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Highlights |
‘International Week of the Accordion’, Alcobaça – Portugal2015-1st China Shenzhen Xixiang Music Valley International Accordion Competition - ChinaWilliam Schimmel New CD and Broadway, ‘An American in Paris’ - USAFull Report: 2015 Australian International Accordion Championships and Festival – Australia
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
Marcotulli and Biondini transform Recital Hall into Italian café, New York - USAStarlight Duo of Lionel Reekie and Maurice Jones at the AATA - Australia‘Scottish Dance Band Greats Volume 1’ CD, Scotland – UKVideo: Vitaliy Voronko Performing at the AATA Gala Concert - Australia‘14 Years Ago’: Henry Doktorski records the compositions of Guido Deiro, June 2001Video: In Honor of the Late John Reuther by Håkan Widar - Sweden
Future events |
Somerville ‘Squeezebox Slam’, Massachusetts - USAAccordions at ‘Le vieux Belleville’, Paris – FranceAccordion Quintet Concert, Pesaro – ItalyStanislav Jusufovic Concerts in Apeldoorn and Twello - NetherlandsLeonard Brown & Maggie Adamson @ Arbroath A & F Club, Scotland – UKAccordion Festival, Zagreb – CroatiaSevenoaks Three Arts Festival, Kent – UKGiancarlo Caporilli Concert, Recoaro Terme – ItalyIntensive Accordion Course, San Lucido (CS) – ItalyMichael Bridge and Alicia Baker Concert, Oregon – USAKen and Mary Turbo Accordions Express, Ohio – USAKlaus Paier Workshop, Klagenfurt – Austria
New and Updated Sites |
Updated Site: New eBook Released, Italian Spectacular Arranged by Gary Dahl - USA
CD Reviews |
CD Review: L'armonica a mantice di Giuseppe GreggiatiHelp Desk, Information needed, Readers CommentsSubmit Your Question, CommentSUBMIT NOW |
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Highlights |
by Aníbal Freire
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  The 19th ‘International Week of the Accordion’, also known as ‘Alcobaça 2015’, took place between May 23rd and 31st. The event included 3 excellent concerts - Bayan Quartet (Portugal), Gorka Hermosa (Spain), and the last concert with Giancarlo Palena (Italy) and Tian Jianan (China). These were three concerts of great quality to add to about 80 other concerts performed over the last 20 years of this event. Also part of the event was the 20th National Trophy and 1st International Contest of Accordion. These contests proved to be tremendously successful and a repeat next year is likely. You can download the rules and regulations at: 2015Alcobaca.pdf There were 55 participants and around 80 auditions in 2 days, which involved 11 members of jury from various countries, who are thanked for their professional work. We're already organizing the 21st National Trophy / 2nd International Contest of Accordion. For further information email: anibalfreire@hotmail.com |
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by Harley Jones
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 The 2015-1st China Shenzhen Xixiang Music Valley International Accordion Competition has been renamed to include the name of the venue with its first class hall and conference facilities, ideal for an international competition and festival. The event will be held in Shenzhen City from 16th to 20th July 2015.Also online are updated rules which have a changed entry closing date (now 25th June 2015) and there are important changes to the entry form and payment instructions. Prof. Li Cong (picture left), President of the China Accordion Association (CAA) "welcomes competitors from around the world to enter the international competitions which have very good prize money. The event will also feature four wonderful concerts and invited jury and guests from: (alphabetical order) France, Finland, Great Britain, Italy, Lithuania, New Zealand, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Ukraine and USA." Competition rules and full information including hotel information at: 2015 Shenzhen The entry closing date is now: 25 June 2015 Organizers and Sponsors are: - Chinese Musicians Association - Publicity Department of Communist Party of China of Bao’an, Shenzhen - Shenzhen Bao’an Federation of Literary and Art Circles - China Accordion Association - Shenzhen Accordion Association - Xixiang Music Valley - People’s Art Center of Bao’an Shenzhen - Xixiang Center of Art and Sports, Bao’an, Shenzhen The city of Shenzhen is a most attractive destination. Shenzhen is a major modern city with a pleasant climate, close to Hong Kong and Guangzhou International Airports giving excellent price airfare choices from almost every country with convenient inexpensive domestic transport to Shenzhen. |
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by Rita Davidson Barnea
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 Acclaimed accordionist Dr. William Schimmel is currently performing in ‘An American in Paris’ at the Palace Theatre on Broadway in New York.In addition to his performances, he also developed and realized the accordion part to give the show that distinct Parisian flavor along with the Gershwin Score. The show has been nominated for 12 Tony awards. A cast album will be released on the Masterworks label in a few days. William Schimmel’s new CD, ‘Theatre of the Accordion’ will be released in July 2015 on Roven Records. The Album will feature solo works written and realized by William Schimmel. The guest artist on the CD is Wynton Marsalis. For further information: billschimmel@billschimmel.com |
by Harley Jones
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Video 2: "Our Trio"
 Video 1: Milos Katanic performing Sonata in F minor K466, Scarlatti. Video 2: Ensemble winners "Our Trio" of Aleksandar Kolovski (Macedonia), Milos Katanic (Serbia), Bijun Wei (China) performing Divertimento in DM, KV 136 by W A Mozart. Daily Reports including photographs, video and results are online at: Australian International Championships The 2015 Australian International Accordion Championships and Festival run by the AATA was held on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June at the Club Marconi in Sydney. Main results: Top International category: 1st = Milos Katanic (Serbia) & Vitaliy Voronko (Belarus); International Virtuoso Entertainment, 1st Li Shu Yi (China); International 20 years & under, 1st Owen Fan (China/New Zealand); International 15 years & under, 1st Liu Hong Ting (China); International 12 years & under, 1st Emma Smith (Australia). |
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Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
by Rob Howard
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| The Simons Center Recital Hall might as well have been a small cafe in Italy when pianist Rita Marcotulli and accordionist Luciano Biondini performed for an appreciative crowd on Thursday evening, the first of six shows they’ll be playing at the Spoleto Festival, Charleston, USA. The Italian duo brought mixed traditional and jazz in a set that covered everything from romantic ballads to prepared piano. Marcotulli could fluctuate easily between sweet, simple piano licks, like those that opened the concert, to furious pounding, rising and falling in intensity and volume. At times she reached inside her piano to pluck the strings with one hand as she played the keys with her other. She transformed her instrument from a typical piano into something that sounded almost like a harpsichord by placing an object upon the strings. Her technical skill was matched by her apparent passion. Biondini, too, gave it his all. Each note he played, whether drawn slowly from the bellows of his accordion or plunked with purpose on its many keys, registered on the musician’s face. He smiled when the music smiled and furrowed his brow through difficult passages. He stood from his stool when the music surged and sank back down when it receded. The most exciting moments came when Marcotulli and Biondini played together. Their instruments and inflections were perfectly synchronized and Biondini even called out “Yeah!” when they nailed a particular run. For all of the duo’s impressive musicality, the accordion lent the tunes a certain cheesy quality — but it was a savoury, ripe parmesan of the highest quality. Their set consisted mostly of songs the duo had written themselves, along with two dedications including Jimmy Webb’s ‘The Moon is a Harsh Mistress’. “We want to thank you for caring,” Biondini said before the last song of the evening. “We’re very happy to be here.” Kate Drozynski is a Goldring Arts Journalist from Syracuse University. |
by Harley Jones
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Video 3:
| Three videos of the popular Starlight Duo of Lionel Reekie and Maurice Jones performing at the AATA International Competitions Gala Concert. Video 1: Sway Video 2: The Starlight Duo's arrangement of the Frosini composition 'Olive Blossoms'. Video 3: The Starlight Duo's 'Crying', one of the big hits for Roy Orbison that very few singers have the octaves range to sing. Daily Reports including photographs, video and results are online at: Australian International Championships |
by Rob Howard
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 In the years following end of World war Two there was an upsurge of interest in Scottish country dancing throughout Scotland, and in the 1950s many new bands emerged to meet the demand. Four of the best bands from that time - Andrew Rankine, Ian Powrie, Jim MacLeod, and Jimmy Blair - are featured on the compilation CD: ‘Scottish Dance Band Greats Volume 1’. These early recordings from the 1950s and 60s, taken from vinyl records, have been digitally enhanced to improve the sound quality. The 20 tracks include: Glasgow Highlanders, Maxwell's Rant, Scottish Soldier Medley, Songs Of The Isles Waltz, Angus MacLeod, Hebridean Polka, MacDonald of Sleat, Just As I Was In The Morning, Kingussie Flower, The Highland Wedding, Coming Through The Rye, The Isle of Skye Reel, The Boston Two Step, The Robertson Rant, Caledonian Country Dance, Reel, Gaelic Waltz, Johnny McGill, Para Handy Polka, Meg Merrilees Reel. For further information email: jiml@musicinscotland.com |
by Harley Jones
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| Vitaliy Voronko (Belarus) was 1st equal in the International Open Accordion Championship category. The two videos above was filmed at the AATA Gala concert, where he put on a very entertaining performance. Vitaliy Voronko has been very popular on TV shows in Eastern Europe and also at AATA. Daily Reports including photographs, video and results are online at: Australian International Championships |
by Rob Howard
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  The Accordions Worldwide news for the week ending June 8th 2001 included an announcement that US virtuoso Henry Doktorski (picture right) was in the process of recording the complete works of Guido Deiro. This monumental double CD is continues to be available from Henry Doktorski’s website.Guido Deiro CD – USA Contributed by The Classical Free-Reed Accordionist Henry Doktorski has begun recording the complete works of the great vaudeville accordionist, composer, recording artist and educator Guido Deiro (1886-1950) for a two volume compact disc set scheduled to be released in 2002. The album is being produced by the son of Guido Deiro, Count Guido Roberto Deiro, who met Doktorski when the latter performed his father's music at a recital at the City University of New York in March 2001. In May, Doktorski recorded ‘My Florence’, ‘Valse Caprice No. 1’, and ‘Egypto’, Deiro's most elaborate and ambitious work - an eight page, six minute concert fantasia for solo accordion. Doktorski said, "Guido Deiro's genius as a composer has been neglected since his unfortunate death over fifty years ago. His melodies are exquisite with a beauty that defies description. I find his original works to be well-crafted and satisfying to perform and listen to. I am grateful to Deiro's son, Guido Jr., who has made it his mission to disseminate his father's music to the world." |
by Harley Jones
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  Historic video: A video in honor of the late John Reuther, inventor of the uniform keyboard accordion. A composition by his friend Pietro Frosini. Belfiore was composed by Frosini for then student Maddalena Belfiore who went on to become a famous performer, teacher, AAA President and international juror. Read about it at Maddalena Belfiore in detail in her Celebrity Interview. The video is played on the uniform keyboard by Håkan Widar, Sweden. Published on Jun 9, 2015. Not many viewers will have seen a uniform keyboard accordion being played. John Reuther was also the author of the popular book 'Accordion Repairs Made Easy', Catalog: ED8631. I personally had the pleasure of meeting John Reuther in 1980 when he came to the Coupe Mondiale in Auckland, New Zealand. John Reuther lived from a child to a teenager in New Zealand, after which he and his parents immigrated to the USA. |
Future events |
by Rob Howard
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| The 4th annual ‘Squeezebox Slam’ takes place on Saturday June 13th, 12pm until 6pm, at Seven Hills Park at Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts. The schedule of events includes: 12-3pm: Accordion Anarchy - local accordionists: Bring your boxes, band together, or find your own corner and play throughout Davis Square. There are no rules! 3pm: Lady Kielbasia will get the concert rolling with a group play along, ‘The Big Squeeze’. 3.15pm: Ralph Tufo and the Squeezebox Stompers (Cajun) 3.45pm: Sonny Barbato (jazz) 4.15pm: Balkan Fields (Bulgarian, Serbian, Albanian and Romanian music) 4.45pm: Jinta-la-Mvata (Japanese street music chindon and jinta) |
by Rob Howard
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 Le Vieux Belleville, 12 rue des Envierges, 75020 Paris, is a restaurant that regularly features accordion music from its resident entertainers Minelle, Riton la Manivelle, Bernard Beaufrere, and Michel Refutin.Details of forthcoming evenings with accordion entertainment can be found on the Le Vieux Belleville website or by phone. Le Vieux Belleville is open every day except Sundays for lunch, from 11am to 3pm, to Friday. Musical evenings, often featuring accordionists, take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 8pm until 2am. Upon request, musical evenings can be arranged on other days. |
by Rob Howard
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 A concert featuring five accordionists from the Musicisti dell’Accademia Fisarmonicistica takes place on Saturday June 13th, 9pm, at the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena, Pesaro, Italy. The players are Claudio Jacomucci (picture left), Alessandro Ambrosi, Andrzej Grzybowski, Wieslaw Ochwat, Luca Pignata, plus guitarist Simone Spinaci.The concert program includes: Igor Stravinsky – 4 scenes from ‘Petrushka’, JS Bach – ‘Fuga in E minor BWV 539’, Luis De Pablo – Allegro from ‘Retratos y Trascripciones’ (1996), JS Bach – ‘English Suite no 5 BWV 810’ (Sarabande, Prelude), Yuji Takahashi – ‘Like a Water Buffalo’ (1985), JS Bach – ‘French Suite no 3 BWV 814’ (Allemande, Sarabande, Menuet, Gigue), Louis Andriessen – ‘Workers Union’ (1975), Claudio Jacomucci – ‘Co-incidences’ (2015), JS Bach – ‘Contrapunctus I (Arte della Fuga) BWV 1080’, Sergej Prokofiev – ‘Apparizione satanica Op. 4 n. 4’, JS Bach – ‘An Wasserflüssen Babylon BWV 653b’, Egberto Gismonti – ‘Baiao Malandro’, Claudio Jacomucci – ‘Tarantolata’ (2010) For further information email: info@claudiojacomucci.com |
by Harley Jones
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 Stanislav Jusufovic is currently busy preparing for his final Masters examination, studying with Mie Miki at the Folkwang University in Essen, Germany. He is performing two solo concerts in the Netherlands on the 14th June.Stanislav Jusufovic is performing works of: J. S. Bach, D. Scarlatti, F. Angelis, M. Moszkowski, V. Zubitsky, A. Senderjov, R..Galliano, V. Vlasov, A. Piazzolla at these two concerts. 1. Concert at the Culturele Pleinmarkt in Apeldoorn, 14 June, 11:00 to 14:00 hours. This is a stage for musical talent. Stanislav plays at approximately 13:00 pm, admission free. 2. Concert at Pigini Netherlands, Rijksstraatweg 149, Twello. 14 June at 20:00 to 22:00 hours. Donation. Reservations are necessary because of the limited space. Reservations email: info@pigini.nl |
by Rob Howard
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| Leonard Brown and Maggie Adamson, accordion/fiddle duo, perform as guests at Arbroath Accordion & Fiddle Club on Sunday June 14th, 8pm. The venue is the Arbroath Artisan Golf Club, Elliott, By Arbroath DD12 2PE, Scotland. Leonard Brown, from Newcastle, became only the second Englishman to became All Scotland Accordion Champion in 2012 (Robert Whitehead was the first in 1978). He has emerged as one the best young accordionists on the Accordion & Fiddle Club scene. Maggie Adamson is similarly renowned as an outstanding young fiddle player. |
by Rob Howard
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 This year’s annual Accordion Festival takes place at the Pavilion Zrinjevic, in Zagreb, Croatia, from Sunday June 14th to Wednesday 17th, from 7pm until 10pm each evening. Music includes a variety of genres, including classical, jazz, polkas, etc. The organizer is Semir Hasic. |
by Rob Howard
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 The Sevenoaks Three Arts Festival takes place on Saturday June 13th, Sunday 14th, Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June, with the accordion and concertina sections to be held on Sunday June 14th. A variety of sections can be entered for all age ranges and abilities. The adjudicator is Romano Viazzani, the competition organizer is Margaret Holgate, and the venue is Walthamstow Hall Senior School,Hollybush Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 3UL.For further information email: candmholgate@btopenworld.com |
by Rob Howard
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 Giancarlo Caporilli, Professor of Accordion at the Conservatory in Rome, performs in concert on Sunday June 14th, 5pm, at the Teatro Communale, Recoaro Terme, Italy. |
by Rob Howard
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 Simone Mannarino and Gianni Mirizzi present an intensive accordion course on Monday June 15th and Tuesday 16th, 9.30am each day, in San Lucido (CS). The course offers group and individual tuition, and the opportunity to perform in a concert on the second day. The course is sponsored by Giustozzi Accordions & Diatonics. |
by Rob Howard
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 Michael Bridge (Canada) and Alicia Baker (USA) perform in a concert titled ‘Accordion To Us’ on Monday June 22nd, 7pm, at Milwaukie Lutheran Church, 3810 SE Lake Rd, Portland, Oregon, OR 97222. The concert features solos by each artist plus some duets, and the program includes jazz, classical, French musette, popular standards, etc. Tickets cost $10, concessions $8. |
by Rob Howard
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 The Ken and Mary accordion duo perform on July 3rd, 5pm, at the Famous `Germania’ (German Village), 543 South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio. Great German food, Cold Bier and Polka the night away to Ken and Mary Turbo Accordions Express!Ken has over 40 years of music experience, playing the diatonic button accordion and also the tenor banjo, guitar, mandolin, and mandola. He was even bestowed the title ‘Baron of the Banjo’ by Frankie Yankovic. Ken had his own rag/jazz band for many years, playing in and around Ohio as well as performing in the German Pavillon at Disney’s Epcot Center and at the Altstadt Fest in Goslar/Harz, Germany. Mary’s music career has spanned over 30 years, playing both the organ and the piano accordion. She has performed at numerous festivals, banquets, and for parties. For further information email: kenandmarymusik@yahoo.com |
by Rob Howard
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 Klaus Paier will hold an accordion workshop at the Muskikforum Viktring, Klagenfurt, Austria. Cellist Asja Valcic will assist. The workshop, which takes place from Sunday July 12th to Thursday 16th, will include musical theory and playing jazz. For further information email: klaus.paier@aon.at |
New and Updated Sites |
by Gary Dahl
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  Updated site with a new eBook titled Italian Spectacular released by Gary Dahl. Gary Dahl writes: "The Italian contribution to music over the centuries is an artistic treasure we all can enjoy. The accordion, because of its orchestral capabilities, brings this joy to all accordionists and their listeners. The Italian Spectacular book of arrangements will enable every accordionist to enhance this great heritage of musical history." You can see samples of each piece at Catalog: DH08-eB eBook means that the book is emailed to you. Purchase online for USD$35.50 or Euro equivalent at: DH08-eB This eBook Italian Spectacular is Collection #8 in a series of eBooks by Gary Dahl that have proved to be very popular: There is a special for clients wanting to purchase all 8 eBooks at: DH01-08eB |
CD Reviews |
by Alessandro Mugnoz
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 CD Reviews Index for the Review of L'armonica a mantice di Giuseppe Greggiati, in English and Italian languages. Performer Corrado Rojac, reviewed by Alessandro Mugnoz. |
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