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Highlights |
25th Anniversary, Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration (LIAC) - USA
Stanley Darrow (1935-2018), New Jersey – USA
Gorka Hermosa’s New CD and Spring Tour 2018 - Iran, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Canarias
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
Jörgen Sundeqvist Teaching at Musiklinjen Kapellsberg - Sweden
Video: Mario Tacca, Mary Mancini with the Hallandale Pops Orchestra - USA
Future events |
Taipei Gypsy Jazz Festival
Christine Schmid & Gaetano Siino Concert, Emmendinger - Germany
‘Super The Dansant’, Accordion Tea Dance, Fort L’Ecluse – France
Stockport Accordion Band @ North Staffs AC, Stoke-on-Trent – UK
Basha Slavinska and Olivia Gay Concert, Belfort – France
Hanzhi Wang Concerts & Master Classes - Netherlands and Belgium
Nihad Hrustanbegovic Concerts, Mostar, Banja Luka, Sarajevo - Bosnia and Herzegovina
Yuri Shishkin Concert, Competition & Festival "Accordion Plus", Rostov-on-Don - Russia
Grayson Masefield Concert/Master Class, Spokane WA – USA
2nd Accordion Festival, Attard - Malta
Summerschool NL, Borculo - Netherlands
New and Updated Sites |
2018 AAA Competition Rules Released on New Website - USA
Updated Site: Accordion Examination Board of New Zealand (AEBNZ)
CD Reviews |
Help Desk, Information needed, Readers CommentsSubmit Your Question, CommentSUBMIT NOW |
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Highlights |
43rd International Citta di Castelfidardo PIF Competition & Festival - Italyby Holda Paoletti-Kampl |
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  The City Council Administration of Castelfidardo announces that the 43rd International Citta di Castelfidardo PIF Competition & Festival will be held from 10th to 17th September 2018.The PIF2018 regulations are published after a listening campaign by the new Artistic Director Renzo Ruggieri and contain a number of changes from previous years. Categories are: Classical: Premio Category, Master Category, Junior Category, Student 15 Category, Student 12 Category, Ensemble Category, Composition Category. Jazz: Jazz Category Soloists or Ensemble Virtuoso: Virtuoso Senior Category, Virtuoso Junior Category, Student 15 Category, Student 12 Category. World: World Ensemble Category, World Senior Category, World Junior Category, Competition rules and regulations in English and Italian at: 2018PIF-Rules.pdf Entry closing date is: 31st August 2018 |
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25th Anniversary, Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration (LIAC) - USAby Harley Jones |
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 2018 is the 25th Anniversary of the Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration (LIAC) sponsored by the Northwest Accordion Society. The event is held in picturesque Leavenworth, June 21 - 24 and featuring (alphabetical order): Michael Bridge, Gruce Gassman, Cory Pesaturo, Murl Sanders along with competitions open to international and national competitors, workshops and even free accordion lessons.The competitions include categories for Classical, Old Time, Diatonic instruments, Bands, Duets, as well as a range of categories for amateurs only, from children to 19-45 and 46 plus. A total of $5,525 prize money is being offered. Rules and entry information at: 2018LIAC-Rules.pdf Entry closing date: 08 June 2018 So book your calendar to visit beautiful Leavenworth, 21-24 June for a fun event with lots of excellent music of all styles. For further information, visit the website: Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration |
Stanley Darrow (1935-2018), New Jersey – USAby Rob Howard |
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 Stanley Darrow, one of America’s most devoted accordion luminaries, passed away on March 13th at the age of 83.Picture above: Joanna and Stanley Darrow. Stanley Darrow, from Camden, New Jersey, began playing the accordion at the age of 16. “My grandfather, who didn’t play himself, encouraged me and thought I would enjoy it,” he said. He studied at New York City College of Music, Combs College, PA, Neupauer Conservatory of Music, PA, and the Hohner Konservatorium in Trossigen, Germany, and enjoyed a lifetime of playing the accordion in concerts and teaching legions of children and adults at his studio. In 1952 he founded the long established Acme Accordion School, Westmont, New Jersey, where thousands of children and adults of all ages studied the accordion with Stanley Darrow and Joanna Arnold Darrow. Stanley Darrow was a member of the Accordion Teachers' Association of New Jersey, the American Accordionists' Association (AAA), and was an active board member of the Accordionists & Teachers Guild, International (ATG) and the American Accordion Musicological Society. With his interest in contemporary accordion music, he was the first to release an all contemporary LP of all original accordion music in 1965. He was founder-director of the Westmont Philharmonia Accordion Orchestra (1960), the Delaware Accordion Club, and also organized the annual King of Prussia festivals in Philadelphia, involving many accordionists, and was very well liked and respected by all who knew him. Obituary and Funeral information at: StanleyDarrow.pdf |
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Gorka Hermosa’s New CD and Spring Tour 2018 - Iran, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Canariasby Rob Howard |
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 The accordionist and composer Gorka Hermosa continues with his frenetic activity. He has just presented his latest CD ‘ELE, Lauaxeta – Lorca’ and starts his spring tour that will take him to places as diverse as Iran, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Canary Islands and diverse places of Spain.The new album is about Lauaxeta and Lorca, two writers, two icons of poetry, each one in their culture - one an Andalusian republican, the other a Basque nationalist. The disc tries to be an allegation for the coexistence in the current Basque Country, who has suffer a lot of years of independence terrorism and government violence, following the example of these two poets, both shot by the fascist side in the Spanish Civil War. The Basque poet and singer Jon Maia, the guitarist Jesús Prieto ‘Pitti’ and the accordionist Gorka Hermosa present an eclectic and autobiographical work where Basque music, flamenco, contemporary music or rock are mixed, with luxury collaborations like the cantaora Ana Salazar, the drummer Jesús Gancedo and figures of Basque music such as the txalapartaris of Oreka TX, Pello Ramírez and Mixel Ducau. You can listen on Spotify and other digital platforms for free or purchase at www.elkar.com. The CD has just been presented this month in Zornotza and Santurtzi and in the coming months it will be presented at the prestigious ‘Gutun Zuria’ festival at the Azkuna Center in Bilbao and at the ‘Me vuelves Lorca’ Festival in the Alpujarras, Granada. The rest of the spring tour will take him to give master classes + accordion solo concerts at the Conservatories of Prague, Warsaw and La Palmas, as well as in Opole, Poland, and at the ‘Perpetuum Mobile’ Festival in Drohobych, Ukraine. With the project ‘Flamenco Etxea’ (duet with the prestigious flamenco guitarist José Luis Montón) with whom they have been giving concerts all over the world for 11 years, they will perform in May in Tehran, Iran. On February 18th he premiered his first work for accordion and symphony orchestra, ‘Atlantia’, performed by Marta Cubas Hondal with the Youth Symphony Orchestra Ciudad de Salamanca directed by Álvaro Lozano at the CAEM auditorium in Salamanca. For further information email: gorka@gorkahermosa.com Picture above: View the stunning full size picture (3.1MB) by Maxi del Campo: 2018GHermosa.jpg |
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Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
The NME and the Accordion Times, London – UKby Rob Howard |
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  The long running popular weekly music magazine ‘New Musical Express’ (NME) has just published its final printed edition after 66 years, and will henceforward be published only in a digital format. This magazine was originally published in October 1946 as the monthly ‘Musical Express, incorporating Accordion Times’ (NME could so easily have been MEAT!), covering the general musical entertainment scene plus some accordion related articles and news. The piano accordion was introduced into Britain in the late 1920s, and the 1930s saw a boom decade for the instrument, with high numbers of instrument sales and accordion clubs and bands being formed in almost every town and city. The likes of Louis Cabrelli, Toralf Tollefsen, and the Primo Scala Accordion Band topped the bill at theatres. In 1935 the first All Britain Championships were held in London, and in the same year the ‘Accordion Times’ was published for the first time, both being sponsored by Hohner. The 1939-45 war years closed both down, and in 1946 the magazine was re-launched in a smaller format as the ‘Musical Express, incorporating Accordion Times’. In 1952 there was a split and the ‘New Musical Express’ was born, with the ‘Accordion Times’ continuing under its own identity, with various owners and editors until it ceased publication in 2005. |
Jörgen Sundeqvist Teaching at Musiklinjen Kapellsberg - Swedenby Harley Jones |
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 Well known international accordionist Jörgen Sundeqvist (picture above) is now teaching at Musiklinjen Kapellsberg. The school Director is Helén Lundquist-Dahlén (picture above) who is also a director of leading choirs in Sweden.Musiklinjen Kapellsberg offers tuition for many instruments and in addition to the long courses which extend over a term or more, the school offers a number of short courses each year. These include summer courses in music and opera, and also qualifying courses to help prepare students for entrance examinations for higher education and vocational training. The school provides good affordable accommodation for short term and long term students. You can have an individual bedroom or dormitory (3-6 beds) room. You can self cook or use the restaurant at very reasonable prices. Conference facilities are also available for groups. The school has two halls and group rooms for reading, laptops, wireless networks. Many famous accordionists come from this region and that is why Accordion King written by Fredrik Högberg, was set here (poster right). This is a very strong cultural region in central Sweden, and the internationally renowned Nordic Chamber Orchestra is also from this area. Applications are invited from accordion students all around the world to come and study. If your application to study is accepted, the tuition fees are free. Yes - free! You have only the costs of food and accommodation which are very reasonable. So this is an option definitely worthy of careful consideration by accordionists. For further information about the many course options and individual courses which can be planned, please email Jörgen Sundeqvist: sundeqvist@yahoo.se |
Video: Mario Tacca, Mary Mancini with the Hallandale Pops Orchestra - USAby Harley Jones |
| Video: Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center, Hollywood, Florida, 6th February 2018. Guest artists Mary Mancini (Soprano) and husband Mario Tacca (accordion) with the Hallandale Pops orchestra, under the baton of conductor Peter Fuchs. Mary Mancini is performing with the orchestra from 11:00 minutes. Mario Tacca is performing with the orchestra from 48:00 minutes |
Future events |
Brandon McPhee Concert, Scotland – UKby Rob Howard |
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 All Scotland Champion Brandon McPhee and his band perform in concert on Saturday March 17th, 7.30pm, at the Eden Court Theatre, Inverness. Also on the bill is the comedian Eddie Rose.The poster shows Brandon McPhee’s other concert dates for March through to November, including the dates for his stage show ‘The Jimmy Shand Story’, which is a tribute to the late, great Sir Jimmy Shand (1908-2000). This show premiered in Belfast last week, and was a critical success that played to a full house. Brandon McPhee plays the same kind of accordion as Jimmy Shand – the 3-row diatonic Hohner Shand Morino – and is very much inspired by him. Sir Jimmy Shand, knighted in 1999, was hugely popular in Scotland and beyond, and had an exceptionally long recording career from the 1930s to the 1990s. He recorded more tracks than the Beatles and Elvis Presley combined, and composed more than 330 dance tunes and other pieces of music. From the 1940s until his retirement in the 1970s he had a punishing life-style later adopted by rock bands, playing lots of consecutive dates around the UK and Ireland that involved a lot of travelling. He was the subject of two biographies, appeared as the subject on the BBC TV show ‘This Is Your Life’, had a locomotive and pub named after him, and was made a freeman of his home town Auchtermuchty in 1974. |
Taipei Gypsy Jazz Festivalby Rob Howard |
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 Taiwanese accordionist and bandoneon player Vincent Tsai organises and performs at the second Taipei Gypsy Jazz Festival, held at the Songyan Eslite Hall, Sappho Live Jazz, and the Wei-Sun International Culture & Arts. The event includes gypsy jazz workshops on March 15th, 16th, and 18th, jam sessions each day, and a concert on Sunday March 18th, 7.30pm.Vincent Tsai, a graduate of the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology in the Department of Industrial Management, studied classical piano then self-learned the piano accordion, and joined the first ever gypsy jazz band in Taiwan, the Dark Eyes Gypsy Jazz Band. In 2011, during an exchange study in Europe, he studied the piano accordion, chromatic button accordion and the accordina concurrently. He played jazz, and also music from around the world, such as Volkmusik from Germany and Austria, folk songs from Italy, musette from France, and Tango. He has attended master classes with Frederic Deschamps, Klaus Paier, and Richard Galliano. His playing career includes in 2014 at the National Concert Hall, Taiwan, under the baton of Japanese maestro Joe Hisaishi, performing the world premiere of Hisaishi's new work, ‘The Wind Rises’ Suite No.2 for Balalaika, Bayan, Guitar and Small Orchestra. For further information email: infoaccordion@gmail.com |
Christine Schmid & Gaetano Siino Concert, Emmendinger - Germanyby Rob Howard |
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| On Saturday March 17th, 8.30pm, accordionist and vocalist Christine Schmid performs in concert with the guitarist Gaetano Siino at the Maja-Buhne, Emmendinger, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Their repertoire includes music from Paris, Rome and Berlin, including some gypsy jazz. Christine Schmid studied at the Hohner Conservatory Trossingen and at the Opera Workshop at Basel Conservatory. Later she attended the Jazz School Basel and Paris in music theory, accordion and vocals. After her studies she had various engagements such as the title role in ‘Marlene Dietrich’ at the Musical Theater in Basel and regular appearances as a guest soprano with the Spa Orchestra Badenweiler, followed by appearances on radio and television. Christine Schmid is also vocal and speech trainer and also as a successful model and mannequin. For further information email: christ.schmid@web.de |
‘Super The Dansant’, Accordion Tea Dance, Fort L’Ecluse – Franceby Rob Howard |
 On Sunday afternoon March 18th, 2.30pm, the ‘Super The Dansant’ takes place at Fort L’Ecluse, Collonges, to the dance music of accordionists Cyril & Virginie Danrey, Eric Collomb, and pianist Hubert Ledent. Fort l'Écluse is close to the village of Collonges, Ain, in eastern France. It commands the Rhone valley and is a natural entrance into France from Switzerland between the Vuache hills and the Jura Mountains. |
Stockport Accordion Band @ North Staffs AC, Stoke-on-Trent – UKby Rob Howard |
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| The Stockport Accordion Club ‘road show’ visits the North Staffs Accordion Club as guests on Tuesday March 20th, 7.30pm. Performing will be the Stockport Accordion Band (with five of our six conductors, though not all at the same time, namely Dennis Pepler, Adrienne Sharpe, Tony Ainscough, Marj Howard and Brennan Wilson), Stockport AC’s ladies trio Accordion Spice and Scottish Quartet. North Staffs AC meets at the Goldenhill Workingmen’s Club, Kidsgrove Rd, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 5SH. The admission price of £6 includes a 'Pie and Pea Supper', with a vegetarian option. There will also be a 'stall' set up for the evening and anyone with an accordion, or other music related item for sale can bring it along (with a price tag and name label). A small and voluntary donation will go to North Staffs AC, if sold. Tickets for the evening are available from Steve Hughes. For further information email: stevehg0@gmail.com |
Basha Slavinska and Olivia Gay Concert, Belfort – Franceby Rob Howard |
 The accordion/cello duo Basha Slavinska and Olivia Gay perform together in concert on Sunday March 18th, 4pm, at the Cathedral Sainte-Christophe, Belfort. Belfort is a city in north-eastern France in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté région, situated between Lyon and Strasbourg.Concert programme: E. Elgar – ‘Salut d'Amour’; N. Rimsky-Korsakov – ‘Oriental Dance’ from ‘Scheherazade’; J. Williams – ‘Memoirs of a Geisha - Sayuri's Theme’; F. Schubert – ‘Ständchen’; V. Semyonov – ‘Kalina Krasnaya’ (Guelder Rose); J. Williams – ‘La Liste de Schindler’; A. Piazzolla – ‘Libertango’; D. Popper – ‘Hungarian Rhapsody’; E. Morricone – ‘The Mission – Gabriel’s oboe’; M. Legrand – ‘Les Parapluies De Cherbourg’. Basha Slavinska is a Paris-based accordionist, born in Gdansk, Poland. She studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris. |
Hanzhi Wang Concerts & Master Classes - Netherlands and Belgiumby Rob Howard |
 From March 22nd to 24th the Chinese virtuoso accordionist Hanzhi Wang, sponsored by Pigini Netherlands, will give concerts and master classes in the Netherlands and Belgium. Hanzhi is an accordionist of international renown, and the winner of competitions in China, Spain, and Italy. Several prominent composers, such as Martin Lohse, have dedicated compositions to Hanzhi.Her concert program will include W.A. Mozart – ‘Andante’; Edward Grieg – ‘Little Bird, Arietta and Butterfly’; J.S. Bach – ‘Partita in C minor’; Martin Lohse – ‘Menuetto and Passing 3’; Moritz Moszkovski – ‘Sparks’; Sofia Gubaidulina – ‘De Profundis’. Concert dates: Thursday March 22nd, 8pm - Chapelstudio, Tilburg, Netherlands Friday March 23rd, 8pm – Ghent, Belgium Saturday March 24th, 8pm – KuuB, Utrecht, Netherlands For further information email: info@pigini.nl |
Nihad Hrustanbegovic Concerts, Mostar, Banja Luka, Sarajevo - Bosnia and Herzegovinaby Rob Howard |
 On March 22nd, 23rd and 24th Dutch-based Bosnian accordionist, pianist and composer Nihad Hrustanbegovic will perform concerts presenting accordion and self-composed piano works in Mostar, Banja Luka and Sarajevo. The programme of 90 minutes’ duration includes: ‘4 Seasons’ - Vivaldi, ‘Asturias’ - Isaac Albéniz, ‘Ibelin’ and ‘Lights of Life’ - Harry Gregson Williams. Nihad’s latest 9th solo album, ‘Between Sunrise and Sunset Opus Magnum XII’,’ will form part of the programme, with all 12 compositions on the piano in the special 35 minute version of the album, featuring ‘Sunrise’, ‘The girl from heaven’, ‘American dream’, ‘Love Promenade’, ‘Tsunami’, ‘Hymne de la liberte’, ‘The Kiss’, ‘Joy of life’, ‘Paradise Lake’, ‘Queen of Peace’, ‘Allegory Bosnia Nouveau’, ‘Sunset’ and new music work, ‘The Encore, Flowers for Mama’. Nihad reflects, “The past days and weeks have not been easy ... my Mama passed away on February 10th and I have decided to give these 3 concerts about life, nature, love and people and also to honour my Mama who helped me during the making of ‘4 Seasons’ by Vivaldi, watching sometimes on Skype from Bosnia Herzegovina all the way to Netherlands and giving comments about how far I went with practising, and believed in the recording on the accordion with Vivaldi and she was also happy with the latest album ‘Opus Magnum XII’. She brought me up when I was little in the best way she could. She brought me also to the music and music school. Thanks Mama! So I am going to give concerts for the people who love classical, pop, jazz and world music on the accordion and the piano. Dear friends and colleagues I hope to see you in the concerts in Sarajevo, Mostar or Banja Luka. Thank you Concert Hall Stjepan Kosaca in Mostar, Concert Hal Banski Dvori in Banja Luka, and Bosnjacki Institut in Sarajevo”. For further information email: nihad.hrustanbegovic@gmail.com |
Yuri Shishkin Concert, Competition & Festival "Accordion Plus", Rostov-on-Don - Russiaby Harley Jones |
 On the 23rd March is a solo concert by Yuri Shishkin. Poster right.The concert is the first night of the 2018 International Competition and Festival "Accordion Plus" which takes place from 23rd to 27th March 2018 in Rostov-on-Don. "Accordion Plus" is organised by the International Music Center "Harmony" with the support of the Administration of Rostov-on-Don, the Rostov College of Arts (competition venue) and The School of Music and Dance Jiang Jie (China, Beijing), the China Accordion Association. Seven CD's by Shishkin available online at: Yuri Shishkin |
Grayson Masefield Concert/Master Class, Spokane WA – USAby Rob Howard |
 Virtuoso accordionist Grayson Masefield, from New Zealand, returns to Spokane, Washington, next week to perform in concert and hold a public master class. The concert is on Friday evening March 23rd, 7pm, at the Able To Play Music Academy, 418 E. Pacific Ave, Spokane. The master class is the following day, Saturday March 24th, 4pm, at the same venue.The highly accomplished Grayson Masefield, from Auckland, NZ, is one the world’s most successful competition players in recent times, winning the CIA Coupe Mondiale, the Primus Ikaalinen International Competition (Finland), the Roland International V-Accordion Competition (Rome, Italy), and the CMA Trophee Mondial. The son of accordion playing parents Ian and Heather Masefield, Grayson studied the accordion with Fay Schaw, his uncle Maurice Jones, and at Auckland University with Stephanie Poole. During these years he also played in the North Shore Accordion Orchestras, and later went to France for seminars and tuition with Frédéric Deschamps, and to the HEMU (University of Music Lausanne), Switzerland, in specialised music performance with Stéphane Chapuis. He has performed in many countries, including France, Spain, Germany, UK, Portugal, Slovakia, Italy, USA, Canada, Russia, Lithuania, Portugal, China, Switzerland, Austria, New Zealand, Australia, and Finland. |
2nd Accordion Festival, Attard - Maltaby Rob Howard |
 The 2nd Accordion Festival takes place at the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa, Attard, Malta, on Tuesday April 3rd and Wednesday April 4th, 7pm, on both days, just after Easter 2018. The festival is organized by the Santa Maria Accordion Band, and s upported by Valletta 2018 - European Capital of Culture.The performers to date include the Santa Maria Accordion Band from Malta, and Akki-Harmonists e.V. orchestra from Ketzin, Germany, and a number of soloists, duets and trios from Malta, Gozo, Russia, and Latvia The festival has two categories: Soloists and Accordion Bands, but is non-competitive, and participants will receive a certificate. Full details are available from David Attard. For further information email: davatt1@melita.com |
Summerschool NL, Borculo - Netherlandsby Rob Howard |
 Summerschool NL, an annual accordion summer school organised by Annemarieke van der Ploeg, takes place from July 30th to August 6th at Borculo, a town in the eastern Netherlands, in the municipality of Berkelland, Gelderland. The teachers include Ellen Zijm, Leo van Lierop, Vincent van Amsterdam, Ad de Jong, and Annemarieke van der Ploeg. For further information email: info@accordeonkamp.nl |
New and Updated Sites |
Coupe Mondiale Site Updated Hotel Information & Schedule - Lithuaniaby Kevin Friedrich, CIA Ambassador |
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  The 71st Coupe Mondiale is being held in Kaunas Lithuania, 24 to 30 September.The updated Coupe Mondiale site is online now with hotel information (very reasonable prices) and travel information. Host is the Lithuanian National Accordionist's Union led by President Kazys Stonkus & Vice-President Mindaugas Labanauskas. The rules for all the Coupe Mondiale competition categories are online and the closing date for entries is 31 July 2018. The online entry application software will be made live in June. The updated 2018 schedule now includes on Sunday 30 September, the World Accordion Orchestra X concert. Full details for participation in the World Accordion Orchestra X will be online soon. Picture below is World Accordion Orchestra IX conducted by Joan Cochran Sommers. Full information at: Coupe Mondiale You will find a complete record of the 2017 Coupe Mondiale at: http://www.coupemondiale.org/2017/it_rev_04.html with all competitors videos at: 2017CM-Video |
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2018 AAA Competition Rules Released on New Website - USAby Harley Jones |
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 The American Accordionists' Association (AAA) has released the rules for their 2018 AAA Competitions being held during the 2018 AAA Festival, 11-15 July, Alexandria, Virginia (near Washington, DC).There are categories for all ages and types of music for solo, duet, ensembles and bands with the entry closing date being 1st June 2018. Full information is on the newly completed AAA website which features the latest coding standards and responsive designs suitable for all sizes of mobile phones, tablets through to wide screen monitors. The festival flyer, festival registration, competition rules, entry forms can be downloaded at: AAAFestival The outstanding lineup of guest artists is featured on the flyer (picture right) for what will be a great 80th Anniversary AAA Festival this July in Washington. Please make reservations promptly as hotel rooms are going quickly. It's also a great opportunity to combine your love of accordion with a visit to Washington, DC and also enjoy the many sightseeing opportunities. |
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Updated Site: Accordion Examination Board of New Zealand (AEBNZ)by Heather Masefield |
 The Accordion Examination Board of New Zealand (AEBNZ) has updated its website with the 2018 examination dates and 2018 entry fees and entry forms. |
CD Reviews |
Book Review: The Art of Arranging Classical Music for Accordion by Friedrich Lips - Germanyby Willoughby Walshe |
 Currently, music schools and conservatories do not teach how to structure, design or implement arrangements of original compositions for other instruments. Friedrich Lips, bayan-accordion virtuoso and professor at the prominent Gnesin Russian Academy of Music in Moscow, fills that gap with what could be used as course material with his book The Art of Arranging Classical Music for Accordion. First published in Russian and then German, it is now available in an updated and expanded form in English.Although the book was written primarily with classical music in mind, the findings, declarations and descriptions are made by the author in generally understandable and simple words. Therefore, they apply or can be transferred to all areas of music, including virtuoso light music, folk music, traditional music, etc. Similarly, while explanations focus on the concert bayan-accordion with converter bass, they are equally applicable to related instruments such as the Bandoneon, Concertina, Diatonic Accordion, Melodeon Player, etc. This is an essential book for composers, professional players, musicologists and active amateurs who want to understand and create arrangements of music as well as interpret and perform them. They will find a discussion of the basic principles of creating arrangements. These are followed by countless tips and numerous examples in musical notations for using the characteristics of the selected instrument to the best advantage. Descriptions include the accordion’s tonal range, use of registers to provide natural dynamics, bellows techniques explained in detail to enhance certain passages, types of articulation to be considered and methods of artistic presentation. One chapter is devoted to arranging organ music, which is written on three staffs (two for the keyboards and one for the foot pedal), where there are certain analogies between organ and accordion tone generation. Another chapter concentrates on arranging piano and cembalo music and explains how to overcome the differences between the percussive and bellows instruments. Extensive and detailed registers with names, terms, literature and titles of music examples included in the text provide the reader with significant source material. The excellent content of the book corresponds to the outward appearance of the book: typographically lavish with finest Italian paper, thread-stitching, laminated softcover with double flap and exclusive design – worthwhile, treasured. 232 pages · 150 sheet music samples · Format: 17 x 24 cm · ISBN 978-3-925572-17-3 Purchase at Catalog No: kslips03 The Art of Arranging Classical Music for Accordion |
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