performance on a French LMTV Sarthe and the first time in the history of the accordion, that a New Zealander has won this title. |
Henry Doktorski as Artist-In-Residence, Iowa – USA by Rob Howard
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 From November 9th to 14th, accordionist Henry Doktorski served as Artist-In-Residence for the Ames Iowa High School Orchestra, and also performed as guest soloist with the orchestra in a concert on the last evening, under the direction of MD Mary Kay Polashek.
Henry Doktorski writes: “There was no question in my mind about the high artistic standards of Mary Kay Polashek and her orchestra when she told me that the world-famous harpsichordist Igor Kipnis had been one of their guest artists.
I had a terrific time working with Mary Kay Polashek and Emil. They kept me busy all day long! In the morning I was taken to various schools to give accordion presentations and lecture/recitals. Around noon was our rehearsal with the orchestra at the High School (what a terrific orchestra—87 string players!).
When Mary Kay Polashek began as Director of the orchestras 22 years ago, she had only seven students. Now she has more than 90 students!
I was particularly impressed with the first chair players who were as good as many professionals! It was quite a moving experience for me; to create such terrific music with such a talented Director and excellent young players. |
'Paris Moscou Duo’ School Concerts – Switzerland by Chantal Genilloud
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 Domi Emorine and Roman Jbanov, known as world the ‘Paris Moscou' Duo gave a series of school concerts in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, from September 22nd to 25th 2008. The musicians went to 5 different schools to make known the accordion to more than 2,000 teenagers.
Roman Jbanov began by presenting the instrument, its origins, and demonstrating the different sounds of the stops and possibilities of the accordion. Afterwards, the duo took the plunge facing an audience much more inclined towards modern music.
Surprisingly, the young students, very attentive and responsive in their vast majority, warmly appreciated this wide repertory, from Paris to Moscow, from French musette to traditional Russian classics, as well as Roman’s humour in his presentation of the pieces.
Students were even involved in the show by singing the famous ‘Cuckoo Waltz’, arranged by Maurice Larcange, admirably played solo by Domi Emorine. Thunderous applause and many encores at the end of the concert proved that the duo ‘Paris Moscou' managed to revive the accordion in the eyes of young people and perhaps even attracted interest for this wonderful instrument.
Many thanks to Roman and Domi for allowing all these young people to hear such beautiful music. |
New Accordion Club Opens, Pocklington – UK by Rob Howard
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 The East Riding Accordion Club is having ‘A Musical Evening’, on Saturday, November 29th, 7.30pm, jazz starring accordionist Harry Hussey and folk accordionist Sam Pirt. The organiser is Harry Kipling.
The venue for this newly formed club is The Wolds Gliding Club, Pocklington Air Field, located on the A1079, near York.
For further information email: henrykipling@fsmail.net |
‘A Christmas Carol’ with Accordion!!, Randers- Denmark by Rob Howard
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 The Randers Theater invites everybody to a Christmas story, with one of the greatest world literature classics: ‘A Christmas Carol’, by Charles Dickens.
”Emir Bosnjak’s beautiful and poetic music form a magic setting for this bubbling family event”. Emir is composer and an actor on the stage, where he uses very old accordion (about 100 years old), which have been repaired and tuned specially for this event by Jacob Eden, who owns an accordion museum.
Shows begin on Thursday, November 27th, and continue twice a day until December 22nd.
For further information email: emir@emirbosnjak.dk |
 On November 30th, 8pm, accordionist Alex Meixner performs at Sneakee Pete's, 35700 Lakeland Blvd, Eastlake, Ohio.
Alex Meixner is an accordionist and trumpet player who started playing the Polka circuit with his dad at the age of 6. Alex leads his band through an eclectic musical journey that includes Gypsy folk music, jazz, polkas, hoedowns, latin rhythms and more.
Alex recently was nominated for a Grammy for his work with Bubba Hernandez on their album ‘Polka Freak Out’ and is touring throughout the US this year as he prepares his next recording. |
Zero Sette Akordeoi Orkestra Concerts – France, Spain by Rob Howard
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 On December 13th, 8pm, the Zero Sette Accordion Orchestra has been invited by The Venatoria Society, León, to perform in concert. Entrance is free.
The Zero Sette Accordion Orchestra performs on December 27th, 8pm, at the Coliseo Theatre, Eibar, Gipuzkoa, northern Spain. Entrance is free. The concert celebrates the 50th anniversary of the school ‘La Salle’. |
Donal Ring’s Golden Anniversary Concerts, Cork – Irish Republic by Rob Howard
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 On November 30th Donal Ring and his band perform two special concerts (afternoon, 3pm, and evening), at The Everyman Palace Theatre, McCurtain St, Cork.
2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the Donal Ring Ceilidh Band, one of Ireland’s most accomplished dance bands. Donal Ring, who plays the Shand Morino diatonic button accordion, turned professional in 1958.
Like many other accordionists of his generation, Donal was very much influenced by Jimmy Shand, whose frequent broadcasts on the BBC and Radio Luxembourg were heard in Ireland. Donal Ring specialises in strict tempo Irish dance music, with a tight band sound, and has also enjoyed a long recording career.
The present line up is very much a family affair that includes sons Dermot Ring – 5 row Continental button accordion and vocals, Donal Ring junior – 5 row accordion, daughters Mary (Ring) Devereux – piano and bass, Breda (Ring) Cashman – drums and vocals, and Pat Riordan – vocals.
For further information email: brydie@donalring.ie |
 This CD is the confirmation (if any were needed) of the validity or rather, the great potential of the combination of accordion and piano.
This confirmation is provided here by the very capable duo of the accordionist Marko Kassl and the pianist Tobias Bredohl.
CD Reviews Index. |
| Vassily Glubochenko - accordionist as well as a composer, arranger, and scientist, release 3 new works for accordion available for purchase online, ‘Temptation', 'Anton Young' and 'Grandfather's Krutch'. Samples of these music are available on the site. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card. |
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