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Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
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Highlights |
Press Conference, Roland V-Accordion Finals - Italyby Harley Jones |
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![]() The Roland V-Accordion Festival is being held at the very prestigious Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome. The press conference announced the finalists from 17 countries and the jury and all the information about the finals. Also online will be daily reports of the Roland V-Accordion Festival on the 7th and 8th November. 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals 2008 Rome Finals |
61st Coupe Mondiale A Tremendous Success - Scotlandby Kevin Friedrich |
![]() The winners were: Coupe Mondiale - Uladzislau Plihauka (Belarus) Junior Coupe Mondiale - Momir Novakovic (Serbia) International Competition for Piano Accordion - Marko Miletic (Serbia) Virtuoso Entertainment - Eduard Akhanov (Russia) Junior Virtuoso Entertainment - Benoit Nortier (France) International Competition for Chamber Music - Yulia Amerikova and Alexander Selivanov (Russia). Full Results in Scotland Daily Reports. Delegates attended the 120th General Assembly, while representatives of the four long standing competitions of CMA, Klingenthal, Castelfidardo and CIA held a historical first ever meeting, in a show of solidarity towards the future of the accordion and the young artists that are competing internationally. The 144 member ‘CIA World Accordion Orchestra II’ performed the world premiere of a new work 'Film Noir: CIty at Night' by Los Angeles based composer Leonard Stack conducted by Joan Sommers (USA), as well as works conducted by well known United Kingdom conductors Brian Laurie, Graham Laurie, Ronnie Brown and Elaine Beecham. 2008 Coupe Mondiale Organizer and 2008 CIA Honorary Vice President Anna Bodell and NAO Chairperson Graham Laurie concluded the spectacular weeklong event, inviting attendees to enjoy the traditional Scottish Ceilidh dance hosted by accordionist Gary Blair. For a detailed report on each day’s activities, please visit 2008 Scotland Daily Reports. |
Trossinger Harmonica Masters Workshops 2008 - Germanyby Stefanie Zimmer, Marketing Manager, Hohner Gmbh |
![]() ![]() The event is organised by the Stadt Trossingen in cooperation with the Hohner-Konservatorium Trossingen and sponsored by Hohner Gmbh. Artistic Direction and Concept: Steve Baker. In November 2003, Steve Baker joined forces with the Trossingen Cultural Office to present the first Harmonica Masters Workshops in Trossingen, Germany, home of the Hohner company. This annual event is unique in Europe and combines seminars lasting several days, taught by leading professional players and educators, with evening concerts and open sessions. The emphasis of the workshops will be contemporary styles and playing techniques on the diatonic Richter harmonica or blues harp. The exact subject matter will be agreed upon in discussion with the instructors and the students. For further information HMW 2008 Brochure English and HMW 2008 pdf - Deutsch |
NAA 2009 Convention Dates and USA/Canada Accordion Networkby Norman Seaton |
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![]() National Accordion Association (NAA) officials are now announcing a new accordion-related web site on Accordions Worldwide, aiming to provide connectivity among the various accordion associations, societies, clubs, festivals, and other significant accordion-related events throughout the USA and Canada. Visit the new web site at http://NationalAccordion.org Currently the web site is very basic; however, NAA officials are revising the web site as they receive information from USA & Canadian organisations, aiming to complete the site by December 31st 2008. The NAA is looking for corporate sponsors for the new web site and their popular annual convention. |
Velikorusskogo Orchestra 120 Year Anniversary - Russiaby Alexander Poeluev |
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On the 26th October in the Rostov State Philharmonic Great Hall, a completely full house attended the concert celebrating the 120-year anniversary of the famous Velikorusskogo Orchestra of Russian folk instruments, which was created by V.V. Andreev! The orchestra includes 4 accordionists. The concert consisted of more than 10 orchestras of Russian folk instruments from all over the Rostov region. Concert organiser was the chief conductor of the orchestra "Don", Krikor Hurdayan, professor of Rostov State Conservatory S V Rachmaninov. At the concert played famous Rostov accordionist Alex Shalygin! At the end of the concert, the combined orchestras, which numbered about 100 people, performed a famous Polonaise composed by V.V. Andreev! |
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
‘Vivat Accordion’, Klaipeda – Lithuaniaby Yuri Boldin |
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![]() Established in 1998, the festival featured a number of prominent musicians, including Yuri Medianik, Sergey Osokin, Aidar Gaynulin and Pavel Fenyuk. Along with concerts in an acoustically perfect organ chapel, there were master classes and seminars organised on a daily basis. This year the festival program featured both well known and new names. Three big concerts were given respectively by the Saratov Accordion Trio (with participation of Liudmila Slekonyte), bandoneonist Alexander Mitenev, from The Netherlands, together with the Klaipeda Chamber orchestra, performed Astor Piazzolla’s ‘Aconcagua Concerto’ for bandoneon, and music by Argentinean composer Gustavo Beytelmann. Miroslav Lelyukh, with his new project ‘M-Light’, played jazz and valse musette. Server Abkerimov (Professor from Moscow Gnesin’s Music Academy), together with Miroslav Lelyukh, closed the festival playing chamber music with the participation of Gennady Savkov, a member of Lithuanian Accordion Duet. The festival was attended by hundreds of accordion lovers from all over Lithuania. Year by year ‘Vivat Accordion’ becomes an increasingly very remarkable accordion event in the Baltic. The next festival will be held in October 2010. The Artistic Director of the festival is Robertas Uzgalis. For further information: u.robertas@gmail.com |
Aidar Gaynullin Performances - Russiaby Herbert Scheibenreif |
![]() The closing Gala concert of IV musical festival ‘Crescendo’ held in the St.-Petersburg academic philharmonic society on October 9th and 10th brought together the best representatives of the new generation of Russian musicians and stars of world size in the concert hall named after P.Tchaikovsky. The performance of the musicians was broadcasted on the central television channel ‘Culture’. Led by Denis Matsuev, artistic director of festival, violinist Sergey Krylov, cellist Sergey Antonov, oboist Alexey Ogrinchuk, trumpeter Sergey Nakarjakov, pianist Miroslav Kultyshev and bayanist Aidar Gaynullin were performing on stage. The program of the concerts in the northern capital included works by Enescu, Arban, Bizet-Sarasate, Ponchielli, Liszt, Piazzolla, Rimsky-Korsakov and Prokofiev accompanied by the Ural Academic Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dmitry Liss. After this festival Aidar Gaynullin has performed at a concert in memory of maestro MstislavRostropovich in the Kennedy Centre in Washington organized by his daughter Olga Rostropovich (the president of the fund of Mstislav Rostropovich). From October 24th until November 7th, Aidar Gajnullin is performing solo concerts in different cities of Russia. |
Eichholzer Castle Concert, Wesseling - Germanyby Holda Paoletti-Kampl |
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‘Contrasts’ - that was the motto of the ‘Eichholzer Castle Concert’ organized by the music forum Wesseling with Mirjam Schroeder, harp, and the ensemble of the Accordion Orchestra Wesseling, taking place on October 22nd. A contrast not only between harp and accordion or solo and ensembles. The Professor of Wesseling presented the "classic" harp sounds with the work "Introduction, Cadenza and Rondo" by Elias Parish-Alvars, also called "Liszt the Harp", and the Impromptu op 86 by Gabrel Fauré, but also unusual sounds in contemporary composition "With silver thorns ... " by Jörg-Peter Mittmann - atonal and sometimes grotesque. The second half of the 25th anniversary concert was dedicated to the ensemble Accordion Orchestra Wesseling which was founded 25 years ago. From their extremely wide-ranging repertoire they presented a selection of original compositions for accordion and a spectrum of music, that ranged from compositions with themes of early music, combined with elements of swing, a neo-classical suite, the new music belong, to folkloric music from Argentina and Ireland. With their enthusiasm the six amateur musicians stunned the audience with baroque swing pieces such as ‘Partita Piccola’, by Christine Bol. The concert included "The Londondary Air" - the fast folk dances Reel and Jig - with rigorous rhythm, stylized motifs present solo passages as well as tutti-passages. With this work, the ensemble participated at the ‘2nd Rudolf Würthner Cup’, in 1987 in Trossingen. A technically and musically high level competition where from 60 worldwide participating orchestras they placed 11th, with "excellent" honours. |
Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festival, Scotland – UKby Rob Howard |
![]() The visiting guests included the Colin Dewar SDB, Duncan Black SDB, James Coutts SDB, Niall Kirkpatrick SDB, Tom Orr SDB, Nicky McMichan SDB, Craig Paton, George Balfour, Mark Cummine, Ian Robertson, Willie Johnstone, Liz Doherty, Larry Gavin, Terje Martinsen, Lynne Christie, and Neil Copland. A DVD, ‘The 21st Shetland Accordion & Fiddle Festival’, featuring many of these bands and accordionists has been issued. For further information email: info@concordemusic.com |
Alexander Mitenev Returns, Kaliningrad - Russiaby Yuri Boldin |
![]() In the second part of the concert Alexander was accompanied by Miroslav Lelyukh on accordion and pianist Grigory Palamarchuk, and this trio played music by Astor Piazzolla. Alexander (previously an accordion student of Professor Nikolay Kravtsov, St. Petersburg), started working closely together with tango communities since 2005, playing on numerous milongas and festivals. These include ‘Tango of White Nights’ (Russia), ‘Sata-Hame Soi’ (Finland), ‘Tango Fest’ (Sweden), and ‘Ransater Festival’ (Sweden). In 2005 Alexander bought his first ‘Alfred Arnold’ bandoneon, and was self-taught, including it step by step into his performances. The following year, 2006, Alexander appeared as a soloist in the premiere of the opera ‘Maria de Buenos Aires’ in Moscow, together with Pablo Zinger, Leonardo Granados, Juan Villareal, and other great musicians. In 2007 Alexander Mitenev began studies in Rotterdam Conservatory with maestros Leo Vervelde, Victor Hugo Villena and Gustavo Beytelmann. |
Emir Bosnjak Wins Roland V-Accordion Festival, Denmarkby Mette Danielsen |
![]() Emir Bosnjak, originally from Bosnia, took his music teacher degree in 2000 majoring in accordion, graduating in 2001. In 2003, he completed a two-yearclassical post graduate course at the Soloist class Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus. His musical background of classical music, Bosnian folk music, love of French musette, passion for Tango, inspired a press report: “Bosnjak will undoubtedly have a great and probably innovative significance for the expansion of his instrument on several fields.” Emir Bosnjak has performed with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Aarhus Sinfonieta and Randers Chamber Orchestra. As a composer he has written and released music for the accordion and computer, string quartet, tango trio, as well as film music for several Danish motion pictures. Lately Emir Bosnjak has worked as composer and conductor at Aarhus Theatre with famous Danish actor/instructor Soren Ostergaard. For further information email: mette.danielsen@roland.dk |
Future events |
Fall Polka Festival, Pennsylvania – USAby Rob Howard |
![]() Bands appearing include Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones, Polka Family, America's Polka Sweetheart - Stephanie Pietrzak, The Knewz, Stas Golonka & The Chicago Masters, Ray Jay & The Carousels, The Dynabrass, Buffalo Concertina All Stars, and The Nu-Tones. For further information email: BelAire7208@aol.com |
Guy Klucevsek Recital, Texas – USAby Rob Howard |
![]() On Saturday, November 8th, 2pm, Guy Klucevsek will present a solo accordion recital of original works from his album ‘The Well-Tampered Accordion’ (Winter & Winter) at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas. For further information email: gklucevsek@si.rr.com |
Accordion Demonstrations, Pontoise – Franceby Rob Howard |
The Accordion Club in Pontoise, situated in the North West suburbs of Paris, organises a series of accordion demonstrations on November 9th, December 14th, and January 25th 2009. The organiser is Josiane Legoff. For further information email: josiane.legoff@orange.fr |
Duo Balyk on stage in Salzburg – Austriaby Holda Paoletti-Kampl |
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The Duo Balyk – bayan and domra - perform at the Michael Haydn Gedenkstätte, Stift St. Peter, 5020 Salzburg, on November 22nd, 7.30pm. For further information email: office@akkordeonstage.com |
“Incontri”…next appearances with La Damigiana - Italyby Holda Paoletti-Kampl |
![]() 7/11 ore 10.30 ed ore 12.30 : Klaus + Turisti 8/11 ore 21.30 Falconara Notte Rosa 9/11 ore 16,30 Ripe Casa di Riposo 9/11 ore 17.00 Torrette di Ancona Auto e Moto Raduno 14/11 ore 20.00 a Belvedere Ostrense Festa Cantine For information e-mail: sergio.badialetti@telecomitalia.it |
CD Reviews |
Il Giardino di Sofiaby Renato Belardinelli |
![]() CD Reviews Index. |
New and Updated Sites |
New Music - 'I Like It'by Peter Piccini |
Peter Piccini - accordionist, composer, arranger, performer, release 1 new work for accordion available for purchase online. 'I Like It'. Samples of this music is available on the site. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card. |
November Edition of USA Accordion News - USAby Kevin Friedrich |
The November editions of the USA News will be online tomorrow. |
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