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Highlights |
Due to Technical Updates, the Weekly News will be Online later Saturday Morningby Harley Jones |
36th Castelfidardo International Accordion Festival Daily Reports - Italyby Holda Paoletti-Kampl |
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The Daily Reports and Results start Tuesday 20th September at 2011 Concorso for the 36th Castelfidardo International Accordion Festival and Competitions. The daily timetable is online. See photos and information of well known accordion identities, performers and contestants at 2011 Concorso. |
Marco Lo Russo on TV Performing Live Before Pope Benedict XV1 – Italyby Dina Tomezzoli |
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On September 10th accordionist Marco Lo Russo performed at the XXV Congresso Eucaristico Nazionale (National Eucharstic Congress) held in Marche, Fincantieri, Ancona, in the presence of His Holiness Pope Benedict XV1. The event and the performance of Marco Lo Russo was watched by an audience of 50,000 and was also broadcast live on TV by RAI UNO, one of the biggest Italian TV channels. On stage in the town of Marche, the event was presented by Lorena Bianchetti and Father Hermes Ronchi, alternating moments of reflection with performances from the show. Involved were His Eminence Angelo Bagnasco and Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Enzo De Caro, Lina Sastri, Mario Biondi, Stefano di Battista, Nicky Nicolai, Nicholas Agliardi, Domenico Di Mauro, and many other foreign artists. The accompaniment was provided by the Marche Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Michael Lorusso. Marco Lo Russo performed his compositions for solo accordion and accordion with orchestra, with which he accompanied Lina Sastri reading 75 poems of Constantine Cavafy and ‘I like you’, by Merini Alda. There was an exhibition of the Milonga, for accordion and orchestra, and the dancers performed the ballet by Liliana Cosi. From September 20th to 22nd Marco Lo Russo and the Bubbez live orchestra will accompany the actresses Maddalena Crippa, Lina Sastri and Tosca in the show by Emanuela Giordano, ‘Le Italiane’, at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. |
61st Trophée Mondiale, September 13th to 18th, Pineto - Italyby Harley Jones |
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![]() ![]() The event is run by the Confédération Mondiale de l'Accordéon (CMA) and hosted in Pineto by the Municipality of Pineto and organiser Artistic Director, famous jazz accordionist and teacher, Renzo Ruggieri (picture left). CMA President Frédéric Deschamps picture right. Please visit the Channel CMA and the CMA website for Daily Reports and results. |
Irish Open Accordion Festival 2012, County Meath – Republic of Irelandby Yvonne Chilton, Secretary Irish Acc. Assoc. |
![]() ![]() The Irish Accordion Association is holding the Irish Open Accordion Festival 2012, incorporating the annual All Ireland Accordion Festival, on March 31st and April 1st 2012 in the Newgrange Hotel, Navan, Co. Meath (about 40km north of Dublin). Attached are the Rules and Regulations, entry information and the Test Pieces list. 2012IAA The special guest artist next year is Cory Pesaturo (picture right), from the USA, winner of the CIA Coupe Mondiale Digital Accordion category and the 2011 Primus Ikaalinen Festival in Finland. This will be an exciting event featuring traditional Irish music, dancing and entertainment. You will be sure of a warm Irish welcome and leave with some great memories. For further information email Yvonne Chilton: chilton_accordion@hotmail.com |
Michael Bridge Canadian V-Accordion Champion, Ontario – Canadaby Harley Jones |
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![]() The competition took place at the Hansa Haus, Mississauga, Ontario, on September 8th and for his win, Michael took home a top-of-the-line Roland FR-7X V-Accordion. 18 year old Michael Bridge impressed the audience and judges alike with his wide musical range, technical ability and stage presence performing four pieces ranging from Broadway, Baroque, and Jazz that brought the audience to their feet. Runner-up was Eugene Laskiewicz (picture above right) from Mississauga, Ontario and 3rd place was Kimberley Pritchard (picture above left), from Brooklin, Ontario, both providing intense competition and very enjoyable music for the audience. The top three semi-finalists were chosen from the entries sent from all over Canada. The Youth Division winner Yifei Zhang also performed before the sizeable audience. |
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
Online MusicTech Festival Ready For Voting Castelfidardo – Italyby Holda Paoletti-Kampl |
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![]() The festival organizers are now preparing to publish all the videos on the festival internet site www.musictechfestival.com, where they may be viewed until the 15th October. MusicTech Director Claudio Sabbatini (picture right) explains that "There is no jury. Instead, the online audience vote, with each person given 1 vote for each category. Voting is from 16th September to 15th October 2011.” Teachers, performers and all lovers of the accordion are now invited to view online the video entries and vote for the musician they believe should be the winner of the first online 'MusicTech Festival’. For all information, please visit www.musictechfestival.com or write via email to: info@musictech.it |
Accordionist Teaches at Composers’ Academy, Tchaikovsky City- Moscowby Harley Jones |
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Picture above: Sergej Tchirkov rehearsing new work by the student Anton Svetlichny (left) and Pierluigi Billone (right). The First International Academy of Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble (MCME) in Tchaikovsky City was held in the Perm region, Russia, from August 26th to September 8th. Twelve composers from Russia, Australia, Sweden, France, and Italy, selected by the professional jury, were requested to work on new compositions under the patronage of guest-professors Franck Bebrossian (France) and Pierluigi Billone as well as the instrumentalists of the MCME. including the accordionist Sergej Tchirkov. Five compositions, which were premiered at the gala-concert, featured the accordion. In addition to the lectures and workshops, Tchirkov conducted master-class and performed a recital featuring works by Dmitri Kourliandski, Franck Bedrossian, Pierluigi Billone, and John Palmer. The final concert was held in the Moscow Philharmonic Chamber Hall on Sept. 12th and included following works: Esajas Järnegard – ‘Zürich. Am See’ for clarinet, accordion and cello, Anton Svetlichny – ‘Dark Ambient’ for accordion solo, Robert Dahm – ‘Duo for flute and accordion’, Marina Poleukhina – ‘Tregadum’ for accordion and piano, Pierluigi Billone - ‘Mani.Stereos’ for accordion solo. For further information email: tchirkov@inkin.de |
Jacques Pellarin & Winemakers Create a Wine from Music!, Bonnard - Franceby Rob Howard |
![]() The vintage 2009 Romananche is a variety of pinot noir, worked in oak barrels for a whole year. It is a wine produced in the appellation, Bugey, France. Its label is decorated with an excerpt from the composer's score. This vine has caused two works that are found in a bottle. We can now enjoy Romananche other than on the album of the Jacques Pellarin Trio, ‘Karenita’. For further information email: jacques.pellarin@wanadoo.fr |
Cesare Chiacchiaretta in Concert, Helsinki – Finlandby Holda Paoletti-Kampl |
![]() The transcriptions presented music ranging from composers such as Domenico Scarlatti, Antonio Vivaldi, and Gioachino Rossini, including the Busoni arrangement of the ‘Chaconne’, by JS Bach. There was also music composed by Rachmaninov, transcribed in an Italian style. The concert was presented by Italian composer and musicologist Paolo Rosato. |
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‘14 Years Ago’ – News from Reykjavik in 1997 - Icelandby Rob Howard |
![]() Still very active today, Tatu Kantomaa will be performing over the coming days at Pieni Kansani LauluPieni Kansani Laulu on September 16th, 17th, 23rd, and 24th 2011. All concerts begin at 7pm. Further information can be found on Tatu Kantomaa’s website. TATU KANTOMAA IN ICELAND Contributed by Thorsteinn Thorsteinsson On September 2nd Mr Tatu Kantomaa performed at a concert in the Art-gallery at Sigurjon Olafsson in Reykjavik, Iceland, to an audience of over 150, with standing room only. Mr Kantomaa played a variety of pieces including: ‘Ai, ai sorja simisilmapoika’ (a Finnish folk song), ‘Voices of Spring’ (Strauss), ‘Hungarian Rhapsody No 2’ (Liszt), ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee’ (Rimsky-Korsakov), and ‘Sabre Dance’ (Khachaturian). The biggest newspaper in Iceland, ‘Morgunbladid’, included an article written by Mr Jon Asgeirsson (a member of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra Committee, and highly respected musician and composer) on Tatu Kantomaa, which included the following: "Tatu Kantomaa (born 1974) is a young genius from Finland and he not only has great technique, but he uses it in a particularly musical way. Right at the beginning he showed his unbelievable technique. All the music was extremely well played. Tatu Kantomaa is in one word, a GENIUS". |
Future events |
Vibratango Concerts, St. Feliu de Codines, Sabadell - Spainby Holda Paoletti-Kampl |
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Vibratango are Ferran Martinez (accordion), Mario Bernaus (bass guitar) and Raul Serrano (percussion). Their current program includes works by C. GardelL, A. Piazzolla, E. Garner, and V.Vlasov. September 16th, 7pm - Can Llong Cívic Centre, Sabadell October 1st, 6pm - Cívic Centre, St. Feliu de Codines October 5th, 9pm - Joventuts Musicals de Sabadell October 8th, 9pm - Local de Cercs, For further information email: info@vibratango.com |
“Adios, El Presidente…!” Stockport – UKby Rob Howard |
![]() Stockport AC will be giving Johnny and Phyllis a farewell send-off party at The Railway, Wellington Road North (the A6), Stockport SK4 1HF, on Saturday September 17th, 7.30pm onwards. The Railway is Stockport’s ‘Real Ale Pub of the Year’. There will be a buffet, and accordionist Harry Hussey will be on hand to entertain as only he can. Johnny Coleclough has been the Stockport AC President since 1996, succeeding Clifford Wood, and was previously Vice President 1994/96. A veteran professional accordionist, Johnny has played residencies in Spain, Scotland, Blackpool Tower, the Manchester Bierkeller, and numerous pubs and clubs. His considerable gig history even includes guest appearances with Count Basie and Mantovani, plus his many ‘Buskers’ and ‘Stagecraft’ workshops at the Caister, Pakefield and Blackpool accordion festivals. For further information email: robaccord5@hotmail.com |
NHAA Open Meeting/Donna Regis Mini-Concert, New Hampshire – USAby Rob Howard |
![]() Her scheduled future concert stops are: September 29th, Union Grove, WI; October 1st, Green Bay, WI; October 2nd, Superior WI; October 3rd, Cloquet MN. In addition to the concert in Superior, Donna Marie Regis, who serves as curator of the De Rossi archive, will present the World of Accordions Museum several important items to expand its existing De Rossi collection and exhibit. Further information can be found in an article on Donna Maria Regis in the September edition of the United States National News: http://www.accordionusa.com/default.aspx#art848 |
Human Rights Film Night, London – UKby Rita Barnea |
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Amnesty Hampstead proudly presents its Human Rights Film Night at the Tricycle Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Rd, London NW6 7JR. on Thursday September 22nd, 8.30pm. Featuring animation, documentary and fiction, this showcase of human rights related films offers a global portrait of issues related to Amnesty's campaigns, including refugees and asylum, women's human rights, and prisoners of conscience. Profits from the event will go to Amnesty International. The short films include Jafar Panahi's film ‘The Accordion’, made in Iran. It is a story of two child street musicians who find their livelihood threatened when their accordion is taken away by force, but resolve their situation in a novel way. An uplifting tale steeped with many meanings from Iranian director Jafar Panahi. internationally acclaimed for feature films such as ‘The Circle’ (winner of the Golden Lion, Venice Film Festival) and ‘Offside’, Panahi has recently been sentenced to six years' imprisonment by the Iranian regime and banned from making films for 20 years. |
Opening of The Accordion Apocalypse Repair Shop, San Francisco – USAby Rob Howard |
![]() On Friday September 23rd, 6pm until 9pm, Accordion Apocalypse will host an Opening Gala celebration with tours, antique accordion collection, live music from The Black Hats and the Tumbleweed Trio, and refreshments. The owner/technician is Skyler Fell. For further information email: accordionapocalypse@yahoo.com |
‘Sounds of Russia’ Concert, Manchester – UKby Rob Howard |
‘Sounds of Russia’ is a concert presenting Russian traditional music, performed by the Kalinka Balalaika Orchestra and Ensemble (MD Brian Hulme), featuring special guests Polish accordionist Damian Kujawski and the Russian vocal duo Bylina. The concert takes place on Saturday September 24th, 7.30pm, at the Emmanuel Church, Barlow Moor Road, Didsbury, Manchester M20 6TR. Pancakes will be available. Admission is free. For further information email: randb.hulme@btinternet.com |
Accordion Examination Board of NZ Concert, Auckland- New Zealandby Megan Jennings, NZAA Competitions Secretary |
An Accordion Examinations Board of NZ concert and Allan William Jones Memorial Scholarships takes place at the Brian Gerrard Theatre Birkenhead College, 140 Birkdale Rd, Birkenhead, Auckland, Sunday September 25th, at 11am. |
‘Odyssée de l'Accordéon’, Paris – Franceby Rob Howard |
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‘Odyssée de l'Accordéon’ is a variety show on October 6th, 8.30pm, at Théatre Le Trianon, 80 bl. Rochechouart, 75018 Paris. The performers include jazz accordionist Ludovic Beier, classical accordionists the Paris-Moscow Duo, accordion/piano Duo Nuances, tango specialists William Sabatier Trio, virtuoso accordionist Emy Dragoi, accordion champion Benoît Nortier, world music trio BATpointG, and singers Vicky Bila and Sophie Boyer. For further information email: kam@grandeodyssee.com |
Help Desk, Information needed, Readers CommentsSubmit Your Question, CommentNEW FEATURE! TRY IT NOW |
French Accordian CD'sby | Modify | Delete |
My question, is there someone who could just name one or two CD's I could order? He says it's almost all he ever listened to when he lived in France but being 91, his memory is not so good and he can't remember the names of the artists. PLEASE HELP! Thank you..... Louise |
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