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Highlights |
New Book: ‘Squeeze This!: A Cultural History of the Accordion in America’ – USAPatriotic Concert ‘Piano Accordion’s Carnival’, Samara – Russia‘The Big Squeeze’, Illinois – USA2012 CIA Winter Congress in Miesbach - Germany
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
MP3 eTracks Album Release by Grayson Masefield‘14 Years Ago’ – The Show Goes On For Owen Murray…eTracks MP3 Albums by Friedrich Lips and Renzo Ruggieri Now Online – International
Future events |
Dargaville Museum 'Wakefield to Masefield' Concert and Display – New ZealandJérémy Vannereau Concerts – France, PolandManchester Irish Festival, England – UKSalvatore Camilleri Concerts, Sicily – ItalyMilos Miliojevic ‘Classics with my Baby’ Concerts, London – UKMarco Lo Russo Concert, Piacenza – ItalyBjarke Mogensen Concert, Copenhagen – DenmarkDeclan Aungier @ Northern Box & Fiddle Club, Antrim – IrelandJacques Pellarin Trio Concert, Isère – FranceNihad Hrustanbegovic Concert, Amsterdam – Netherlands‘Accordion for Piano Players Workshop’, San Francisco - USA
New and Updated Sites |
New Zealand Accordion Association (NZAA) Updated SiteAccordion Examination Board of New Zealand (AEBNZ) Site UpdateeTracks Starts on MusicForAccordion.com Website - InternationalUpdated Website of Christine JohnstoneHelp Desk, Information needed, Readers CommentsSubmit Your Question, CommentSUBMIT NOW |
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Highlights |
BREAKING NEWS: Le monde d'accordéon pleure la mort de Frank Maroccoby Accordions Worldwide |
 Frank Marocco est décédé hier soir, 3rd Mars à Los Angeles à l'âge de 81 ans. ( 02.01.1931 - 03.03.2012 )Condolences may be sent to: Anne Marocco, 7063 Whitaker Avenue, Van Nuys, CAL 91406, USA. There will be a private cremation and no funeral service. A Memorial concert will be planned at a later date. |
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by Rob Howard
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 ‘Squeeze This!: A Cultural History of the Accordion in America’, by ethno musicologist and accordion enthusiast Marion Jacobson, traces the evolution of the accordion in the USA, and its cultural significance over the course of the 20th Century. From the introduction of elaborately decorated European models imported onto the American vaudeville stage and the instrument's celebration by ethnic musical communities and mainstream audiences alike, to the accordion-infused pop parodies by ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, Jacobson considers the accordion's contradictory status as both an ‘outsider’ instrument and as a major force in popular music in the 20Th Century.‘Squeeze This!’ is the first book-length study of the accordion as a uniquely American musical and cultural phenomenon. The book concentrates on six key moments of transition: the Americanization of the piano accordion, originally produced and marketed by sales-savvy Italian immigrants; the transformation of the accordion in the 1920s from an exotic, expensive vaudeville instrument to a mass-marketable product; the emergence of the accordion craze in the 1930s and 1940s, when a highly organized "accordion industrial complex" cultivated a white, middle-class market; the peak of its popularity in the 1950s, exemplified by Lawrence Welk and Dick Contino; the instrument's marginalization in the 1960s and a brief, ill-fated effort to promote the accordion to teen rock 'n' roll musicians; and the revival beginning in the 1980s of the accordion as a ‘world music’ instrument and a key component for cabaret and burlesque revivals and pop groups such as alternative experimenters ‘They Might Be Giants’ and polka rockers ‘Brave Combo’. Loaded with dozens of images of gorgeous instruments and enthusiastic performers and fans, ‘Squeeze This! A Cultural History of the Accordion in America’ represents the accordion in a wide range of popular and traditional musical styles, revealing the richness and diversity of accordion culture in America. The book is available via Amazon. |
by Harley Jones
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 On February 23rd, during the 10th International Festival ‘Vivat Bayan!’, the concert ‘Piano Accordion’s Carnival’ took place on the stage of the Samara Philharmonic Hall. Leading accordionists of Russia performed, including Alexander Poeluev (Rostov-on-Don, picture above right), Sergey Osokin (Moscow, picture above left), Alexei Shalygin (Rostov-on-Don, left top), and Samara Alexandr Tubolets (Samara, left lower) with his ensemble.The program of Alexandr Poeluev included transcriptions of classical pieces and original compositions written specifically for the accordion. Bluesy ballads and jazz compositions were performed by Sergey Osokin. There were Russian, Ukrainian and Neapolitan folk songs, and waltzes, foxtrots and tangos played by Alexandr Tubolets and his ensemble. Alexei Shalygin delighted the audience with dance arrangements of melodies and songs in an up-to-date style techno-pop. At the end of the program all musicians performed together for the audience. According to the tradition, the concert was presented by the Artistic Director and founder of the festival ‘Vivat, Bayan!’, the well-known accordionist Sergey Voytenko. This concert was a special gift for the ‘Day of Defender of the Fatherland’. The accordion and the harmonica were the faithful companions of fighters during the Great Patriotic War. It helped raise morale, grief about the fallen, and gave reasons to hope. The concert ‘Piano Accordion’s Carnival’ was repeated in Togliatti and Kinel on February 24th, and in Issakly on February 26th. For further information email: kubokmira@gmail.com |
by Rob Howard
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| ‘The Big Squeeze’ takes place on Friday April 6th at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. This event, which includes a demonstration/lecture followed by a concert involving top class international accordionists representing various genres. At 4.30pm the ‘Accordion Demonstration and Lecture’ features Julien Labro (jazz and South American), Alexander Sevastian (classical), Jimmy Keane (Irish traditional), and Dwayne Dopsie (Zydeco) guiding the audience through a variety of genres in this demonstration and lecture. The concert, which begins at 7.30pm, will feature Julien Labro (France) performing jazz with alto saxophonist Jon Irabagon and tango (on bandoneón) supported by the Spektral String Quartet; Jimmy Keane of Chicago performing Irish music with support from guitarist Dennis Cahill; and Alexander Sevastian (Belarus) performing classical music. Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers will close out the evening with a bang. For further information email: ckretzer@northwestern.edu |
by Kevin Friedrich
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 The Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA) held their 127th General Assembly of Delegates in Miesbach, Germany from 23-26 February, hosted by one of the CIA founding members, the Deutscher Harmonika-Verband e.V. (DHV). Picture left: Main conference organiser and German DHV delegate Georg Hettman. The Congress was held in conjunction with the DHV German National Accordion Music Prize, the qualifications in the Bavaria region, entitling successful candidates to proceed to the German National Championships. The event opened with a champagne Welcome Reception followed by a Concert hosted by the DHV at the Bauerntheater in the nearby town of Schliersee. The concert featured the Landesjugend-Akkordeonorchester Bayern conducted by Stefan Fusseder and Hedy Stark-Fussnegger. CIA Awards: Each year the CIA can award up to two CIA Merit Awards and four Honored Friend of the Accordion Awards. Only two applications were received this year and were awarded as follows: CIA Merit Award: Matti Rantanen (Finland) CIA Honored Friend of the Accordion Award: Ken Farran (United Kingdom) New Technology: This year, the CIA will trial the elimination of paper music scores for the Jury members. Also, for one category, the Masters Coupe Mondiale, candidates will be asked to submit a Acrobat pdf file of their music to be viewed by the Jury on IPADs or similar devices, provided by the CIA. This new format will eliminate the need for candidates to bring music with them, it will enable the judges to have clear access to the music in digital format for viewing, it will be environmentally friendly, plus be easier for the contestant to maintain control of their music. The full report is online at: http://www.accordions.com/cia/winter_12_review.htm Picture below: German DHV delegates, Fritz Dobler, Andreas Nebl (Music Committee member), Hedy Stark-Fussnegger. |
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Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
by Harley Jones
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 Five times World Accordion Champion, 2008, 2009, 2010, Grayson Masefield has released his first album titled Grayson Masefield. The works include both Concert music and Virtuoso Entertainment music as befits his major international competition wins. 2008 1st Place, Trophée Mondial Senior Varieté, 2009 1st Place, Coupe Mondiale 2009 1st Place, Coupe Mondiale Virtuoso Entertainment 2009 1st Place, Roland International V-Accordion Competition 2009 1st Place, Primus Ikaalinen International TV Competition - Finland 2010 1st Place, Trophée Mondial Senior Classique Cost is only € 8.00 for the album and the 14 tracks are: Concert Music 1. Ah vous dirai~je Maman - W.A. Mozart 2. Prophetic Dream - Viatcheslav Semionov 3. Sonata in F major - D. Scarlatti 4. Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor - J.S. Bach 5. Fragilissimo - Gorka Hermosa 6. Hommage a Paco - Franck Angelis Virtuoso Entertainment 7. Pondichery Tango - Jérôme Richard 8. Notes Vagabondes - Claude Thomain 9. L’enfant Demon - Claude Thomain 10. Bluesette - Toots Thielemans 11. Oblivion - Astor Piazolla 12. Tico Tico - Zequinha Abreu 13. La Tempete - André Astier 14. Tango Pour Claude - Richard Galliano The advantage of eTracks is that you can download the MP3 files to your computer or other sound device such as ipod, iphone etc. You can purchase the sound files individually or as an album for a special price. There are no postage costs or delivery charges. You are sent the download code within 24 hours. |
by Rob Howard
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| The Accordions Worldwide news for February 27th 1998 included a report that Owen Murray had performed at a concert in Glasgow despite having injured his left arm, demonstrating that “The show must go on”! Owen Murray is Professor of Accordion at the Royal Academy of Music, London. OWEN MURRAY PLAYS INJURED – SCOTLAND The Herald, UK recently featured an article on Owen Murray's accordion performance at Hutchesons' Hall, Glasgow. Owen Murray is recognised as the leading figure in establishing the accordion as a legitimate classical instrument in the UK, both through his virtuoso performances and in his unique teaching position at the Royal Academy of Music. A heavily bandaged left hand necessitated by an elbow injury led him to change his scheduled programme, omitting Bach and Mozart in favour of two brief sonatas by Scarlatti, and a suite of miniatures from Russia which had a distinct folk flavour. Murray's command of the accordion was consistently impressive. He gave the same recital at Jordanhill Campus the next day, followed by a public workshop and demonstration. |
by Harley Jones
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  The eTracks part of the MusicForAccordion.com website starts its 2nd week and has already grown to over 240 MP3 tracks available. Priced at only € 0.70 a track with most albums costing € 8.00 or less its great value.New Albums this week are: 4 albums by Friedrich Lips Et Exspecto De Profundis Six Children's Suites Dieu Parmi Nous 4 albums by Renzo Ruggieri Improvvisazioni Guidate Storie di Fisarmonica Vissuta Terre Renzo Ruggieri Collection 1 album by Grayson Masefield Each week from now on, new eTracks will be released by most of the artists who currently sell their CD's through the MusicForAccordion website. These will be announced each week as the eTracks are made available. The advantage of eTracks is that you can download the MP3 files to your computer or other sound device such as ipod, iphone etc. You can purchase the sound files individually or as an album for a special price. There are no postage costs or delivery charges. You are sent the download code within 24 hours. |
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Future events |
by Heather Masefield
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 Picture left: Kevin Friedrich smiles as he receives a standing ovation at the 2011 concert. Full report: Dargaville2011 Housed at the Dargaville Museum (New Zealand) is the historical accordion display titled 'Accordion Gems - A Master Collection of Accordions Through Time'. Kevin Friedrich is curating a further display at the Dargaville Museum to celebrate 40 years of the New Zealand Accordion Association (NZAA). For the 5th time, the concert ‘Music with Kevin Friedrich and Friends’ will be held at the Lighthouse Function Center. The NZAA is running a bus from Auckland to the opening of the display and to the concert. Kevin Friedrich, Lionel Reekie and Maurice Jones will be performing plus well known Dargaville performers. This is also the 50th Birthday year for Kevin who will be receiving a Presentation from the NZAA of his Lifetime Achievement Award. The name of the display, 'Wakefield to Masefield' came from an excerpt from The History of the Accordion in New Zealand by Wallace Liggett. A reference does exist in the journal of Edward Jerningham Wakefield, one of the earliest English colonists, and his entry from the 24th of September 1839 contains an amusing reference to his use of an accordion. "One named Te Kaera diverted us much by....bringing a long pointed spear within inches of our bodies: then retreating with a roar of laughter every time he saw us shrink from the thrust............I repaid him his surprise the first day that he came on board. I had got an accordion under a large cloak, and kept time to its notes with my mouth, so as to deceive him and twenty other natives into the idea that I was uttering the various sounds.” This is the first documented playing of an accordion in New Zealand and the Museum Display takes its name from the Wakefield performance to Grayson Masefield winning the Coupe Mondiale World Championship in New Zealand in 2009. |
by Rob Howard
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 French accordionist and bandoneonist Jérémy Vannereau performs in concert during March, appearing as part of the ensembles Tango Madame and Los Tangueros, and the Tango Duo Buenos Aires. The dates are:March 2nd - Tango Duo Buenos Aires, l’ecole de musique, Evian (74), France March 16th - Tango Madame, Coleo, Pontcharra (38) March 17th - Los Tangueros, Milonga, MJC de Ris-Orangis (91) March 20th - Tango Madame, accordion festival, l’Essonne (91) March 23rd, 8pm - Los Tangueros, eglise d’essert Blay (73) March 28th to 31st – Tango Duo Buenos Aires, concert in Lublin, Poland For further information email: infos@jeremy-vannereau.com |
by Rob Howard
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  The annual Manchester Irish Festival takes place from March 2nd to 18th, and includes a wide range of Irish-themed concerts, dances, open air market, cultural events, and street parade. Accordionists are always prominent amongst the many musicians, singers and Irish dancers that make up the entertainment. Accordion-based performers include: March 10th, 7.30pm - Shake the Barley and the Reel Deal Irish Dance Group perform at the M19 Bar, Levenshulme, Manchester March 10th, 9pm - Innishfree perform at The Union Inn, Levenshulme; free admission March 16th, 7.30pm - dance at Chorlton Irish Centre, Hardy Lane, Chorlton, with The Ivly Leaf Ceilidh Band March 17th, 2.30pm – singer/accordionist Brendan Shine performs at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel, Portland St, tickets include a 4 course dinner For further information email: info@manchesteririshfestival.co.uk |
by Rob Howard
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 Italian accordionist Salvatore Camilleri performs in Sicily this weekend, as follows:March 2nd - San Filippo, Marsala March 3rd - Digerbato, Marsala March 4th - Auser, Marsala |
by Rob Howard
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 Accordionist Milos Miliojevic will be doing a series of concerts in March across London for an organization called ‘Classics with my Baby’. He will be performing solo and with violinist Philippa Mo and pianist MiaoMiao Yu, and the music includes pieces by Sarasate, Albeniz,Piazzolla, Bach and Paganini. All concerts start at 10.30 am, and the dates are: March 2nd - St Barnabas Church, Calton Avenue, Dulwich SE21 7DG March 6th - Christ Church, Highbury, Islington N5 1SA March 7th - Christ Church, Christchurch St, off Flood St, Chelsea SW3 4AS March 8th - Hampstead Garden Suburb Free Church, Central Square NW11 7AG March 9th - St. Mary Magdalen, 193 Bermondsey St, Bermondsey SE1 3UW March 13th - Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead, Church Row, Hampstead NW3 6UU March 14th - St. John the Baptist Church, Spencer Hill, Wimbledon SW19 4NZ March 15th - Notting Hill Community Church, Kensington Park Rd, Notting Hill W11 2ES March 16th - St. Luke's Church, 194 Ramsden Rd, Clapham SW12 8RQ March 23rd - St Alfege Church, Greenwich Church St, Greenwich SE10 9BJ For further information email: milosmusic@hotmail.com |
by Rob Howard
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| Accordionist Marco Lo Russo performs a solo concert at the Auditorium del Conservatorio di Musica "G. Nicolini", Piacenza, in Northern Italy on March 5th, 4.30pm. For further information email: stampa@marcolorusso.com |
by Rob Howard
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 Accordionist Bjarke Mogensen performs with the Danish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jukka Iisakkila, on March 7th, 7.30pm, at the DKDM Concert Hall, Copenhagen. The concert programme includes concertos by Nørgård, Koppel and Schmidt. The concert marks the release of a CD by Bjarke Mogensen for Dacapo-records with accordion-concertos by Per Nørgård, Ole Schmidt a.o. with the National Danish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Rolf Gupta. For further information email: bjarke@bjarkemogensen.dk |
by Rob Howard
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| Northern Box & Fiddle Club meets at the Lylehill Suite, Hilton Hotel & Country Club, Castle Upton Estate, Templepatrick, County Antrim BT39 0DD, Northern Ireland. On March 7th, 8.30pm, this month’s guest will be Declan Aungier, a 5-row button accordion entertainer from Kildare, who has a vast repertoire of Irish, Scottish, Country, Contemporary and Continental music - everything from The Stack of Barley to The Beatles! The organizer is Amanda Robinson. For further information email: northernboxandfiddleclub@hotmail.co.uk |
by Rob Howard
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| Musique du monde et cuvée "Romanche" - Jacques Pellarin Trio - 9 mars prochain - Jazz Club, La Tour du Pin, Isère 38110 France. |
by Rob Howard
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 Nihad Hrustanbegovic performs a solo concert in Jordaan, Noorderkerk, Amsterdam, on March 31st, 8pm. His programme includes new works such as ‘Tribute to the Johnny Meijer’, ‘Jordaan Suite’, and a jazz version of the ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’.Nihad Hrustanbegovic (born in 1973 in Bosnia and Herzegovina), is based in the Netherlands, and has performed in many European countries, such as in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, France, Finland, Spain, England, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland. For further information email: info@nihad-accordeon.com |
by Rob Howard
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 Accordion for Piano Players Workshop’, led by Big Lou the Accordion Princess (aka Linda Seekins), takes place on Saturday March 17th, 3pm, at Accordion Apocalypse, 255 10th St., San Francisco, CA 94103. The cost is $30.You understand the right hand, but what do you do with all those buttons? - learn how the buttons are configured (brush up on your circle of fifths before the class) - learn how to breathe (the bellows, not your lungs) - posture tips- posture tips - how long should your straps be?- how long should your straps be? - Rudimentary accordion care and some quick repairs (by Skyler Fell)- rudimentary accordion care and some quick repairs. - What to look for when buying an accordion- what to look for when you buy an accordion - There will also be a special repair segment by Skyler Fell. For further information email: accordionapocalypse@yahoo.com |
New and Updated Sites |
by Heather Masefield
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 NZAA Site Future Events for 2012 is updated. Also further news of the Wakefield to Masefield event on 25th March 2012. Prospectus for 2012 South Pacific Accordion Championships is online with all entry information. |
by Accordion Examination Board of New Zealand
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 Accordion Examination Board of New Zealand (AEBNZ) Site Update to have 2012 examinations entry form, updated Prospectus, able to be downloaded from the site. |
by Harley Jones
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 As a special tribute to the passing of Yehuda Oppenheimer, he will be the first artist to be featured on the new MusicForAccordion eTracks part of the site.You can purchase the sound files individually or as an album for a special price. There are no postage costs or delivery charges. You are sent the download code within 24 hours. As a Super Special in commemoration of Yehuda Oppenheimer, if you buy one Yehuda Oppenheimer album (7 Euro), we will also send you free of charge, another Yehuda Oppenheimer album. Just email your choice after you have ordered. This is a two week special in honor of the life of Yehuda Oppenheimer. Other eTracks albums being released this week are a series of New Zealand albums: - Catalog: coupe2009 featuring Coupe Mondiale 2009 World Accordion Orchestra III and the 2009 Coupe Mondiale winners concert. Historical New Zealand accordion recordings to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the New Zealand Accordion Association. - Catalog: Timelapse - featuring Maurice Jones, John Statham and Paul Marshall - vocals, (1980 and 1986) - Catalog: joneshm - featuring Harley Jones and Maurice Jones (1975) - Catalog: Silvio De Pra (1997) - Catalog: anzao201 - featuring Air New Zealand Accordion Orchestra (1992) - Catalog: anzao1986 - featuring Air New Zealand Accordion Orchestra (1986) - Catalog: nsao1984 - featuring New Zealand NS Accordion Orchestra (1984) |
by Christine Johnstone
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 Updated Website of Christine Johnstone is now online |
Help Desk, Information needed, Readers CommentsSubmit Your Question, CommentSUBMIT NOW |
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