We
apologise that there will be no translation this week as our translators
are busy at the Frankfurt Musik Messe.
4th European Festival of Accordion Orchestras 2006 - Czech Republic
Contributed
by Rob
Howard
The
Czech Accordion Association and the concert and travel agency Club
Tours Agentur Prague are together organising the 4th European Accordion
Festival of Accordion Orchestras, in Prague. This international
event takes place from April 20th to 23rd, with the competition
all taking place on April 22nd.
The festival takes place in the impressive hall of the Vinohrady
National House and in other halls in the city of Prague. The festival
includes accordion orchestras from Czech Republic Estonia, Germany,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia,
Switzerland and the UK.
The categories include:-
1) Junior Accordion Orchestras, under the age 16 year
2) Classical Music, no age limits, at least 10 accordions
3) Light Music, no age limits, 12 or more players.
The
annual NAO
UK Accordion Championships is to be held from May 5th to 7th
in Scarborough. The Opening Gala concert on Friday evening features
the Classic Buskers, Julian Gonzales (France) picture right, the
current CIA Junior Variety and CMA Senior Variety Entertainment
Champion, and Romany Rye.
The competition classes to be held throughout Saturday and Sunday
involve some 350 plus entries and include a complete range of solo,
duo, group and orchestra classes. After the prize presentation on
Saturday evening, the traditional Scottish Ceilidh will be held
with Gary Blair and his band.
A full trade show will be held in the Green Lounge, including accordions,
music, CDs, throughout the three days.
Miller
Theatre at Columbia University in New York City, has launched a new
three-year project to commission twelve world-class composers to write
twelve new Pocket Concertos - works for soloist and sinfonietta -
and to present the world premieres of four of these new works each
season for the next three seasons.
A roster of outstanding musicians will play the new works. The magician
of the instrument, Guy Klucevsek (pictured), will perform the first,
Accordion Concerto by Julia Wolfe, on April 22nd, at 8pm. It was written
for accordion and chamber orchestra.
The Pocket Concerto Project is a major initiative of Miller Theatre's
longstanding commitment to commissioning and presenting new works.
The Theatre's goal to make lasting and substantial contributions to
the repertoire now includes a work featuring the accordion.
Pearl
Adriano Resumes Her Career, Barnsley - UK
Contributed
by Rob
Howard
International
accordion virtuoso Pearl Adriano, previously known as Pearl Fawcett,
has resumed performing after a long break due to personal reasons.
Pearl, who was married to the late Adrian
Dante (birth name Dante Adriano), was one of the UK's most notable
innovators: the first to the first to teach and to give accordion
recitals at a Conservatoire in Great Britain, and the first give recitals
on television. She was also the first Western female accordionist
to make a solo concert tour of the USSR. Pearl was also the first
leading UK player to use and promote the electronic accordion.
Pearl was the CMA
Junior and Senior World Champion, and her other competition successes
include winning numerous British and Commonwealth titles at every
age level. She has made many recordings of classical, Continental
and dance music, and also has several compositions to her credit.
Pearl Adriano's performing engagements for 2006 include:-
September 29th, 30th and October 1st - Recoaro Terme, Italy (15th
Raduno Internazionale Veterani Della Fisarmonica)
October 7th - Soar Valley Accordion Club, Leicester
October 13th to 16th - Eastbourne Accordion Festival
November 2nd to 6th - Accordions International 2006, Caister
November 21st - Stockport Accordion Club.
Performing
En Route to the Fair, Hamburg - Germany
Contributed by Rob
Howard
Accordionist,
organist and Excelsior
demonstrator Jon Hammond has travelled to Germany, performing in Hamburg
prior to moving on to the Musikmesse Fair, Frankfurt, which takes
places from March 29th to April 1st. Jon writes as follows:- "Two
of our three Hamburg gigs are done before we head out to Frankfurt.
Last night was excellent and fun, the club was directly in the Harburg
train station in Harburg-Hamburg so we heard the train going by every
2 minutes (music to my ears!). Tomorrow night we make our 'Multimedia
Party' in INDRA located in St. Pauli Hamburg. INDRA is the original
club where the Beatles played here before they moved over to the Star
Club (which later burnt down). I know some old-timer Star Club characters
here so we are hoping they will join us tomorrow night."
Viktor
Romanko Appearances, Frankfurt - Germany
Russian
accordionist Viktor Romanko will be demonstrating for the Hohner
accordion company at the Musikmesse Fair in Frankfurt, March 29th
to April 1st. He will be demonstrating at the following times:-
March 29th - 12 noon and 2.30pm
March 30th - 12noon, 2.30pm and 6pm
March 31st - 11am, 12 noon and 2.30pm
April 1st - 12 noon and 3pm
On
April 2nd - Viktor Romano performs in concert at the Klosterkirche
(cloister church), Kassel, at 5pm.
Viktor Romanko is Professor of Accordion at the Urals Conservatory
at Jekaterininburg, Russia. He has many recordings and international
concert tours to his credit, and tours regularly in Germany.
Easter
Accordion Break, Somerset - UK Contributed
by Rob
Howard
London-based
accordion teacher John Leslie is to provide tuition to all levels
at the Easter Accordion Break, held at St Audrie's Bay Holiday Club
in Somerset.
The event, which runs from April 10th to 14th, includes accommodation,
breakfast, evening meal, workshops, and practical and theory lessons.
La
Bottine Souriante, Quebec - Canada La
Bottine Souriante, a nine-piece ensemble from Quebec featuring Pierre
Belisle on piano accordion and Pierre-Luc Dupois on 3-row button accordion,
have performed traditional French Canadian music since 1976. They
perform at music festivals and concerts around the world, and have
a loyal following in many countries.
La Bottine Souriante (whose name literally means 'The Smiling Boot')
are to appear at the Festival International de Lafayette, Louisiana,
USA, on April 28th and 30th. On April 29th, they appear at the Houston
International Festival in Texas.
Isle
of Skye Accordion & Fiddle Festival, Scotland - UK Contributed by Rob
Howard
The second Isle of Skye Accordion & Fiddle Festival takes place
from May 25th to 27th, at the Royal Hotel, Portree, and at other venues
on this Scottish island. There are concerts and ceilidhs, and also
the launch of a new CD by accordionist Ross MacPherson.
The festival involves many accordionists, including Ross MacPherson,
Ian Cameron, the Marian Anderson Scottish Dance Band, and the Ballochmyle
Ceilidh Band.
Bruno
Maurice Summer Master Classes and Concerts - France
Contributed by Holda
Paoletti-Kampl
Accordionist
Bruno Maurice is to conduct master classes and also to perform in
concert at the International Festival of Les Arcs, held from July
15th to 28th, and at also the International Festival of Guérande,
from August 12th to 26th.
Bruno Maurice is Professor of Accordion at the National Conservatory
of Bordeaux, and an international accordion soloist. He studied
at the Tchaikovsky Academy in Kiev, Ukraine, and has won accordion
competitions in France, Italy and Sweden.
Free of Charge
- Advertising Theme of the Eurovision Song Contest, Athens 2006. Israeli
arranger, composer and performer Yehuda
Oppenheimer has just released in cooperation with MusicForAccordion.com
an arrangement of the Te
Deum Prelude, which was written by M.A.Charpentier (1643-1704).
This melody is the advertising theme of the Eurovision Song Contests,
which is next being held in Athens.
This year the Eurovision Semi Final is being run on 18 May and the
Final on 20 May. As a promotional gift, the new arrangement is being
sent free of charge to all MusicForAccordion.com February and March
2006 clients. So buy any music, book or CD from MusicForAccordion.com
in March 2006 and you will receive free of charge, this new arrangement
by Yehuda Oppenheimer. Listen to the sample
tracks of the beautiful Oppenheimer CD now online as well as view
samples of his fine compositions
and arrangements.
A new site selling
a book titled 'L'Accordéon
& SA Diversité Sonore'. Book in French language about
the accordion reeds and the sound and how to tune and repair the reeds
of the accordions. Author is Thierry Benetoux of France.
James O' Brien - composer, arranger and performer, releases another
5 new works for accordion available for purchase online. 'As
I Went Out' (traditional), 'Bagpiper's
Carol' (traditional), 'Carnival
of Venice' (traditional), 'Cicirinella'
(traditional), 'Hopak'
(traditional). Samples of this music are available on the site. The
music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase
with credit card.
The American
Accordionists' Association (AAA) site has been updated to show
current competition information for 2006 including the national festival
comeptitions and the $10,000 first prize 'Vivian Vivio Stolaruk International
Entertainment Competition for Accordionists' which will be held from
July 12-14, 2006 at the Adams Mark Hotel, Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY.
GSB
srl, Manager: Markus Rumpf. GSB srl specialise in:- Keyboards
of accordion and electronic keyboards assemblage. Mechanical assemblage
of all kind of accordions. Constituent elements of accordion assemblage.
Accordion repairing. Revisione generale per fisarmonica. Accordion
general reconditioning.
James O' Brien
- composer, arranger and performer, releases another 6 new works for
accordion available for purchase online. 'Talk
To Me' (traditional), 'Tarantella-Napolitana'
(traditional), 'Tiritomba'
(traditional), 'Vieni
Sul Mar' (traditional), 'Wild
Mountain Thyme' (traditional), 'Windmiller
Polka' (traditional). Samples of this music are available on the
site. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer.
Purchase with credit card.
Vassily
Glubochenko releases a new composition of 'Walk
With the Mops'. Sample of the music is available online.
The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer.
Purchase with credit card.