La Compagnie Hohner célébrera 150 ans de fabrication d’ instruments de musique le 8 et 9 septembre avec une 'Big Town Party'. Fondé en 1857 par l’horloger Mathias Hohner, la compagnie a commencé à faire des harmonicas, produisant plus tard une grande gamme d’accordéons de bouton et piano, en se diversifiant plus récemment dans la fabrication d'autres instruments tel que les guitares, les claviers et les pianos.
Un programme de musique complet, une exposition d'instruments de musique, un marché, une tentative de record mondial jouant l'harmonica et beaucoup plus d'attractions, attendent les visiteurs à Trossingen.
Sur le thème de 'La Musique se joue à Trossingen’, la Compagnie Hohner - maintenant mené par Dr. Horst Braeuning, la ville de Trossingen, l'association commerciale, le Volksbank Trossingen, la communauté promotionnelle, la brasserie Hirsch et nombreuses institutions et clubs locales, célèbrent avec une Big Party Town.
Les artistes impliqués pendant les célébrations incluent 'Feldberger' avec Frau Waeber, 'BB & the Blues Shacks’, 'Triple Sweet' et Manfred Leuchter, 'Dr. Quincy and the Lemonshakers”, ‘Blues Delivery', 'Abi Wallenstein & Blues Culture', y compris Steve Baker, the 'Hohner Akkordeonorchester 1927 e.V.', l'ensemble 'Art of Accordion', et le Champion Mondial d’harmonica, de Trossingen, Kathrin Gass, accompagné par Hans-Guenther Koelz.
Un des grands moments sera l'ouverture d'une exposition spéciale du musée de l'harmonica dans le 'Bau V’ dans un lieux Hohner approprié. De plus, il y aura un jour libre dans l'école de musique et dans le Conservatoire.
La tentative de dépasser le nombre de joueurs du record mondial existant pour la 'plus grande orchestre d'harmonica dans le monde' aura lieu dimanche après-midi, le 9 septembre à 16h, et autant de joueurs que possible est exigé. Un entraînement/répétition aura lieu le jour auparavant. 1,706 joueurs à Seattle, Washington, USA, a établi le record actuelle en 2005.
'Accordéons International 2007', Caister - ROYAUME-UNI
Le festival annuel 'Accordéons International 2007', a lieu au Haven Holiday Park, Caister, Norfolk, Angleterre, du 1er au 5 novembre. Les artistes invité de cette année incluent le trio 'Accodemia' - Vladimir Ushakov (Russie), Svetlana Stavitskaya (Lettonie) et Sergei Likhachov (Russie), Bernadette Conlon (Australie), Valentin Osipov (Russie), Giancarlo Caporilli (Italie), plus les accordéonistes du ROYAUME-UNI Amaryllis, Gary Blair, Norvic Concordia, Bert Santilly, et Romano Viazzani.
Vladimir Ushakov - accordéon piano - et Sergei Likhachov - accordéon bouton, ont été invités à Caister en 1996, comme membres du populaire St.Petersburg Musette Ensemble. Bernadette Conlon a visité les États Unis, le Canada, la Chine et l'Europe, et a gagné en la premiere place plus de 100 fois dans des compétitions, y compris plusieurs compétition en Australie et Pacifique du Sud. Ce sera la première apparence sur un Caister accordéon festival.
Organisé par Heather Smith, le festival inclut des concerts, orchestres du week-end, ateliers, masterclasses, ‘free & easy’ à jouer, danser et une exposition commerciale. Le premier événement Caister a été organisé en 1986 par Malcolm Gee, et son expression légendaire que le week-end est "une indulgence totale dans les accordéons" restes vrai au temps présent.
Le 18 août le 7eme Festival National de l'Accordéon a été tenu et organisé par l'Association Marchigiana de San Jorge, Province de Santa Fe. Le vainqueur du championnat senior avancé a été Aldo Taborda, dont le succès lui a fait gagné un voyage à Castelfidardo, Italie, où il compétira à niveau international.
One of the most promising classical accordion ensembles, Acco Duo, Miran Vaupotic and Ivana Levak, gave a wonderful concert on August 28th in the remarkable surroundings of historical Diocletian Palace in the town of Split.
This was their final concert in a summer tour series. Their program included classical, contemporary and popular music, including pieces by Vivaldi, Albinoni, Schnittke, Piazzolla, Novikov, etc.
Acco Duo`s lively program presents an authentic picture of European chamber music tradition and culture. The interpretations of the two young musicians from Croatia prove their ability to combine repertoire, which extends from classical to contemporary and includes own arrangements. Their goal is to promote the accordion in Croatia as an instrument with the potential for performing a broad range of serious music.
Recently the Acco Duo has received a special contract from the well-known Prestige Agency in New York, USA.
On August 25th and 26th the ensemble ‘Bayan Euphoria’, consisting of Aidar Gainullin and Elena Lutz performed two concerts in Lübeck at the famous Music Festival of Schleswig-Holstein.
Besides music from different movies, they also performed music by Aidar Gainullin himself, composer, winner of international accordion competitions, winner of the national film-prize ‘NIKA’ – the Russian Oscar! - in the category of ‘Best film music’.
The annual Carrefour Mondial de l'Accordéon takes place in Montmagny, Quebec, from August 30th to September 3rd, presenting five days of continuous accordion festivities. The festival, founded in 1989, features guest artistes from many parts of the world.
Accordionists performing include Alan Madec, Emmanuel Pariselle, Christian Maes, Sylvie Pullès, Jean-François Éthier Ruben Rodrigues, Carine Vigni, Gwénaël Micault and Ludovic Bulcourt, Sergiu Popa and Jessica Gal, Suzie Lemay and Denis Pépin, concertina player Robert Harbron, Eleonora Tomassetti, Rodolphe Raffalli Quartet, Ludovic Beier, Robert Brabec, Sergiu Popa, Gwénaël Micault, Ludovic Burlcourt, Angélique Gicquel, Raynald Ouellet, Carine Vigni, Claude Sauvage, Juan Jose Estigarribia, Roger Gendron, and Ruben Rodriguez.
Russian accordionist and teacher Friedrich Lips (picture left) makes the following appearances:
September 21st and 22nd – Piazzolla concerts in Stockholm, Sweden
September 25th to October 3rd - tour in Siberia, Russia
October 8th and 9th – workshop, with Claudio Jacomucci (picture right) in Castelfidado, Italy
October 11th to 14th - adjudicator at the International Competition in Castelfidardo
October 19th - concert performances with the Eurythmics in Bonn, Germany
October 21st and 22nd - concerts with ‘Piazzolla-Studio’ in Kursk, Russia
October 23rd - concert ‘In memoriam of S.M. Kolobkov’ in Moscow
November 3rd - concert with ‘Piazzolla-Studio’ in St.Petersburg
November 30th - concert in Hamburg, Germany
December 5th – Piazzolla: ‘Aconcagua’, concert at the Bayan Festival in Moscow
December 5th to 9th – ‘Bayan and Bayanists Festival’ in Moscow
The Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society presents accordionist Mary Tokarski, from Connecticut, on September 16th in concert, followed by a hands-on workshop titled "getting your fingers to work." Her workshops are always filled with great, helpful hints, and always a lot of fun, and visitors are advised to bring their accordions!
In addition to the concert and workshop, Mary Tokarski will be available on Saturday, September 15th, and Sunday morning, September 16th, for master classes. Mary can help design a warm-up program for you, she can assist in correcting posture problems as well as problems with technique (and she's wonderful at diagnosing what you're doing that's causing pain while playing!). Bring along sheet music you are working on for some helpful hints. This is a great opportunity to work with one of the finest accordionists one on one!
The First Cologne-Akkordoen Orchestra 1935 will perform ‘Swingin' Classics’, a concert of Big Band swing classics on Friday August 31st, 8pm, in the Cologne Philharmonic Hall. The program is meant to demonstrate the versatility of the accordion, and includes guest spots featuring: Willy Ketzer Trio (featuring Willy Ketzer, Germany’s number one Big Band drummer), the Cologne dialect group ‘Viererbande’, with Fuhrmann, Kulik, Hoot and Haaser (vocals, guitar, mandolin, accordion), Kathrin Gass (solo harmonica), and Hans-Günther Kölz (solo jazz accordion).
A day of musical activities titled ‘Big Squeeze Day!’ takes place on September 29th at Queen Elizabeth's Community College, Crediton, Devon EX17 3LU. Organised by the Devon Squeezebox Foundation, there are workshops, followed by an evening concert. The tutors include Paul Hutchinson – piano accordion, John Kirkpatrick – melodeon (picture left), and Roger Edwards – Anglo concertina, John Dipper – English concertina, Mick Bramich – Anglo concertina, Rob Say – English concertina.
Le Grand Soufflet is a large-scale arts festival, taking place from October 10th to 19th in venues in Brittany, and includes jazz, rock, electronic music and world music, song, movies, theater, and contemporary dance. The accordion features prominently across all aspects of this festival, and can be seen and heard in more than 40 venues.
Artistes involved include: Jérôme Soulas and Gong Gong, Wendy Mc Neill, Aldo Granato, Free Bidou, Syrano, Monsieur Accordéon, Maria Dolores y los Crucificados, Les Epis Noirs, Les D’moiselles, La Balle Rouge, La Dragonne de la rue Voitichka, Eva Le Saux and Camille Privat, Kepa Junkera, Haïdouti Orkestar, Thierry Titi Robin trio, Erik Marchand quartet, Transilvania, Gaby Kerdoncuff Trio, Trans@t, Swing Gadje, Dominique Cravic & Les Primitifs du Futur, The Honey Men, Sergent Pépère, Jean Corti, Denis Croisonnier, Meriadec Gouriou, Alain Trévarin & Didier Squiban, Yannig Noguet and Ronan Robert, Erwan Hamon and Janick Martin, Gérard Blanchard, Adèle, Jamait, Les Becs bien zen, and Gadjo.
The first examinations for fiddle and accordion will take place as part of the RSAMD Fèis, October 22nd to 28th 2007, at RSAMD premises, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow G2 3DB.
The exam programme provides:
· an escalator for young, aspiring traditional musicians who wish to widen their scope of opportunities;
· a basis for professional development among traditional Scottish music educators and non-specialist teachers looking to gain further experience of traditional Scottish music;
· a firmer establishment of traditional music tuition in Scotland’s
educational curricula; and
· parity of esteem with the classical idiom.
Scottish Traditional Music Graded Exams will consist of syllabuses for fiddle, accordion and Scottish harp, Grades 1-5.
The deadline for entries for the October 2007 session for fiddle and accordion is Monday September 24th 2007.