Highlights |
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
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Highlights |
X1 Kokkola Winter Accordion Festival - Finlandby Rob Howard |
The 11th Kokkola Winter Accordion Festival takes place from February 15th to 22nd. This festival includes a variety of concerts, dances, workshops and other events, with musical genres ranging from classical to folk music, and from contemporary compositions to light and sacred music. There are also dance and outdoor events, not forgetting opportunities for skiing! Artistes appearing include the Tango Queen Kaija Pohjola and her orchestra, Guardia Nueva Orchestra, The Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, the Antti Sarpila Swing Band, the Cajun Comets, the Kokkola Region Accordion Club, Petri Ikkelä - concertina, symphonium, and accordionists Antti Paalanen, Pedro Hietanen, Janne Rättyä, João Frade, Petri Ikkelä, Jarno Kuusisto, and Seppo Hovi. For further for information email: raimo.vertainen@pp.inet.fi |
Additional Tour after 2009 Coupe Mondiale – New Zealandby Harley Jones |
Accordion enthusiasts attending the 2009 Coupe Mondiale in New Zealand (August 25th to 29th) now have the opportunity of additional sightseeing and concerts. This follows requests for more time in New Zealand for sightseeing and concerts by people travelling a long distance to New Zealand. There is a day trip North to Dargaville, including a concert, visit to a Maori Marae, Bayly’s Beach, Accordion Museum, champagne Mayoral reception and dinner. The Dargaville concert will include the three conductors of the "World Accordion Orchestra III", the Hof Akkordeonorchester (Germany) and invited Coupe Mondiale competitors. Starting the next day, there is a 6 day tour of the North Island of New Zealand including 3 concerts. The concerts will include an orchestra made up of players from the World Accordion Orchestra III conducted by Joan Cochran Sommers (USA). Accordion enthusiasts participating in the "World Accordion Orchestra III" can now also play in 4 extra concerts and enjoy travelling around the beautiful North Island of New Zealand. Price is very reasonable due to the low value of the NZ dollar. Expressions of interest are called for by 15th March 2009 that sufficient people are coming to ensure the tour proceeds. Full details re Additional Sightseeing online. |
Mat Mathews (1924-2009), Rotterdam - Netherlandsby Rob Howard |
Dutch jazz accordionist Mat Mathews (born Mathieu Schwartz) died on February 12th in Rotterdam at the age of 84. Mathews was born in The Hague and learned to play accordion while the Netherlands was under Nazi rule during World War Two. After hearing Joe Mooney on a radio broadcast after the war, he decided to begin playing jazz. From 1947 to 1950 Mathews played with The Millers in Holland, and then moved to New York in 1952. He formed a quartet there, and also played with numerous other jazz musicians. He discovered the jazz singer Carmen McCrae in 1954, and worked as her accompanist. In 1956 he played in the group The 4 Most with Al Cohn, Gener Quill, Hank Jones and Mundell Lowe. Later in the 1950s and into the 1960s he worked primarily as a studio musician, taught at the Conservatory in Philadelphia, and in 1964 moved back to the Netherlands. There he continued work in studios as an arranger and producer, and recorded less as a player. Several tracks by Mat Mathews were included in the 2007 CD box set ‘The Jazz and Swing Story’. |
Accordionist Wanted for Adriatic Tour! - Greeceby Paul Kirby |
The Caravan is a Canadian Professional Theatre Troupe that tours and performs on a 30 meter Tall Ship. Caravan is in the fifth season of a European Water Tour, currently berthed in Galaxidi, Greece, and making preparations for a new tour, starting with rehearsals in Greece on May 1st. The Troupe is looking for an accordionist to join their show, which will run from June 10th until September 14th, touring western Greece, Albania, Montenegro, and southern Croatia. In essence, the Caravan creates experimental work, with environmental and contemporary themes incorporating story, character, poetry, songs, music, aerial arts, movement, and special effects. The shows are staged on the decks and rigging of the ship with the audience sitting on the shore. The show this season, is an avant-garde opera, called UTOPIAN FLOES... thematically based on Global Warming and Cultural Devastation, set in a not-to-distant future time zone, when the Earth is a burnt Globe with only a mere handful of human species alive to tell their tales. The Caravan will pay for all travel expenses. As well as performing, the actors and musicians will be crew members of the ship, and will be taught how to sail, steer the ship, and perform all the navigational tasks. For further information contact Producer Paul Kirby email: caravanstage@yahoo.com |
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
Akkonsonanz, Vienna – Austriaby Dr Herbert Scheibenreif Manager of Friedrich Lips Productions |
Akkonsonanz, a concert project of the conservatory of Vienna private university, has as a goal the promotion of talented accordion pupils of the Viennese schools of music. By participating in the students' concert of the accordion class, it offers to them a view of the current requirements of accordion studies at the university of music. The idea of the project was developed by Kathrin Thorack, accordion teacher at the music school N° 5 in Vienna and Grzegorz Stopa, director of the international accordion class at the conservatoire of Vienna private university, and takes place annually since the opening of the first accordion class at university level in Vienna in 2005. Akkonsonanz enjoys a constantly growing interest of the young accordionists and the public. The program of the recent concert included works by J.S. Bach, T. Schlunck, I. Stravinsky, L. Saglie, F. Schubert, C. Norton, A. Piazzolla, A. Nordheim, I. Kuusisto, Viatcheslav Semionov and E. Lecuona. For further information email: herbert@accordion-cd.co.at |
Ksenija Sidorova Wins Prestigious Competition – UKby Prof. Owen Murray |
Ksenija Sidorova, a student of the Royal Academy of Music, London, won the 'Friends of the Royal Academy of Music Wigmore Award' competition on February 5th in the Wigmore Hall. Ksenija Sidorova was also awarded the audience prize. It is significant to note that this was a competition of the highest level involving all instruments and voice, with a professional jury that included maestro Yan Pascal Tortelier. That accordionists are having such success in competitions of this level open to all instruments and voice, is extremely exciting and moves the accordion another step closer to being fully integrated into the classical music culture in the UK. For that, we can all be happy! Ksenija Sidorova will play in a prize winners concert at the Wigmore Hall on May 18th. Please check the Wigmore Hall website for details nearer the date. For further information email: o.murray@ram.ac.uk |
Coupe Jeunesse Concert – Bratislavaby |
Following the CIA Winter Congress in Bratislava at the beginning of February, Frédéric Deschamps was invited to the jury of the Coupe Jeunesse competition organized by Tibor Racz, Dunajka Streda. Two of Fred Deschamp's brightest students were invited to perform: Julien Gonzales (France), 6 times winners of international competitions in classical and variété, Grayson Masefield (New Zealand), CMA Variete Champion 2008 and winner Castelfidardo 2008 category D, classical senior. In the first part of concert, the two artists performed classic pieces by Franck Angelis, transcriptions of Mozart, the piece of Viatcheslav Semionov "Aurores Bauréales" which won the award for best composition in the 2008 Coupe Mondiale. The second part of the concert was of French Variété music which really appealed to the audience. Also performing was Petar Maric of Belgrade, a student of the great teacher and master of the Tango Alexander Nikolic, leader of the group Beltango, who took advantage of the presence of specialist in Variété tuition Frédéric Deschamps' to learn more of this repertoire, under the watchful eyes of his teacher. A report of the Coupe Jeunesse competition including results is expected from the organiser Tibor Racz next week. |
Future events |
Masterclasses at the RAM, London – UKby Karen Ingram |
Friday February 20th - Accordion Masterclass, 10am - 1pm, and 2.30 - 6.00pm, Room 107, Royal Academy of Music. Free, no tickets required. Tutor will be Matti Rantanen, Head of Accordion at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, who has worked with and premiered works by leading composers in Finland including Magnus Lindberg. Wednesday March 4th, 7.30 pm - Accordion Showcase, David Josefowitz Recital Hall. Works for solo accordion and chamber music with accordion and strings, including pieces by Bach, Scarlatti, Sofia Gubaidulina, Piazzolla, Jurgen Ganzer and Piazzolla. Friday 6th March 6th, 10am - 1pm, and 2.30 - 6pm - Accordion Masterclass, York Gate 150, Royal Academy of Music. Free, no tickets required. Tutor is visiting professor Friedrich Lips, Head of Accordion at the Russian Academy of Music in Moscow. For further information email: K.INGRAM@ram.ac.uk |
New Accordion Course, St Louis – Franceby Harley Jones |
Anxious to contribute to the development and practice of quality accordion education, Robert Colombo and his son Laurent took the initiative to organize an accordion course in St. Louis, in the Upper Rhine, with the support of the City Council. This will take place from July 20th to 29th 2009. This course is aimed at musicians, minimum age 14 years and with over 5 years of practice. The individual and group activities will include such topics as maintenance, recording sessions and harmony. A booklet of information is already available, and places will be limited to 18 participants. The teaching team consists of Jean-Marc Marroni, Lawrence and Robert Colombo. St Louis is located in eastern France, and close to the borders with Germany and Switzerland. For further information email: info@uea68.fr |
Chango Spasiuk Quartet, Leeds – UKby Rob Howard |
Chango Spasiuk, the 2005 BBC world music award-winning accordionist and composer, leads his quartet in a performance of Chamamé, the folk music of the North East of Argentina at The Wardrobe, St Peter’s Square, Cross Green, Leeds, West Yorkshire on February 25th, 8.45pm. Chango's revitalizing of the lesser-known Chamamé native folk music tradition draws on and paints a rich melting pot sound picture of dances from his ancestral Ukraine, life in his beloved Misiones Province homeland (bordering Brazil and Paraguay) along with the technique , touch and tradition of Spanish classical music. |
Alexander Poeluev Concert Dedicated to World Accordion Day - Russiaby Harley Jones |
On February 24, the International Music Foundation "Harmony", has organised a solo concert by Alexander Poeluev at the Museum of Modern Art in Rostov-on-Don. The concert is dedicated to the upcoming World Accordion Day. This date was when the accordion was patented in 1829, and will be a unified global crusade to promote the diversity of the accordion and the outstanding artists that play it. Accordionists around the world are invited to join this international tribute to the accordion by holding an accordion event in honor of World Accordion Day on or close to May 6th. Please register your event on the World Accordion Day site. At the concert February 24, Alexander Poeluev will be perform a classical program of: Bach, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Viatcheslav Semionov, Holminov. For further information email: accordiondon@pochta.ru |
Le Duo Concerts, Brussels – Belgiumby Rob Howard |
Thibaut Dille – accordion, and Alexis Therain guitar, perform at the Théâtre Biekof, Kuipersstraat, 3-8000, Brussels, from February 23rd to 26th. On April 1st, the duo performs at the jazz club De Werf in Bruges. For further information email: communication@wazemmeslaccordeon.com |
CD Launch at NYAH Festival, Cavan – Irish Republicby Rob Howard |
Preparations are well in place for the Nyah County Cavan Festival 2009 (March 11th-20th) which will see hundreds of musicians and artists descend on the Breffni territory throughout the month of March to take part in a packed programme of events. The NYAH Festival celebrates the traditional music song, dance and culture of County Cavan. Now in the 6th year, this year’s festival includes a CD launch by piano accordionist Dean Warner. Dean Warner, from Leeds, England, was an All Ireland Champion in 2005. The launch takes place at a concert on March 13th, 8.30pm, at the Ramor Theatre, Virginia, Cavan. The following evening, March 14th, 8.30pm, a concert at the Ramor Theatre features button accordionists Joe Burke & Ann Conroy, and melodeon player Johnny Connolly. For further information email: cavanmusiclive@gmail.com |
New and Updated Sites |
Charnwood Publications New Accordion Compositionsby Charnwood Publishing |
Charnwood Publications releases 6 new pieces by composer Douglas Ward titled, 'Hymn for Her Too', 'Early Morning Rising', 'Clouds Passing', 'Crackpot', 'Four Candles' and 'Applecore'. Purchase with credit card. |
Bernard Marly new CDby Bernard Marly |
A new site selling a CD titled "Bernard Marly - Fait Son Cinema" with sound samples. Music performed by Bernard Marly. Purchase online. |
Yehuda Oppenheimer releases 3 arrangements for Acccordionby Yehuda Oppenheimer |
Yehuda Oppenheimer releases 3 arrangements for acccordion - 'Dolores', 'Picnic Arrangement' and 'Mazurka Arrangement'. Samples of the music are available online. The music are in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card. |
H S Production New Music Releasesby H S Productions |
H S Production releases 5 new pieces, 'Raindrops Arrangement', 'Song 1', 'Talking Arrangement', 'Song 2' and 'Children’s Song'. Samples of the music are available online. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card. |
Eugenia Marini new CDby Eugenia Marini |
A new site selling a CD titled "Water-Colours for Accordion" with sound samples. Music performed by Eugenia Marini. Purchase online. |
CD Reviews |
"La Cumparsita" by Friedrich Lips & his PIAZZOLLA-Studioby Joan C. Sommers |
CD Reviews Index for the Review of "La Cumparsita" by Friedrich Lips & his PIAZZOLLA-Studio |
¡BUENOS DIAS, ASTORǃ by Friedrich Lips & his PIAZZOLLA – Studioby Joan C. Sommers |
CD Reviews Index for the Review of ¡BUENOS DIAS, ASTOR! by Friedrich Lips & his PIAZZOLLA – Studio |
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