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Highlights |
Syros Accordion Festival, 20-25 August 2018 - GreeceDaily Reports/Video: 2018 South Pacific Accordion Championships - New ZealandCNIMA J.Mornet Klingenthal Successes - France/GermanyAAA Grayson Masefield Kennedy Center Concert - USA
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
Passing of Gene Van (1936 - 2018), Indiana - USAMichael Bridge’s New CD ‘Overture’, Toronto - CanadaFraser McGlynn (1940-2018), Scotland – UKAuckland Accordion Symphonietta Concert, 26 May, Takapuna - New Zealand
Future events |
Trophee National de l’Accordeon Regional Competition, Auvergne - FrancePasquale Lancuba and Franco Casabianca Concert, Sarzana – ItalyAkkordeon Café’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, Dortmund – GermanyBudapest Café Orchestra tour of Scotland – UKBrandon McPhee Concert, Scotland – UKMerima Kljuco and Miroslav Tadic Concert, Aachen – GermanyJimmy Blair Accordion Orchestra Ceilidh, Scotland – UKGypsy Jazz Workshop @ Brooklyn Accordion Club, New York – USA18° Festival dell'Organetto, Campagnia - Italy
New and Updated Sites |
Music pdf Now Available, "Valentango" by Renzo Ruggieri - ItalyNew Site: Grayson Masefield Releases New Website - New Zealand/SwitzerlandHelp Desk, Information needed, Readers CommentsSubmit Your Question, CommentSUBMIT NOW |
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Highlights |
by Harley Jones
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| Taking place from Monday 20 August to Saturday 25 August, the Syros Accordion Festival is held for the 7th consecutive year. As amateur accordionists and members of the non-profit organization Ourios Anemos, we organized the 1st Accordion Festival in Greece back in 2012. This year, we are planning a quite promising marriage of two music genres that are distinct but share a common rhythm, “Zonaradiko” from Thrace (Northern Greece) and “Tarantella” from Southern Italy. Through this union, we will cross the Balkans to reach the Mediterranean coasts with our music. the festival features: The event features: - Daily seminars - Exhibition of accordion music, musical instruments, books, photographs, etc. - Accordions maintenance-repair workshop - 6 music evenings in different locations of the island. Download full details: 2018Syros.pdf |
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by Heather Masefield
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 Daily Reports of the 2018 South Pacific and New Zealand Accordion Championships & Festival, Saturday 2nd June and Sunday 3rd June, including results, photos and video will be online at: 2018SouthPac |
by Nathalie Boucheix, Director CNIMA J.Mornet
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 Video above: Anaïs Bessières, 19 years, a CNIMA student, plays a "Edith Piaf" medley during her second round.For Category VI, Senior Variety, 2018 Klingenthal, the French music school CNIMA J.Mornet enjoyed tremendous success. First place was the excellent Radu Ratoi (Moldova) and following him were students of CNIMA J. Mornet in the next 5 places! Students Diego Gatte - 2nd; Anaïs Bessières - 4th; and trainees Eglé Bartkeviciute (Lithuania) - 3rd; Zahodong Yao (China) - 5th; and Huang He (China) - 6th; had all followed several months of preparation at CNIMA and in particular two weeks of intensive training just before the competition under the guidance of Prof. Jacques Mornet. In addition to its full-time training, the CNIMA offers a "Vacataire" formula which allows the accordionist trainee to choose from 3 to 20 weeks of full board, continuous or discontinuous to: - To optimize musicality and technique and learn through exchanges with other students; - To prepare international competitions; - To prepare auditions and entrance exams in music colleges and universities around the world; - To perfect oneself at the source in the "French style" and other styles. CNIMA Jacques Mornet has been receiving students from all over the world for 22 years and language is never a problem. Visit www.cnima.com and feel free to email me any question in the language of your choice. Email: cnima@wanadoo.fr |
by Rita Davidson Barnea
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 The Millennium Stage is a free performance series and part of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC 20566. It features a broad spectrum of national and international performing arts companies, from dance and jazz, to chamber music and folk, comedy, storytelling and theater, every day of the year. Performances always begin at 6 pm.On Monday July 9th, the American Accordionists' Association (AAA) 80th Anniversary Festival brings 5 times World Champion Grayson Masefield for a concert that demonstrates the capabilities of the accordion, with selections of music from the Baroque period to modern compositions. The performance will include transcriptions and original works for accordion, including songs by Bach, Scarlatti, Mozart, Chopin, Angelis, Hermosa, and Nuevo Tango. This concert seeks to promote the AAA 80th Anniversary Festival starting two days later and promote the accordion generally. The concert has a large international reach, with high quality video available online after the concert for the world to view. Admission is free, no tickets required. |
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
by Joseph Natoli
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Video: Time Is Once Again
 Video above: Gene Van's last substantial composition (Video 3 above) is entitled “Time Is Once Again” performed by Joseph Natoli as a tribute to his dear friend, Gene Van. This has not been a good year for accordionists, as we have lost so many important figures in the accordion world starting in late 2017, and we have unfortunately lost yet another accordion icon on 28 May 2018, Memorial Day. Gene Van peacefully transitioned to his final rest (hopefully filled with music), while his loving family was by his side for every minute of the previous three challenging weeks. For those of you who may not remember the name Gene Van because he came a little before your time, he was one of those special individuals who had multi-dimensional talents and excelled in every one of them. First and foremost, he was an incredible teacher who affected the lives of many many students, which is substantiated by the outpouring of love and sympathies on the “Gene Van Accordion” Facebook page as news started to spread of Gene’s 4:15am transition into the next life. Gene so positively affected the lives of so many students, and they all reiterate that what they learned from Gene in music lessons and orchestra rehearsals is what taught them to appreciate striving for excellence and doing whatever it takes to succeed whether in music, their jobs, or in life. Full obituary of Gene Van Obituary by Joseph Natoli |
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by Rob Howard
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 Canadian accordionist Michael Bridge’s debut solo CD ‘Overture’ includes an eclectic mixture, with music ranging from JS Bach to Henry Mancini to Leonard Cohen to contemporary tangos and Armenian folk songs. Bridge explains that “‘Overture’ is born from my passion for performing amazing music that shatters accordion stereotypes. Drawn from years of concerts, this unique cocktail reflects my passion for the multifaceted history and future of the accordion”. The tracks are listed on the CD covers. Michael Bridge is a very active concert accordionist, often playing a digital button accordion. Named one of CBC’s ‘30 Hot Classical Musicians Under 30’, he is internationally renowned for his dynamic stage presence and unique musical versatility. His repertoire – classical masterworks, baroque, jazz, world music, folk dances, contemporary classical, and digital accordion compositions – defeats all stereotypes concerning the limitations of his instrument. He made his solo orchestral debut with the Boston Pops Orchestra at 17, and has performed on four continents, now playing over 100 concerts per year. Michael began playing the accordion at the age of five, and eventually studied at the University of Toronto with Joseph Macerollo. He has won several competitions, toured internationally, led master classes across the USA and Canada, and performed and adjudicated at festivals. For further information: michael@michaelbridgemusic.com |
by Rob Howard
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 Leading Shand Morino accordionist Fraser McGlynn, from Tarbert, Argyll, passed away on May 29th at the age of 78. He started his musical life on his dad’s old 2-row melodeon, and was largely self-taught. At 15 his brother bought him a new 3-row button accordion with 48 bass and a local player, Donald MacKay, explained some of the intricacies e.g. that it was possible to use a combination of the three rows and thus form scales. On leaving school he became a painter and decorator, then later a postman, but both jobs restricted his playing so the solution, in 1972, was to go self-employed at his trade. He had formed his own band at eighteen with himself on lead accordion, Duncan MacLean - second accordion, Davie Scott on fiddle, Jim Flaherty on piano, Norman Smith bass, and Jackie MacLeod drums. Having failed a BBC radio audition in 1959, it was 1968 before they passed a second, with their first ‘Take the Floor’ broadcast going out that year. Along the way Fraser had become one of Scotland’s leading exponents of the 3-row British Chromatic accordion, winning the All Scotland Championship at Perth in 1962 and 1966. From the early 1980s, he worked mainly with a trio and guested at most of Scotland’s Accordion & Fiddle Clubs. Fraser McGlynn made several albums of Scottish music, and also occasionally served as a competition adjudicator. He was well liked and greatly respected by his peers. His funeral will be held on Thursday June 7th at 12noon at Tarbert Loch Fyne Parish Church. |
by Heather Masefield
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  Two pictures from the successful concert of the Auckland Accordion Symphonietta on the 26th May, 7 pm at the Pumphouse Theatre in Takapuna. Guest performers were the Albany Singers conducted by Erica Knights (picture left) who is also an accordion teacher and accordion orchestra conductor. The Auckland Accordion Symphonietta is conducted by well know vocalist and accordionist Lionel Reekie (picture right). |
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Future events |
by Rob Howard
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 Regional selections for this year’s Trophee National de l’Accordeon take place on Saturday June 2nd, 10am until 6pm, at Tauves, Puy-de-Dôme, La Bascule, Auvergne, south of France. The competition is open to all ages and styles of music. Admission is free for the public.The contest is organised by CNIMA-J. Mornet, Auvergne, the well-known accordion school founded and run by Professor Jacques Mornet and Nathalie Boucheix. The finals of the Trophee National de l’Accordeon will be held in Paris in October. For further information email: cnima@wanadoo.fr |
by Rob Howard
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| On June 2nd, 9pm, bandoneon player Pasquale Lancuba and guitarist Franco Casabianca perform a concert of tango music at the Teatro degli Impavidi, Piazza Garibaldi, Via Mazzini 77, Sarzana, Liguria region, northwestern Italy. Pasquale Lancuba is one of Italy’s leading bandoneonists. He has performed throughout Europe, and his musical range covers tango, classical music and jazz. Lancuba is the founder, composer and arranger of the Trio Tango Jazz, a project dedicated to Astor Piazzolla with jazz, Mediterranean influences and original compositions. He is also bandoneonist with the Koinè Tango Ensemble, a traditional tango project. For further information email: pasquale.lancuba@libero.it |
by Rob Howard
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| The Akkordeon Café Dortmund celebrates its 10th anniversary on June 4th 2018. On June 4th there will be concert with a great music programme in the café of the Fritz Hessler Haus, and invited are friends, allies and interested parties. The Akkordion Café is the meeting place of the accordion scene in Dortmund (and beyond) and opens the stage for accordion sounds on the first Monday of the month. For further information email: akkordeoncafedortmund@gmail.com |
by Rob Howard
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 The trio Budapest Café Orchestra, featuring accordionist Eddie Hession, begin their tour of Scotland next week. The band writes, “A week today the hotly debated return to our beloved Scotlandia gets started for an amazing 8th consecutive year and we’ll be screeching tunefully across our adopted spiritual homeland for another twenty-five midge-ridden concerts, beginning Tuesday June 5th at Dalwinston.This years’ grand tour involves a detour to the Outer Hebrides for the very first time and to mark this historic maiden voyage we’ll be playing pieces from our critically celebrated Scottish-inspired album The Gaelic Chronicles (2014). Friday June 8th sees a very special appearance by the band for all the kids at Winchburgh Primary School, West Lothian, and a well-deserved hour-off for the excellent teachers there. Catch you for a wee dram soon, one and all!” Tour dates: Tuesday June 5th - Dalwinston Village Hall Wedesday June 6th - Eastgate Arts Centre, Peebles Thursday June 7th - Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh Friday June 8th - Town Hall Blairgowrie Saturday June 9th - Deer Public Hall, Turriff Sunday June 10th - Pavillion, Strathpeffer Monday June 11th - Melvich Village Hall Tuesday June 12th - Carnegie Hall, Portmahomack Wednesday June 13th - Achmore & Stromferry Hall Thursday June 14th - Ullapool Ceilidh Place Friday June 15th - Lochinver Village Hall Saturday June 16th - Aros Centre, Portree, Isle of Skye Sunday June 17th - Private Party Monday June 18th - Uig-Lewis Community Centre Tuesday June 19th – Tarbert-Harris Community Centre Wednesday June 20th – School Theatre, Benbecula, Uist Thursday June 21st - Community Hall, Castlebay, Barra Friday June 22nd - Websters Theatre, Glasgow Saturday June 23rd – Summerhall, Edinburgh September dates: Monday September 17th - Swallow Theatre, Newton Stewart Tuesday September 18th – Edinburgh Wednesday September 19th - Braemar Village Hall Thursday September 20th - Johnshaven Village Hall Friday September 21st - Falkland Community Hall Saturday September 22nd - Linlithgow Academy Hall The Budapest Café Orchestra play traditional folk and gypsy flavoured music from across the Balkans and Russia, such as Klezmer, Romanian Doinas, Hungarian Czadas, and beautiful ballads. Evoking vivid images of Tzigane fiddle maestros, Budapest café life and gypsy campfires – plus a few surprises along the way – a show by the BCO is good enough to make you want to book that holiday down the Danube! For further information email: bco@budapestcafeorchestra.co.uk |
by Rob Howard
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 The Brandon McPhee Trio performs in concert on Thursday June 7th, 7.30pm, at the Ross Institute, Bridge St, Halkirk, Caithness KW12 6XY, Scotland. The popular and highly accomplished Shand Morino player Brandon McPhee, from Wick in the Scottish Highlands, has won numerous accordion competitions including the All Scotland Championship, the NAAFC ‘Box & Fiddle’ Championships, and the Open Accordion section at the Royal National Mod. He has recorded several CDs and DVDs, and is a much in-demand performer at concerts, dances, clubs and festivals. He also sings and plays the guitar. |
by Rob Howard
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 Accordionist Merima Kljuco and guitarist Miroslav Tadic perform in concert on Saturday June 9th, 8pm, at The Couvenhalle RWTH, Aachen University, Germany.Merima Kljuco (born 1973 in Livno in the former Yugoslavia) is a concert accordionist and composer. In 1993 she moved to the Netherlands as a refugee of the war in Bosnia, and became a Bosnian-Dutch citizen. In 2011 she became an American resident and is based in Los Angeles.Kljuco is a classically trained accordionist, specializing in contemporary music. Her repertoire draws from classical, avant-garde and experimental music, as well as her own compositions. Kljuco has been a guest soloist with a number of symphonic orchestras, including the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Holland Symphonia, and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. As a soloist she has participated in the St Magnus Festival, the City of London Festival, the Gaudeamus Festival, and the Gubaidulina Festival. As a composer, arranger and producer she recorded the critically acclaimed album ‘Zumra’, which featured the Bosnian traditional singer Amira Medunjanin. The Sunday Times in the UK voted ‘Zumra’ one of the ‘Top 100 albums of 2010’, as well as No. 4 in ‘Top 10 World Music Albums’. For further information email: chente190363@gmail.com |
by Rob Howard
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 The Jimmy Blair Accordion Orchestra (MD Gary Blair) performs music for a ceilidh on Friday June 8th, 7.30pm to 11.30pm, at the Masonic Hall, Queen St, Renfrew PA4 8TR, Scotland.The Jimmy Blair Accordion Orchestra has a history dating back to the early 1970s. During the 1970s, the orchestra was a dominant force in the All Britain Accordion Championships, winning competitions in all orchestra sections and many of the band members won group, duet and solo sections. The band also played many concerts, including visits France, Belgium and Canada. With the untimely death of Jimmy Blair in 1981, the band was taken over by his wife Lola, until she also died a few years later. In 2009 their son Gary Blair revived the JBAO, which has since won many first prizes at NAO local and UK Championships. |
by Rob Howard
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| Brooklyn Accordion Club presents Petar Maric in concert on Sunday June 17th, 2pm until 4pm, at The Great Room, South Oxford Space, Brooklyn, New York. All are welcome. The meeting opens with the club’s usual open mic spot. Admission: $5 per person. Petar Maric, from Serbia, studied the accordion the ‘Dr.Vojislav Vuckovic music school in Belgrade, then went to Paris, France, where studied with Frederic Deschamps and Franck Angelis. He has won several major international competitions, including the CIA Coupe Mondiale in Norway, Croatia and Italy, Klingenthal in Germany, CMA Trophee Mondiale in Portugal, Citta Di Castelfidardo in Italy, and the Primus Ikaalinen in Finland. He has performed concerts with distinction in Finland, Norway, Germany, South Korea, Italy, Malta, Austria, France, Greece, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Poland, China, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, and the USA. Apart from classical music originally written for accordion or transcriptions for compositions written for other instruments, Petar Maric also plays a large number of virtuoso-compositions from the variété genre consisting of music from different countries and different styles, enabling him to show audiences all the attraction and possibilities of both acoustic and digital accordions. For further information email: brooklynaccordionclub@gmail.com |
by Diatonic News
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| From 23 June to 16:00 to 24 June at midnight. Policastro Bussentino, Campania, Italy |
New and Updated Sites |
by Harley Jones
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 Video: Valentango performed by the composer Renzo Ruggieri.Renzo Ruggieri writes: "Valentango" is a composition taken from the show 'Valentino è Tango!' dedicated to the myth of Rudolph Valentino and the history of tango. This is the exact transcription (I thank my student Lorenzo Bosica for help) of the performance in the album (Catalog: rruggieri11 Valentino e Tango CD or mp3 album), with improvisations also at the level of the arrangement. The music is difficult to perform but, thanks to a very effective melody, lends itself to both concert situations and international competitions." Music pdf of Valentango is available online - Catalog rrenzo518 and is great value at only 10 Euro |
by Harley Jones
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 On World Accordion Day, Grayson Masefield released his 3rd CD titled Baroque Transcriptions and also released of his newly designed website at: www.graysonmasefield.comThe new site designed to be phone/screen size responsive and promote the 3 albums that Grayson Masefield now has available. Grayson01 'Concert Accordion Music' CD or download mp3 album Grayson02 'Symbols of Semionov' CD or download mp3 album Grayson03 'Baroque Transcriptions' CD or download mp3 album Baroque Transcriptions Track List Click on the links to play a sound sample 1. Chaconne in F minor, (P.43), Pachelbel, Johann 2. Sonata in D minor (K.9), Domenico Scarlatti 3. Choral Prelude "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland," (BWV 659), Johann Sebastian Bach 4. Sonata in D Major (K.29), Domenico Scarlatti 5. Sonata in B minor (K.87), Domenico Scarlatti 6. Sonata in B Major (K.262), Domenico Scarlatti 7. Sonata in B minor (K.27), Domenico Scarlatti 8. Passacaglia in C minor (BWV 582), Johann Sebastian Bach 9. Fugue in C minor (BWV 582), Johann Sebastian Bach |
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