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Yellow Pages Events
Highlights |
Octoberfest Las Vegas International Accordion Festival Ready to Start - USA
AAA Festival In Pennsylvania from July 14-18
ATG Festival July 21-25, 2010 in California
Accordion Pops Orchestra to Present Concert in Philadelphia
Texas Folklife Crowns Keyun Dickson 2010 Big Squeeze-winner--First Zydeco Champion!
Rob Reich to Teach and Perform at Django in June
NZ Accordionist, Lionel Reekie, to Perform at ATG Festival in July
Roland U.S. National V-Accordion Festival in September
Tony Lovello .....Living Legend of the Accordion World
Cory Pesaturo’s Future Performances
Guy Klucevsek Presents Concert on Staten Island in June
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
Dr. Schimmel Keeps Busy Schedule
Richard Galliano Performs at Lincoln Center
6th Annual ACCORDIONS NOW! Festival: August 9-11 in NH
A Concert & Workshop With Bruce Gassman in Virginia: WOW!
“Il Maestro – Aldo Bruschi” ....March13, 1926 to April 26, 2010
Nancy Leonard performs in “Montgomery’s Got Talent”
Future events |
Victor Prieto in New York Performances
Kimberley International Oldtime Accordion Championships
Accordions Now! 2010 Festival, August 6-7, 2010
Alex Meixner to Perform at KIOTAC in July
New and Updated Sites |
HS Production releases new music
MusicForAccordion.com releases new music
Yehuda Oppenheimer releases new work
Franck Angelis releases new music
Vassily Glubochenko releases new music
Donald E Grzanna releases new music
William Schimmel releases new piece
Highlights |
Editor’s Noteby Rita Barnea |
| This month’s USA News will inform you about the many accordion festivals which are taking place during the summer. You will enjoy seeing the sights of the USA while hearing the music of your favorite accordionists. Ask anyone who has attended an accordion festival and they will tell you with great enthusiasm about the wonderful people they meet and the fantastic accordion artists who dazzle the audiences. It really is a mixture of people of all ages with various types of accordion music. You will go to a festival to hear your favorite music and you will go home with new musical interests and new accordion buddies. So read the June USA News, pack up your suitcase and your accordion and go! Please remember that the USA News is released on the first of each month. Check back frequently because the web site is constantly updated with the latest accordion news! Send your accordion news and comments to me, Rita Davidson, at Ritabelll@aol.com . |
Octoberfest Las Vegas International Accordion Festival Ready to Start - USAby Heather Masefield, Secretary, New Zealand Accordion Association |
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  I am writing this on the plane flying internationally to Las Vegas for the Octoberfest Las Vegas International from 15th to 18th October at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas. Paul Betken & Jerry Cigler are newly added to a great line up of stars (list below) with lots of great seats still available! Want to hop a plane to come and enjoy this exciting festival? Newsletter (picture right) with full information: 2018LVACnews.pdf Picture left: Event organizer Paul Pasquali The lineup starts with visionary accordionist Cory Pesaturo and bookends with a grand finale starring Grayson Masefield and the International Accordion Orchestra under the direction of the legendary Prof. Joan Sommers. You can register online at www.AccordionStars.com or contact Paul Pasquali, event organizer, by phone at 1-800-472-1695 or (801) 485-5840, email: paul@accordioninfo.com. |
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AAA Festival In Pennsylvania from July 14-18by Rita Barnea |
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 American Accordionists' Association announces that the 2010 AAA Festival will be held at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel in Harrisburg, PA from July 14-18 2010. Performances will take place at Hershey Park. There will be many exciting and fun filled events taking place at the AAA Festival this year including a Press and Squeeze Party on Wednesday evening, a massed band performance at Hershey Park on Thursday followed by a cabaret night on Thursday evening. The Luncheon Concert is scheduled for Friday and the breakfast/meeting on Sunday morning. Performers and workshops leaders will be announced soon. On Friday morning a unique program will take place: A children’s program with an accordion “petting zoo” and a presentation of the book, “An Accordion! What Is That?” by Karen Malan-Uribe, Joan Grauman and Mary Tokarski. This is the first time that an accordion “petting zoo” will be part of the festival activities. Mary will read the book and perform. Joan will distribute crayons and colored pictures of Buzz Treble, the bee guide in the book. Karen will talk about the creation of the book. Following will be the “petting zoo” in which the children will be able to hold and play a 12 bass accordion! The American Accordionists' Association (AAA) is delighted to announce that Dr.Emilian Badea will conduct this year’s festival orchestra on Saturday evening, July 17. The orchestra is open to all registered participants and will rehearse at the Festival. There will also be a Junior Orchestra this year for younger performers who may have not had the experience of playing in a group. This is a wonderful opportunity to be part of an accordion orchestra! Music for the Festival Orchestra, Junior Orchestra, and Massed Band will be available online very soon. Accordionist, bassoonist, musicologist, conductor and educator, Dr. Emilian Badea is a member of the National Music Honor Society “Pi Kappa Lambda”, the International Double Reed Society, the American Accordionists’ Association and the Accordion Teachers Association of Massachusetts. He is on the music faculty of the University of Massachusetts. New School of Music Cambridge and Bookline Music School and maintains his music studio in Natick, MA. Several important competitions will take place during the festival including: The 2010 Maddalena Belfiore Entertainment Competition for Female Accordionists Competition) the 2010 Elsie Bennett Composition Competition; the 2010 Carmen Carrozza Scholarship Competition; and the 2010 Digital Accordion Competition Rules. For hotel information: www.sheraton.com/harrsiburg 717-564-5511. Please mention American Accordionists’ Association to get the special room rate: $109 for single, double, triple, and quad. For further information read Overview 2010 or view the AAA website or email: AAA1938@aol.com Check out the AAA Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=115334598477720&ref=ts |
ATG Festival July 21-25, 2010 in Californiaby Dee Langley |
 This year, for the first time in the 70 years of ATG history, the Accordionists and Teachers Guild, International comes west of the Rocky Mountains to California!Featured Guest Artists Alexander Sevastian (Canada) and Cory Pesaturo (USA) join Lionel Reekie (New Zealand) and Dr. Herbert Scheibenreif (Austria) as special guests during the '70th Anniversary Celebration' of the Accordionists and Teachers Guild, International in Santa Clara (San Francisco Bay Area) California July 21-25. 2010. Top artists and clinicians join visitors from around the world for concerts, banquets, workshops and competitions for this five day accordion extravaganza that features the Anthony Galla-Rini Classical Accordion Competition with total prize money of almost $10,000! The Galla-Rini Competition will be held Wednesday through Friday of the festival and the winner will perform on the Saturday Night Gala Concert. Additional performers and presenters include Bruce Gassman, Mary Tokarski, William Cosby, Stas Venglevski, Betty Jo Simon, Dee Langley, Amy Jo Sawyer, Accordion Chamber Ensemble (ACE) sonducted by Joe Smiell, Jr, Peter Di Bono Trio, The Great Morgani, Gordon Kohl, AbsolutAccord, Bernard Matais, Joan Grauman, Karen Malan-Uribe, Liz Finch, Steve Albini, the Galla-Rini Festival Orchestra conducted by Esther Lanting (open to everyone), plus a very special Executive Festival Orchestra comprised of the ATG Board of Directors and selected guests under the direction of Joan Sommers. And, California's Great America Amusement Park is excited to have Cory Pesaturo and the Galla-Rini Festival Orchestra at Jack's Jukebox, Saturday July 24th. The Hilton Santa Clara (reservations 1-408-330-0001) has given the ATG an excellent price of only $99 and there's free parking. Be sure to mention the ATG to be included in the festival, booking through Expedia or other discount services means you miss out on some activities made possible by being part of the ATG Hilton Santa Clara block of rooms. ATG 70th Anniversary Celebration July 21-25, 2010 Santa Clara Hilton 4949 Great America Parkway Santa Clara, California United States 95054 Additional information is posted on the ATG web site or visit us on Facebook. See you in Santa Clara for the '70th Anniversary Celebration' at the Hilton Santa Clara! |
Accordion Pops Orchestra to Present Concert in Philadelphiaby Rita Barnea |
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 The Accordion Pops Orchestra under the direction of Daniel Desiderio will present a “Concert to Benefit the ALS Hope Foundation” at the Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 260 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA. on Saturday June 5, 2010 at 7:30 PM. This will be their fourth concert at Philadelphia's prestigious Kimmel Center (the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra). The program will include the world premiere of an original concerto composed and performed by conductor Maestro Desiderio accompanied by the orchestra. For further information, contact Rosemarie Cavanaugh at 732-257-8198 or the ALS Hope Foundation at 215-551-0967. The Accordion Pops Orchestra’s roots can be traced to 1970's, when it was organized by the Accordion Teachers' Association of New Jersey. Over the next ten years it performed at various community functions throughout the state under the direction of its first conductor, Dr. Jacob Neupauer of Philadelphia. In 1980 the orchestra members took a leave of absence, but four years later the membership was reorganized under the direction of the late Eugene Ettore of Livingston, New Jersey In 1985, Daniel Desiderio was invited to act as a guest conductor of the orchestra and a few years later the A.T.A. of NJ appointed him as conductor in residence. The name of the orchestra was formally changed to the Accordion Pops Orchestra and its membership was expanded beyond the original members from New Jersey to include performers from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Maryland, and Rhode Island. The largest professional accordion orchestra of its kind on the East Coast, the group consists entirely of accordions plus percussion instruments. In addition, the orchestra often accompanies guest soloists including pianists and vocal artists. Utilizing scores from a full symphonic orchestra, the players are normally divided into four sections that provide melody and harmony. In addition, the orchestra utilizes a single bass accordion with special reeds tuned to reach a lower octave. This accordion can be recognized by the audience because it is the only one with a right-hand keyboard but no left-hand bass buttons. (Incidentally, even though all of the other instruments have bass buttons, with the exception of solo performances no one uses them while playing in the orchestra). The resulting sound is unique; a common reaction from people attending one of our concerts for the first time is, "I can't believe what I just heard could come from accordions alone!" The orchestra also utilizes a midi accordion, which adds electronics to the acoustic accordion, allowing it to simulate the sound of literally hundreds of different instruments. These sounds are controlled from the accordion but produced in a separate midi module, which is attached to an amplified speaker. Much of the orchestra's music needs to be transcribed to accommodate the range of the accordion. While accordion transcriptions are sometimes available for symphonic pieces, most often they must be produced. The orchestra has drawn on the talents of the conductor and its members for this arduous task. Most of the twenty-five plus members of the orchestra are professional musicians or teachers. Many are soloists in their own right. The orchestra performs a repertoire of light classical, Broadway, big band and popular music. It has entertained audiences at concert halls, county fairs, festivals, schools, and playhouses at many locations primarily in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. Daniel J. Desiderio is one of the country’s foremost accordion artists. Well known in the accordion field for his compositions and arrangements, Mr. Desiderio has recorded on the Ampco and Cormark labels. He has performed in concerts throughout Europe and America, appearing at London’s Royal Festival Hall, Copenhagen’s Radio House, Munich’s Congress Hall, New York’s Carnegie Hall and Town Hall, Philadelphia's Academy of Music, and the White House. During his four-year military service, he was featured soloist with the Air Force Band and Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the American Accordionists Association, one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Accordion Teachers Association, and a member of the Accordion Teachers Association of New Jersey. Mr. Desiderio began his formal musical training at the age of 9 under the late Pietro Deiro, Sr. He also studied arranging and composition with Dr. William Hoppich. While attending the University of Pennsylvania, he began his concert career at age 17.In addition to serving as conductor of the Accordion Pops Orchestra, Mr. Desiderio continues to perform in concerts and private affairs in the Philadelphia area. He also operates a music studio in Media, Pennsylvania where he teaches accordion and piano students. To order their two CD’s, Please e mail: webmaster@accordionpops.com or call Rosemarie Cavanaugh at 732-257-8198 |
Texas Folklife Crowns Keyun Dickson 2010 Big Squeeze-winner--First Zydeco Champion!by Rita Barnea |
 On June 5th, at Texas Folklife’s 21st annual Accordion Kings & Queens Festival in Houston, Keyun Dickson was crowned winner of The Big Squeeze accordion contest. The eighteen-year old Houstonian is the first winner of the contest, now in its fourth year, who plays in the Zydeco tradition. His group is called Keyun and the Zydeco Masters.This year’s Festival featured Albert Zamora, Leroy Thomas and the Zydeco Roadrunners, Eva Ybarra, and the Texas Legacy Czech Band and Avizo.. Popular Texas journalist Joe Nick Patoski emceed the star-studded affair. Keyun Dickson was introduced to the accordion by his mother and grandmother. His favorite music was zydeco, and he started playing it at three years old, teaching himself by listening to recordings by his accordion hero, Houston player, Step Rideau. At 12, he started a band called Keyun and the Zydeco Masters that now performs regularly at jazz cafes and Cajun restaurants. Though he loves the music, playing the accordion has other benefits for an 18-year-old. "I like all the girls that come out to this stuff," he said. The Big Squeeze Accordion Contest Finalists performed and the Grand-Prize-Winner was selected at Houston’s Miller Outdoor Theatre.The finalists were selected during a playoff at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin on May 1. The four finalists were: Keyun Dickson, 18, from Houston; Ignacio Isai Morales, 14, from Dallas; Ruben Paul Moreno, 20, from Houston; and Jesus Zamora, Jr., 19, from San Antonio. Keyun Dickson will receive a prize package valued at $3,000, including a $1,000 cash prize, brand new Hohner accordion, recording session at the historic SugarHill Recording Studios in Houston, and promotional support from Hohner, Inc., SugarHill, and Texas Folklife. One of the prizes is performing at the Accordion Kings & Queens Festival in front of accordion legends, music industry professionals, and a large crowd of enthusiastic music lovers. Last year’s festival drew a record crowd of 6,000. The Accordion Kings & Queens Festival and The Big Squeeze contest are funded in part by the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, Hohner Inc., Houston Endowment, SugarHill Recording Studios, The Raven Grill, Flashbang and Sign Effects. Additional support for the contest is provided by Embassy Suites Hotel Downtown Austin, Botticelli’s and Güero’s Taco Bar, the Still Water Foundation and the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art. Texas Folklife is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to presenting and preserving the diverse cultures and living heritage of the Lone Star State. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2010, Texas Folklife has honored the authentic cultural traditions passed down within communities and explored their importance in contemporary society and has been called “one of the state’s true cultural treasures” by the Austin American-Statesman for the accessible, joyful arts experiences we provide. For more information: info@texasfolklife.org or sheree.scarborough@gmail.com |
Rob Reich to Teach and Perform at Django in Juneby Rita Barnea |
 Django in June is New England's premier occasion to celebrate, study and just plain enjoy the musical tradition launched by the great French Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, a tradition now known by many as "Gypsy jazz." In 2010, the 100th anniversary of Django's birth will be celebrated. Django in June's instructional progam is designed to accommodate not only guitar and violin players, but mandolin, bass and accordion as well.The event will be held from June 15- 20 on the campus of Smith College in beautiful Northampton, Massachusetts. Musicians have the option of going the full-immersion route by attending Django Camp Tuesday through Sunday or of dropping in for a weekend of clinics and jamming. On Friday and Saturday nights the general public is warmly invited to attend Smith College's lovely Helen Hills Hills Chapel for concerts by world-class Gypsy jazz artists. Rob Reich is an acclaimed accordionist and composer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He will be teaching gypsy jazz accordion at the Django in June camp. Steeped in many traditions, including jazz, blues, klezmer, and classical music, Rob is a regular member of the hot gypsy-jazz ensemble Gaucho and plays occasionally with The Hot Club of San Francisco. He also plays new original jazz with The Nice Guy Trio, composes circus music for Circus Bella, and is arranger and accordionist for Andrea Fultz' German Projekt (exploring the music of Kurt Weill). Rob has performed at many of the Bay Area's most prestigious venues, including Herbst Theater, Palace of Fine Arts Theater, Yoshi's, Fillmore, Great American Music Hall, Oakland's Paramount Theater, DeYoung Museum, SFMOMA, Throckmorton Theater, The Independent, Noe Valley Ministry, Freight and Salvage, and the Red Poppy Art House. Rob Reich's debut solo CD, "The Balancing Act", represents a new generation of solo accordion music. This long awaited CD spans centuries and styles, bridging tradition with innovation. For further information: Andrew Lawrence, e mail: communityguitar.com |
NZ Accordionist, Lionel Reekie, to Perform at ATG Festival in Julyby Rita Barnea |
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| Lionel Reekie from Auckland, New Zealand will be a featured guest artist during the “70th Anniversary Celebration” of the Accordionists & Teachers Guild, International in Santa Clara (San Francisco Bay Area) California July 21-25. 2010. Auckland entertainer Lionel Reekie, who has performed extensively in many of New Zealand's top venues, is a member of the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand and has appeared on stage as a soloist in many countries including USA, Europe, China, Fiji, Australia and New Zealand. In 2009, he entertained at the Coupe Mondiale in NZ with great success. In 2007 he was a guest vocalist for the Auckland Symphony Orchestra at their “Last Night of the Proms Concerts”, performing songs from modern musical shows. As well as being a versatile singer and musician, Lionel is also an accomplished conductor. At the 2009 Coupe Mondiale he conducted the New Zealand North Shore Accordion Orchestra and their dynamic performance earned them a standing ovation from the audience. In August 2007 Lionel conducted the New Zealand North Shore Accordion Orchestra in Washington DC and New York, including a concert on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC. In September 2002 Lionel conducted the North Shore Musicale Accordion Orchestra during their concert tour of China. One of these concerts was televised by a Chinese television network. Lionel (AIRMT) is also Manager of the Music Education Centres (Henderson and North Shore). He holds a New Zealand Accordion Association Teacher’s Certificate. Lionel's professional expertise has been honored with many awards and nominations and Lionel has performed at many venues in New Zealand and overseas, in many countries including the USA. For further information: l_reekie@xtra.co.nz |
Roland U.S. National V-Accordion Festival in Septemberby Steven Albini, Roland US |
 Roland U.S. is proud to announce the U.S. National V-Accordion Festival will take place in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 18, 2010. This increasingly popular event will be held at Roland Corporation U.S. headquarters and will bring together some of America's most talented accordionists. The Grand Prize winner will win a Roland FR-7x accordion and a trip to Rome, Italy to compete in the Roland IVth International Accordion Festival in Rome in October (Senior Soloist Division only) with a 1st prize of 5,000 Euro. Initial audition entrants may submit a DVD of themselves performing on a traditional accordion or a Roland V-Accordion. The audition performance must be no longer than 10 minutes in length and can be from any musical genre. Medleys or multiple songs are allowed, provided the total length of the performance is no longer than 10 minutes. Entries must be postmarked by July 15, 2010. Both amateurs and professionals are eligible to compete. The chosen national finalists will then play on V-Accordions, via special loan arrangements by Roland Corporation U.S. and its dealers. This year’s V-Accordion Festival holds a special significance, as Roland is also celebrating reaching the milestone of 10,000 V-Accordions sold since its launch in 2004. Accordion players everywhere have embraced the versatile nature of Roland V-Accordions, and have discovered that the warm sound and tactile playability of this charming instrument remains unchanged from its traditional relatives. Be a part of the growing number of accordion enthusiasts in the U.S. and around the world by competing in this one-of-a-kind international competition event sponsored in the USA by the Roland Corporation U.S. Roland Corporation is a leading manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments, including keyboards and synthesizers, guitar products, electronic percussion, digital recording equipment, amplifiers, audio processors, and multimedia products. With over 38 years of musical instrument development, Roland sets the standard in music technology for the world to follow. For entry form please visit: http://www.rolandus.com/go/v-accordion_festival/assets/entry_form.pdf For contest rules please visit: www.rolandus.com/go/v-accordion_festival/assets/contest_rules.pdf Steven Albini V-Accordion Product Specialist and Sales Consultant Roland Corporation U.S. For futher information email: steven.albini@rolandus.com |
Tony Lovello .....Living Legend of the Accordion Worldby Rita Barnea |
 Tony Lovello has a busy concert season during the next few months. Tony Lovello has been called the Liberace of the accordion. He toured with the famous Three Suns Trio and is a masterful showman. His schedule is: Saturday, June 26 North East Wisconsin [N.E.W.] Accordion Club, Brown County Aging & Disability Resource Center, 300 South Adams Street, Green Bay, WI 54301. Sunday, June 27 Harrington ARTS Center/A World of Accordions Museum, 1401 Belknap Street, Superior, WI. Monday, June 28 Milwaukee Accordion Club, Root River Center, 7220 W. Rawson Avenue, Franklin, WI. Friday & Saturday, August 6-7 ACCORDIONS NOW! 2010 3rd Annual Music Festival Co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Accordion Association & Accordion Connection LLC, Highlander Inn & Conference Center, 2 Highlander Way, Manchester, NH. For more information or to book a performance, email Donna Maria Regis: regisdonna@yahoo.com or Ph 603.425.1825 |
Cory Pesaturo’s Future Performancesby Rita Barnea |
 Cory Pesaturo has a busy summer performance season planned. He will be the featured guest artist at several prestigious music festivals including:Montreal Grand Prix, June 10th to 14th, 2010, Montreal, Canada. Cory's music is regularly played on Formula 1 Broadcasts on SPEED Channel. Leavenworth Accordion Celebration, June 17th to 21st, 2010, Leavenworth, Kimberley, British Columbia July 4th to 11th, 2010, Kimberley. For the second year in a row, Cory will be performing at the Kimberley International Old Time Accordion Festival. He will be teaming up at times with one of his favorite accordionists, Alex Meixner, for some Fiery Duo Performances. Accordions By The Sea in Vancouver / Victoria, BC July 15th to 18th, 2010. Victoria, British Columbia. This is the first time Cory will travel to the Twin City area of Victoria and Vancouver for the Accordions by the Sea Festival. He will be both performing and judging. Hilton Santa Clara, July 22nd to 25th, 2010, Santa Clara, CA. For the first time, Cory Pesaturo will be performing at the ATG Festival in Santa Clara, California. Also performing will be 2007 Coupe Mondiale World Champion Alexander Sevastian (Canada). Rocky Mountain Accordion Festival, July 29th to August 2nd, 2010, Phillipsburg, MT 2009 Coupe Mondiale World Digital Accordion Champion Cory Pesaturo is a graduate of the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA, where he was the first musician to major and graduate in the accordion. Upon winning the Coupe Mondiale category, he became the first American to win any Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championship in 25 years. Accordion Legend Dick Contino said, "Of all the accordionists I've seen over the years, Cory is the one to pass the torch to, the only one who has all the tools to bring the accordion back to its former glory." 2009 was also a fantastic year for Pesaturo, as he won the five International Competitions he entered, including two International Jazz Accordion competitions. They are: 2009 Coupe Mondiale WORLD DIGITAL ACCORDION CHAMPION, 2009 Leavenworth International Champion, 2009 Leavenworth International Jazz Champion, 2009 Kimberley International Jazz Champion, and 2009 US National Digital Accordion Champion He has also performed in many different countries including Japan, New Zealand, and Tunisia. For further information: corypesaturo@corypesaturo.com |
Guy Klucevsek Presents Concert on Staten Island in Juneby Rita Barnea |
 Guy Klucevsek will present a solo concert on Sunday, June 6, 2 PM at the SHOW Gallery,156 Stuyvesant Place, Staten Island, NY. Admission is FREE. The SHOW Gallery is up the hill from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, a 5-minute walk. From Manhattan, take the 1:00 PM ferry, getting into St. George at 1:25 PM.This concert is a part of SummerFest, a series of free music, comedy, animation, and performance art interventions by Staten island artists, presented by the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island (COAHSI). SummerFest Excellence in the Arts Awards are made possible through the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Guy Klucevsek has created a unique repertoire for accordion through his own composing and by commissioning over 50 works from composers including John Zorn, Aaron Jay Kernis, Lois V Vierk, Fred Frith, Alvin Lucier, Mary Ellen Childs, William Duckworth, Jerome Kitzke, Stephen Montague and Somei Satoh. His music/theatre pieces include Squeezeplay -- collaborations with Mary Ellen Childs, David Dorfman and Dan Froot, Dan Hurlin, Victoria Marks and Claire Porter -- which The Village Voice called "delicious"; Hard Coal, with The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, Chinoiserie, with Ping Chong and Company,which was featured on the 1995 Next Wave Festival at BAM, and Cirque Lili (2000), with French circus artist Jerome Thomas, a piece which has been performed over 250 times world-wide, always with live music. Solo performances include the Ten Days on the Island and Adelaide Festivals in Australia, the Berlin Jazz Festival, New Music America, Serious Fun! at Lincoln Center, Bang on a Can, Spoleto Festival/USA, and the children’s television show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. He has also performed and/or recorded with Laurie Anderson, Anthony Braxton, Anthony Coleman, Bill Frisell, Fred Frith, Robin Holcomb, the Kronos Quartet, Natalie Merchant, Pauline Oliveros, Present Music, Bobby Previte, Relâche, Jubilant Sykes, and John Zorn. Other artists who have recorded his compositions include Dave Douglas, Carol Emanuel, Relache, Aki Takahashi, Margaret Leng Tan, and Twisted Tutu. He was an original member of Dave Douglas’s band, Charms of the Night Sky, with whom he recorded three albums and toured throughout North America and Europe. In 1987, Klucevsek commissioned Polka From the Fringe, a collection of 32 post-modern two-steps by such composers as Carl Finch, Fred Frith, Christian Marclay and Elliott Sharp, which he presented at the 1988 Next Wave Festival, and has performed around the world with his group, Ain’t Nothin’ But A Polka Band. In 1996, Klucevsek formed The Accordion Tribe, an international line-up of composer/accordionists Maria Kalaniemi (Finland), Lars Hollmer (Sweden), Bratko Bibic (Slovenia), Otto Lechner (Austria), and Klucevsek (USA). They have released three recordings on the Intuition label, and are the subjects of the Stefan Schwietert documentary film, Accordion Tribe: Music Travels , which was released in theaters across Europe in 2004-2005, and featured at film festivals in North America. Klucevsek has released 20 recordings as soloist/leader, including “Polka Dots & Laser Beams” and “Who Stole the Polka?”, which were chosen as the best recordings of 1992 by John Schaefer on the nationally-syndicated radio program New Sounds, and “Transylvanian Softwea”r, which was cited as a 1995 Recording of Special Merit in Stereo Review. You can also hear him on John Williams's scores for the Steven Spielberg films “The Terminal”, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, and “Munich”. He has performed on Broadway in “Fiddler on the Roof”, “Victor/Victoria” and “Piaf”. For further information: 1-718-981-8394 or gklucevsek@si.rr.com |
Reports for Concerts, Masterclasses, Competitions, Festivals, etc. |
UMKC Community Accordion Celebrates 49th Year in Concertby Kevin Friedrich, CIA Ambassador |
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| The University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) Community Accordion Orchestra under the direction of Joan C. Sommers performed to an enthusiastic audience as they presented their 49th Annual Concert at the University. Performing both original works and transcriptions, the concert program included: "Serenade in E Major, Op. 22 "(Antonín Dvoøák), "On The Trail" from "The Grand Canyon Suite" (Ferde Grofé), "Ballade for Accordion Orchestra" (Fritz Dobler), "Adiós Nonino", "Close Your Eyes and Listen, "Cité Tango" (Astor Piazzolla), "The Star Wars Epic" (John Williams), "Tango Fugitativo" and "Milonga Feliz" (Gerie Daanen), "Medley from Wicked" (Stephen Schwartz) and "The Blackbird Polka" (Vladimir Ushakov). For the works by Astor Piazzolla, the orchestra was joined by French National Dance Champions Louis Bar and Laura Cantu and members of their dance studio based in Kansas City, who dazzled the audience with their spectacular dancing. In addition, a video prepared by UMKC Professor Caitlin Horsmon was screened as a backdrop to the music and dance. The (UMKC) Community Accordion Orchestra is due to celebrate their 50th Anniversary Concert during a special reunion weekend of former Orchestra Members and friends on 22 May 2011. For more information on the Orchestra and available recordings, please visit the UMKC Accordion Orchestra website. |
Dr. Schimmel Keeps Busy Scheduleby Dr. William Schimmel |
 Dr. William Schimmel accompanied City Opera Diva, Lauren Flanigan, in a concert of Unknown and Unsung Music by Kurt Weill. The event took place at the Cafe Sabarsky in New York.Dr, Schimmel gave a talk about his tango, “Fromage Dangereux”, at a concert sponsored by the Leschitizky Assocation. The talk was followed by a wonderful performance by the Bulgarian pianist Slavina Zhelezova. Other composers on the program included Ned Rorem, Lowell Liebermann and Joseph Fennimore. The concert took place at The Tenri Cultural Institute of New York. Dr. Schimmel joined the Finnish flutist Dr. Ulla Soukka in a series of concerts entitled “ Singing with all of your Senses”. Designed by Dr. Soukka to introduce the very young (preschool to second grade) to the elements of music, Drs. Schimmel and Soukka have performed these concerts as part of Lincoln Center's Meet the Artists Program. They took the same program into various New York Public Schools sponsored by Midori and Friends. They will perform a Family Concert at Lincoln Center this summer and will be featured guests at The Kids Eurofest this fall in Washington DC. Dr. Schimmel will also give a lecture titled “Hidden Memories” at a Salon for the Riverside Symphony on June Ist. He will play the music of Kurt Weill and then he will do his special rendition of The Poet and Peasant Overture (Von-Suppe), a treasure trove of Hidden Memories. On June 9th, he will perform Kurt Weill's “Little Threepenny Music” with the Riverside Symphony at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. Dr. Schimmel will present the Neupauer Conservatory Order of the Shield Diploma to six candidates: Art Bailey, Doug Makofka, Danny Federici (posthumously), Deborah Magocsi, Liam Robinson and Mary Tokarski. The Neupauer Conservatory was one of the first Accordion/based conservatories in the United States and The Order of the Shield Program is a private studies program that unites accordion culture, a full conservatory program and a reality based connection to the actual music world. Every candidate who receives the Order of the Shield diploma has made a significant contribution to accordion and to the music and art world in general. |
Richard Galliano Performs at Lincoln Centerby Rita Barnea |
 I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the concert, “Kurt Elling & Richard Galliano: Passion World” on May 14, at the Jazz at Lincoln Center concert series. It was a sold out event and rightfully so. Richard Galliano and Kurt Elling reached out through their music and touched the heart and soul of everyone lucky enough to be in the audience, a mixture of all ages and types of people with a common love for jazz and the accordion.Kurt Elling introduced Richard Galliano: “Richard Galliano joins me tonight. He is a most respected jazz musician whose reputation spans the globe. This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” Their backgrounds are very different. Kurt Elling, 41, son of Scandinavians who settled in the Midwest, developed his unique style in Chicago before relocating to New York several years ago. He is a recent winner of the 2010 GRAMMY award for the Best Vocal Jazz Album and eight time GRAMMY nominee. He has spent the last nine years at the top of the Down Beat critics poll and the last four years topping the Jazz Times readers’ poll. Ellings baritone voice spans four octaves and displays an amazing technical ability and emotional depth. Richard Galliano, 59, learned in Nice, France and developed his style in Paris during the 1970’s establishing an international reputation for bringing the accordion into the modern jazz world. In the past, there never seemed to have been one great artist associated with the accordion, an instrument that, because of its connotations, seemed as far removed from swing as it is possible to be. Then along came Richard Galliano, fired by an unrivalled determination to share his conviction that the accordion was worthy have a place at the heart of jazz alongside the saxophone and trumpet. Inspired by the admiration he felt for his friend, Astor Piazzolla, creator of the Tango Nuevo, Galliano succeeded not just in doing this, but with his "new musette" style managed to breathe new life into a thoroughly French tradition. Galliano is an exceptionally versatile musician, able to make his mark in all kinds of musical contexts, from solo appearances (like the Paris Concert from the Châtelet, which came out in 2009), to playing with a big band like the Brussels Jazz Orchestra, in 2008. His exceptional abilities as a soloist are now well-recognized all over the world. He continues to explore a vast range of music, without ever losing that lyrical quality that infuses the ballads on Love Day that he recorded with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Charlie Haden and Mino Cinelu, or the French Touch which allowed him to make the link between Billie Holiday and Edith Piaf, with the trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Eager to pass on his wealth of experience, he is the author, together with his father Lucien, of an accordion method that won the SACEM prize for Best Pedagogical Work in 2009. This Lincoln Center concert represented their collaboration for the very first time at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Their program consisted of a multicultural suite of love songs, songs from Brazil, France, Italy and composers Dizzy Gillespie, Rogers and Hart, etc. Other instruments in the ensemble were piano, bass, guitar, drums and percussion.Hopefully, there will be other collaborations in the near future. Richard has a new live recording and DVD which will be available on June 22nd in select retail stores and ITUNES. It is called," The Wynton Marsalis Quintet & Richard Galliano". You can pre-order now at Amazon.com. If you have the chance to hear a CD of Richard Galliano or Kurt Elling or, even better, attend a concert, you are going to have a musical experience that will be thoroughly enjoyable and unique. |
6th Annual ACCORDIONS NOW! Festival: August 9-11 in NHby Rita Barnea |
  ACCORDIONS NOW! 2013, the 6th annual ACCORDIONS NOW! Music Festival is co-sponsored by New Hampshire Accordion Association and Accordion Connection LLC, will be held August 9-11, 2013 at the beautiful Courtyard Marriott, Nashua, New Hampshire. You, your family, and friends are warmly invited to attend. Here is the much-anticipated lineup of talent: Tony Lovello, Joe Cerrito, Gerry Grimo and the East Bay Jazz Ensemble, Brent Buswell, and coming all the way from Norway, GAMLE AKER SPELEMANNSLAG [GAS = Old Aker Band Players] and 15-year-old Norwegian competition winner Einar Thokle Hovden. Additional performers include: Paul Bordeleau, Nancy Leonard, Dan Mackowiak, Paul Ramunni, Donna Maria Regis, Carmen Vitanza,Warren Johnson, Dan Mackowiak, Jerry Tranmontozzi and the ever-popular ACCORDIONS NOW! Festival Orchestra. (Sign up by July 12 to participate.) Bring your accordion for the Open Mike Cabaret, Night Owls Jam and pick-up sessions. Sign up to receive music in advance for the 2nd annual Just-for-Fun Play-Along. This high-spirited weekend organized by Co-Founders Donna Maria Regis and Suzanne Welch is always filled with warm friendship and terrific music. Bring all of your family and friends to enjoy it – concerts, workshops, open mike, jam sessions, play-along ensemble, AN! Festival Orchestra, reunions with your accordion pals old and new, festive meals, cocktail reception with entertainment, vendor displays of instruments for you to try/buy – and so much more! The festival motto is LOTS OF ACCORDIONS, LOTS OF MUSIC, LOTS OF FUN !! Come join us for a fabulous time. New England Accordion Museum owner, Paul Ramunni, will exhibit a fascinating display of unusual accordions. ( see article in this issue) and offer a presentation at the festive luncheon buffet. Newly introduced by the museum this year is a "Cash for Accordions" purchase program for registered ACCORDIONS NOW! Music Festival attendees looking to sell their own accordions and/or memorabilia. The museum also gladly accepts all donations of accordions or related materials for its collection. Special hotel room rates are available: $95 [+ tax] per room (1-4 persons) through July 12, 2013. To reserve your room, call Courtyard Nashua (603) 880-9100 or Marriott Worldwide (800) 321-2211. Mention "ACCORDIONS NOW! Festival, Courtyard Nashua." For more information:AccordionsNow@yahoo.com Donna Maria Regis 603.216.9582 or Sue Welch 800.328.5227 |
A Concert & Workshop With Bruce Gassman in Virginia: WOW!by |
 By Joan Grauman (with Lee Paulson)The Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society (WMAS) holds two guest artist concerts a year. The first concert for 2010 was held on April 18 and featured well-known Rock & Roll accordionist, Bruce Gassman. All eyes and ears were on this warm, personable and very talented man as he literally “wowed” the audience for one hour with his beautiful renditions of popular rock tunes from the 1960s and 70s. His medleys flowed flawlessly as he changed “instruments” with a tap of his foot or quick turn of a dial on his midi accordion. Looking around the room, all one could see were smiling faces remembering songs from their youth, only this time played on our favorite instrument, the accordion. How did they sound on an accordion? Better than the original renditions! The concert was followed by a delightful and informative workshop on how to create bass lines appropriate for Rock & Roll. One of our WMAS members, Lee Paulson, describes her experience as she listened to Bruce: "Bruce Gassman has changed the way I listen to music (rock & roll, at least). I had limited my expectations--how could anyone make rock & roll sound good on an accordion? But good it was, and then some!! Not only did he play it well, but obviously enjoyed it, and took us with him on the way. I'm not sure he should be billed as only rock & roll, though--his opening numbers (which he modestly called "warming up") included works by such technically challenging artists as Charles Magnante. When he started into his show pieces with "Also Sprach Zarathustra", I became a fan! His workshop showed us how by listening carefully to the bass line in recorded R&R, we could enhance our playing and get past the old "oom-pah" rhythms. He distributed lead sheets that demonstrated various types of bass lines that make all the difference in playing this type of music, and showed us how to implement them in our playing. With artists like Bruce, there is no doubt that the accordion will have a rebirth in popular music! " The most frequently asked question after our afternoon with Bruce was, “When are we inviting him back?” |
“Il Maestro – Aldo Bruschi” ....March13, 1926 to April 26, 2010by Dominic Karcic |
 Monday, 26 April, 2010 saw the passing of the great accordionist, pianist, and oboist Aldo Bruschi. In recent years my contact with Aldo was through my involvement in coordinating the Magnanini Valtaro Accordionists’ Reunion (Magnanini Winery, Wallkill, NY) and he periodically was a participant.The more contact and conversation I had with him the more I was amazed and so very impressed with his wealth of knowledge, expertise, experience and musical ability. His musical career was long, vast, varied and rich in a wealth of great musical endeavors. I believe that few musicians could match the diversity and totality of his musical career and even fewer have attained as many education degrees from such prestigious schools as he had. He was the total musician – musical talent plus a vast musical education. Thanks to the obituary about Mr. Bruschi that appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Apr. 27, 2010) written by John Heffernan I’m able to give you a short summary of his life and career. I’ve taken the liberty to restate, augment and paraphrase parts of his article. Mr. Heffernan was “his choirboy, student, and most of all his friend.” Thank you also goes to his family for their help and assistance. Aldo’s parents were born in Italy and came to the United States in the 1920s. His father, John, came from the small town called Casale (SW of Bedonia, Italy) and his mother, Adelia, came from Ponte Stambo. His parents had seven sons. Aldo was born and raised in Our Lady of Peace parish in Manhattan (NY). His first musical instrument was the accordion and he often played the accordion for patrons of his parents’ grocery store. One of his first teachers was the noted accordionist, composer and one of the original founders of the Valtaro Musette Orchestra John “Scudlein” Brugnoli. Aldo was a child prodigy on the instrument and was playing on radio at the age of eight. By the age of sixteen he already was mentoring eight pupils and also playing the church organ. One of his most successful students was accordion virtuoso Gelso Pellegrini who remained a life long friend and colleague. Aldo was a graduate of High School for the Performing Arts (1944). He also continued his accordion studies at the age of sixteen with two of the greatest living accordionists - Pietro Deiro and Pietro Frosini. One of his earliest professional accordion jobs (early 1940s) was at the Terrace Café which was sometimes affectionately known as “Scudlein’s” (59th Street and Second Avenue). He performed here with his teacher, John “Scudlein” Brugnoli, pianist Norma McFeeters, and drummer Willie Wohlman. This demanding job entailed performing Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday nights plus Sunday afternoon. Each session was from 9PM to 3AM and the Sundayafternoon session was from 3PM to 7PM. As you can well note, this weekly ritual gave this teenager a tremendous opportunity to learn, experiment and hone his musical skills and talent. He also, in later years, periodically performed at the noted Val-Taro Cabaret (between 46th and 47th Street on Second Avenue). Back in those days the average pay for one nights work was about $3.00. Many years later he was a participant (playing piano) in John Brugnoli’s Colonial LP Album titled “Italian Favorites - Valtaro Musette Orchestra.” This recording session also included accordionists John Brugnoli and Pete Spagnoli, guitarists Richie Rogg and Al Valente and bassist Sal Victor (Vecchione). Other LP recordings by Mr. Bruschi included “Enchanted Italy,” “Alps to the Sea,” “Respectfully Yours” and “Harmoniously – Aldo Bruschi.” Aldo was drafted into the army in late 1944 and served under General George S. Patton in the famous Battle of the Bulge and received a presidential citation for bravery at the crossing of the Rhine River. A major accordion success was achieved with his participation in the accordion ensemble known as the Master Trio. The group consisted of accordionists Hugo Nati, his very talented accordion student Gelso Pellegrini and Mr. Bruschi. The Trio’s very first performance (1951) was at the Brooklyn Museum where they performed Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro Overture,” Bizet’s “Carmen Suite” and the first movement of Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony.” All the arrangements were the work of Mr. Bruschi. On March 21, 1951 they appeared on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts TV program and won first prize playing Pietro Frosini’s Jolly Caballero Paso Doble. As a result of being winners on the Talent Scouts TV program they also appeared on three sessions of Arthur Godfrey’s CBS morning radio show. On these shows they performed Leroy Anderson’s “Fiddle Faddle,” Smetana’s “Dance of the Comedians” and a Gershwin composition. Once again, all arrangements were by Aldo. These successful appearances resulted in their performing in a series of one hour classical concerts which were broadcast on radio station WNYC. Bruschi’s education included Juilliard School of Music (Dipolma 1945) where he majored in oboe and orchestration. While at this prestigious school he studied oboe under the eminent Bruno Labate and Lois Wann and organ under the direction of Bronson Ragan. He also went on to Teachers College at Columbia University (1949), received his Bachelor of Music Degree from Empire State College (1986) and then went on to Manhattan School of Music where he received his master’s degree (MME 1988) in music education. His thirst for education was unending. He was principal oboist with the NBC Orchestra (1949) and the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra (1949 -1950). He was organist and choir director at Our Lady of Peace RCC (East 62 Street NYC) from 1945 to 1949 and in 1950 he arrived at St. Patrick’s RCC (95th Street and Fourth Ave., Brooklyn, NY) where he took over the rigorous jobs of music teacher, choirmaster and organist for the church. He held this position until his passing - a tenure of sixty years. At St. Patrick’s Aldo Bruschi presented first-class performances of Puccini’s “Tosca,” Menotti’s “Amahl and The Night Visitors,” Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and countless concerts of Irish and Italian music as well as numerous plays and pageants. He brought with him the touch of a renowned musician, introducing musical culture to the parish, all the while remaining the teacher of small children. He instilled a responsible work ethic and a standard of excellence to all of his pupils. His patience and skill as a motivator brought out the best in his students. All who came into contact with him will remember his love of music, dedication to his family and to the Catholic Church. Devoutly religious, the maestro’s faith was inspiring. He was fond of saying that he was able to perform for so many years because he offered his talent to God. He would point at the sky and say “I do it for Him.” A man of great energy, Aldo taught in the day and performed in Manhattan at night. He was a headliner at Jansen’s, a swanky nightclub (42nd Street and Lexington Avenue), where he entertained the likes of Richard Rodgers, Irving Caesar, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Zero Mostel, Hildegard and countless other show business luminaries who recognized his immense talent. In the late fifties he opened his own restaurant named “In Boboli” where one could dine and witness opera in costume each weekend. Many of the most renowned opera stars made their debut at his restaurant and were often coached by the maestro. He also held court in the Ansonia Hotel (renowned for its music studios) where he mentored new talent arriving from all over the world. He was a vocal coach for twenty years. Some of the other venues at which he performed included O’Henry’s Steak House (345 Sixth Avenue, NYC), the VIP, Café Torino (1951-1958), Emiliana Restaurant, the Twelve Arches and a long period of almost two decades at Rossini’s Restaurant (38th Street - off of Park Avenue). Here Aldo, playing piano and accordion, helped establish a Saturday evening ritual of opera performed by top artists that included “his favorite soprano” Ms. Josephine Dolce and tenors Carlos Santana and Robert Van Valkenburg. Over his long and illustrious career he reached out, mentored and guided so many talented performers. Josephine Dolce relates that Aldo took her under his wing when she was twenty-one years old and just out of the Julliard School of Music. She remained a life long friend and associate. A similar situation also existed with his former St. Patrick’s alumni Donal Nolan, John Heffernan and Kiernan Hamilton who became known as the “Three Irish Tenors of St. Patrick’s.” Another notable example is tenor Daniel Rodriquez “the Singing Policeman” who during his early years studied with Mr. Bruschi. Aldo’s first wife, Isabelle Pasqualiccio, who died from cancer in 1977, was a concert pianist and composer. Two songs that she wrote “In Boboli” and “Tramonto” were eventually recorded by Aldo. They had three children Valerie, Damian and Adelia. In 1978 Aldo married his current wife, Rosanne Ecker, and they had two children, Adriana and Maria. He is also survived by his sole remaining sibling, his brother, Mario, and his family. Aldo Bruschi was truly “Il Maestro.” |
Nancy Leonard performs in “Montgomery’s Got Talent”by Joan Grauman Morse, AAA Historian |
 On May 22, Nancy Leonard, a member of the Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society (WMAS), performed in “Montgomery’s Got Talent -- The Premier Senior Talent Showcase” at the Bethesda Theater in Bethesda, Maryland. She played a medley of accordion melodies: “River Seine”, “Once In a While”, “La Vie En Rose”, “A Foggy Day” and “Hoe Down Shuffle”. The show consisted of the finalists chosen for their wide variety of talents as instrumentalists, singers and dancers. This event was covered by the Washington Post and local media. Nancy began studying the accordion at age 10. She played in two polka bands in her youth and on a float in Atlantic City. As an adult, she studied accordion with Dr. Carmelo Pino. Nancy continues to perform in and around the Washington, DC area. |
Future events |
AAA Master Class and Concert Series in NYC, July 30 - Aug.1by Dr. William Schimmel |
 American Accordionists' Association (AAA) Master Class and Concert Series – 2010 Seminars: “Don’t Like Opera!?” Welcome to Our Sixteenth Smash Year!Dr. William Schimmel is the moderator/curator of the 2010 Seminars sponsored by the American Accordionists' Association (AAA) on July 30, 31 and August 1 – 2010 at The Tenri Cultura l Institute of New York, 43A West 13th St. between 5th and 6th Aves. The Master Classes take place at 3 PM. The Concerts are at 7 PM. Thefee is $20 per Master Class , $25 per Concert, or $40 per day – includes Master Class and Concert. $110 for entire weekend. The weekend will be a fascinating and unique experience for all. Among the highlights of the weekend will be: What better way to show the accordion’s Built in Ironic (in your face) Duality than with a performance of “Jesus G. Faust” and “Tango Mephisto” featuring King of Ragtime, Dr. Mark Birnbaum. Dr. Robert Young McMahan will take us through the history of the accordion concerto, which in reality, are more like mini-operas. He will also premiere his new yearly 12 tone work, composed for the occasion. “La Traviaida” – an attempt to combine the two Verdi classics and to get to the essence in about 10 minutes. The accordion is the perfect force for compression of time, space and visual/sound drama. We’ll also do “Carmen” in about 4 – all of it. We’ll also do “L’odour d’espirt”, a fifty second reality on a Kurt Cobain masterpiece. Seems like dark stuff: Anything light? Actually yes – and some of it funny. Paul Stein’s Political Satire stings, bites and at times even burns – and always laugh out loud funny. “The Tunnel of Light and Love”, a new interactive video work by the eminent choreographer,director and video artist Micki Goodman will explore the notion of nature, love and rebirth in a pastoral visual elegy – not operatic, but certainly dramatic and life affirming.“St. Mathew the Mummer” – St. Mathew’s Passion retold in a Mardi-Gras Style – in strutting upbeat tempos. Jazz Accordion great Will Holshouser will pull you in with his non-dramatic subtlety and elegance.“Opera Josephine” – a short opera about Josephine Baker through the eyes of The Pointer Sisters – devised from a segment of “Within the Context of No Context” by George W.S. Trow. Lee Mc Clure’s digital flute will dramatize any accordion moment. “Beyond Words” – a reality on Haydn and Gubaidulina, taking the notion of “Seven Words” to new heights – dedicated to the mummer, Joseph A. Ferko, who died seconds after accepting an award for 50 years of mummer service. His Seven Last Words were: “I hope to march fifty more years.” Humorist, Ken Laufer, making us see and “Stars, Stripes, Scars and Scrapes Forever”. “Taking Stock – A series of Realities on Stockhausen” – including “Telemix”, which includes a rap on “Surfer Bird” by the “Trashmen”. A Visual and Sound installation: “Juilliard 1960’s to Early 70’s” showing present day realities and recreations on this famous school’s most Avant Garde period- through the eyes of an accordionist who was there to experience it: CIRCLES become SQUARES, NONO becomes YES/YES, ECLAT becomes ÉCLAIR, PITHOPRAKTA becomes PITHOKRAPTA and PATIENCE becomes LACK OF IT. Concert Virtuoso Mary Tokarski – knowing the difference between Monteverdi and Montovani. “Missa Tantra” – showing the sensual side of the liturgical dimension. Godfrey Nelson and Lorraine Nelson Wolf – new age at its highest peak. Actress Kathleen Tipton charming us with penetrating words and gestures. .“Moritat Von Mackey Messian” – uniting Brecht, Weill and Bobby Darin as Mystics. Benjamin Ickies, the punk accordionist in your face – famous, infamous and just a dot. “Sho West” – a work for (Japanese) sho, accordion and violin, uniting “Gagaku” with the great western violin concertos as well as Hillbilly ramblings – with Mr. and Ms. Fukui on Sho and Violin. Rock Artist John Foti – a jersey shore vibe – more Springsteen than Sopranos.“Expenses” – a work about life, death and taxes. Performance Artist Brian Dewan – the funniest person alive – and the nicest. “Kage/Urotrasho/Pera” - one big, long, continuous melody, a nonopera, uniting whitetrash and eurotrash cultures. Drone Artist David First plays a drone – an opera emerges. Dramatic direction for entire weekend - Micki Goodman For more information: billschimmel@billschimmel.com or aaa1938@aol.com |
Victor Prieto in New York Performancesby Rita Barnea |
 Accordionist and composer, Victor Prieto is revolutionizing the way that the accordion is played by creating new sounds and techniques for this instrument. His music embraces different tendencies that come from Jazz, Tango, Classical and Celtic Roots enriched with new rhythms and colors. He is the creator of a new technique for the accordion called “chord approach on both hands”, which creates rich and elaborate harmonies. Victor Prieto was born in Orense (Spain) in 1975. At the age of nine encouraged by his mother Victor begun to play the accordion. He pursued his studies in Classical accordion at the Orense Conservatory (Spain), while taking harmony, arranging and improvisation classes at Estudio Escola de Musica (Santiago de Compostela, Spain). After receiving a scholarship by the highly respected Jazz school- Berklee College of Music, Victor decided to pursue a performance major under the direction of Joanne Brackeen. During his stay at Berklee Victor became friends with one of his mentors, Oscar Stagnaro. In 2002 Victor moved to New York where he established himself as one of the most prolific and versatile accordionists on the music and Jazz scenes. Victor has performed at many prestigious venues and events such as Berklee Performance Center, Lincoln Center, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Blue Note NY, New Jersey Performance Art Center, Three Rivers Musical Festival, Williamsburg Jazz Festival, Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center. Victor has recorded and shared the stage with Yo-Yo Ma (Songs of Joy and Peace, Sony BMG Masterworks, "Album 2010 Grammy Winner" )Jeff Ballard, Chris Cheek, Paquito D’Rivera, Donny McCaslin, Lionel Louke among others and is involved in projects such as Pablo Aslan’s Avantango, Emilio Solla’s NY Jazz Tango Project, Tessa Souter and Beat Kaestli. He teaches Master Classes in Spain, Italy, Portugal, USA and has headed the jazz accordion studies at the Brooklyn Conservatory (2003 – 2004). He is a recipient of numerous awards and prizes for excellence in accordion performance and composition, among them are: the Creative Performer award from the Spanish Association of Artists and Performers, and the first prize at CMZK’s Concourse of Composition (Argentina). Victor lives in New York City dividing his time between performing, teaching and recording. He has recently introduced his third recording, "Chris Cheek and V. Prieto. Rollo-Coaster.", Cheekus Music. Victor’s upcoming performances include: June 4..... Douglass St. Music Collective ,9:00pm and 11pm sets, 295 Douglass St. Brooklyn, NY., Victor Prieto Trio June 23.... Saint Peter's Church Jazz series ,1:00pm, New York, Victor Prieto Trio July 8....... Miles jazz Club, 9:00pm, New York, Emilio Solla and NY Tango Conspiracy July 10.... Miles Cafe Jazz Club, 7:00 pm, Manhattan, NY, Victor Prieto Trio For further information: victorprieto2001@yahoo.com |
Kimberley International Oldtime Accordion Championshipsby Rita Barnea |
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| The Kimberley International Oldtime Accordion Championships takes place from July 5-10, 2010. Located in the southeast corner of British Columbia, Canada, Kimberley is very simple to access from any where in the world! Whether by ground transportation or air, you can be here before you know it. Larger city centres closest to Kimberley include Cranbrook, BC and Calgary, Alberta. Rated one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association, the Kimberley International Old Time Accordion Championships, more easily known as KIOTAC, is an annual event that brings accordion players and lovers from all over the world. KIOTAC fills the community halls and arenas with daily competitions featuring some of the world’s best accordion musicians, from under the age of 10 to over the age of 75. If you love to dance, this is the place to be. Bring your lawn chair and your dancing shoes, as you’ll be entertained in the heart of Kimberley’s Platzl all day under the warm summer sun. In the evenings the action fires up at the local arena for the best of the best. Whether you attend as a competitor or as part of the audience, this grass-roots event is all about meeting friends, sharing memories, and showing off great talents! And with more than $12,000 in prize money awarded, and over $6,000 to youth, this is a highly prestigious event and competition. The following schedule of featured guest artists for 2010 is preliminary and subject to change Monday July 5th - Concert - -Dance - The Softones Tuesday July 6th - Concert - Michael Bridge - Dance - Smilin' Scandinavians Wednesday July 7th - Spaghetti Night - Concert - Cory Pesaturo - Concert and Dance - Alex Meixner Thursday July 8th - Dance - Best of the Platzl Jams Friday July 9th - Concert - Friday Night at the Movies - Spokane Accordion Ensemble - Dance - Northwind Saturday July 10th- Concert - Massed Band - Dance - Alex MeixnerFo For further information: Email: info@kiotac.ca or toll free: 1-888-4KIOTAC (1-888-454-6822) |
Accordions Now! 2010 Festival, August 6-7, 2010by Rita Barnea |
 On August 6-7, 2010 ACCORDIONS NOW! 2010 will celebrate their 3rd Annual Music Festival at the Highlander Inn and Conference Center in Manchester, NH. Please join us for lots of great music, food, and fun. The event is co-Sponsored by New Hampshire Accordion Association & Accordion Connection LLC. The two-day event will feature performances by Tony Lovello, "the Living Legend," Don McMahon, who has performed with Luciano Pavarotti and will offer a Workshop presentation on Saturday morning and Cory Pesaturo, an international multi-champion. Additional performers include Roger Allen, Nils Lundin, Gary Morin, Mario Pedone, Donna Maria Regis, Mary Tokarski, Jerry Tramontozzi, There will also be an opportunity to perform live in concert during the festival. The Accordions Now! 2010 Festival Orchestra will be conducted by Artistic Director Donna Maria Regis. Pre-registration is required by July 1, 2010. The rehearsal and concert take place Saturday afternoon, August 7, in the Ballroom. You must bring your own accordion, music stand, and music. Workshops will also be conducted over the weekend with Sam Falcetti, Don McMahon, Mary Tokarski and Arthur Welch. Topics include "Learn to Memorize a Song in 5 Minutes," "Building Effective Bass Lines," "How to Play the Accordion" and "What to Look For When Buying a New or Used Accordion." Come learn from the experts! There will also be a number of vendors, a gala dinner buffet, Jam Sessions, and much more! For more information or to register for the festival: call 800-328-5227 or Donna Maria Regis regisdonna@yahoo.com |
Alex Meixner to Perform at KIOTAC in Julyby Rita Barnea |
 Alex Meixner will be one of the featured performers at the KIOTAC on July 7th and 10th.Alex Meixner’s formative musical studies were on piano and piano accordion, but he quickly branched out on drums, diatonic button accordion, bass and trumpet, which is now his main instrument. This instrumental versatility is combined with a musical background that has included intense studies and performance of jazz, classical, pop, polkas and many ethnic folk music genres with some of the leading artists in the world. His talents in music and comedy were even featured on the Tonight Show on NBC in 2004. Currently based in Allentown, PA, Alex is performing as a solo artist and with numerous touring ensembles. His solo programs- "Fascinating Rhythms of the World" focus on the fusion of Slavic folk music and Jazz, but also include the inflections of folk, pop and classical styles from Latin America, Africa and other sections of Europe. Alex also leads or co-leads numerous musical groups including Jazz Visions, The Alex Meixner Group, Muzika Europa and the Alex Meixner-Rick Hirsch Jazztet. These groups perform for various public and private functions throughout the northeast. When Alex is not performing with all of these groups, he is devoted to bringing music to students through educational clinics, as well as his private teaching. Recently, he has branched out with another avenue of promoting music in his community as the executive director of the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra. For further information: alex@alexmeixner.com |
New and Updated Sites |
Grayson Masefield updated his siteby Grayson Masefield |
 Grayson Masefield has updated his website with many wonderful photos of accordionist friends on his USA Tour 2010. Join Grayson's Fan Club on Accordion-Space4u.com |
HS Production releases new musicby HS Production |
 H S Production releases 6 new pieces, 'Russian Song (Solo and Duet)', catalog:hs389, 'Etude 11', catalog:hs387, 'Etude 9', catalog:hs384, 'Etude - Waltz', catalog:hs385, 'Etude 5', catalog:hs380.htm" target="_blank">hs380 and 'Etude 6', catalog:hs381. Samples of the music are available online. The music are in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card. |
MusicForAccordion.com releases new musicby MusicForAccordion.com |
 MusicForAccordion.com site release 1 new music with 3 parts - 'Sonatina in C Part 1-Part 3', catalog:mfa6016. Samples of the music are available online. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card. |
Yehuda Oppenheimer releases new workby Yehuda Oppenheimer |
 Yehuda Oppenheimer releases 2 arrangements for acccordion - 'Sailing (Duet)', catalog:OY602.htm" target="_blank">OY602 and 'Silent Night', catalog:OY604. Sample of the music is available online. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card. |
Franck Angelis releases new musicby Franck Angelis |
 Franck Angelis releases 2 new pieces, 'Impasse II (Duet)', catalog:angelis558 and 'Comastor, catalog:angelis562. Sample of the music is available online. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card. |
Vassily Glubochenko releases new musicby Vassily Glubochenko |
 Vassily Glubochenko - accordionist as well as a composer, arranger, and scientist, releases 2 new works for accordion available for purchase online - ‘Sleepwalker , catalog:gvassily036.htm" target="_blank">gvassily036 and 'Schemer, catalog:gvassily037. 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. |
Donald E Grzanna releases new musicby Donald E. Grzanna |
 Donald E. Grzanna releases 3 new pieces, 'Elm Street Boogie', catalog:grza109, 'Spring Waltz', catalog:grza110.htm" target="_blank">grza110 and 'Escapade', catalog:grza111. Samples of the music are available online. The music are in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card. |
William Schimmel releases new pieceby William Schimmel |
 William Schimmel releases 2 new music, 'Stonehenge', catalog:sch130.htm" target="_blank">sch130 and 'Concerto For One', catalog:sch143. Samples of the music are available online. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card. |