The second annual "Accordion Rally" will be held at the Trenton Grange in Trenton, Maine on November 2, 2002 from 9:00 am to 5:00 PM followed by an evening recital.

Trenton Grange Hall is located just south of the Bar Harbor airport on route 3 in Trenton Maine near Acadia National Park. The event is open to all accordionists of all levels and all types of music and instruments. Participants will organize into interest groups and classes, and guests are encouraged to come something to share!

The Accordion Rally will be organized by Nancy Hoffman who is the accordionist for the Casco Bay Tummlers of Portland Maine.

Attendance costs $10.00 per person, $5 per spectator for the evening recital. This does *not* include lodging or lunch. Proceeds to benefit the Grange furnace fund.

Lodging is available across the street at the Open Hearth Motel 207/667-2930 Call between 10.00 AM - 9.00 PM (Eastern Standard Time)

Last year's event attracted 35 squeezers from all over Maine. For further info contact Joe Niemczura Master, Trenton Grange #550 josephn@acadia.net (207) 667 0260 http://www.deffa.orgg

In addition to the four scheduled concerts Henry Doktorski played while in California last month, he also played at three other venues:

• on July 27 a performance of the avant garde accordion solo, Meteor Shower, by Stanley and David Darrow for a movie about the accordion written and directed by independent film producer Steve Mobia
• a house concert sponsored by Doktorski's hosts John and Valerie Kieser of Oakland on July 30
• a mini-recital for the Bay Area Accordion Club meeting on August 7

Between July 30 and August 7, Henry took his two children on a week-long camping trip and tour of central California, visiting Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, Hearst Castle, and enjoying the scenic drive north on route one between Cambria and San Francisco.

Doktorski said, "I was really hoping to see a bear in Sequoia National Park, as the rangers emphatically warned us to lock up our food securely, and our next door neighbors at the campsite had seen six bears the previous day. Although I kept my eyes and ears open for two days and nights while visiting the forest of giant trees, I did not see one bear.

"However, I was almost killed by another wild creature living in the forest! The last morning, while walking back to our site from the latrine, I passed under a huge Ponderosa pine tree. I heard a curious rustling sound high above my head, stopped in my tracks, and tilted my head up and back toward the direction of the sound. I saw a large projectile about the size of a large coconut hurtling down from the top of the tree straight at my face.

Instinctively I stepped aside with less than a fraction of a second to spare as the projectile narrowly missed my cranium and crashed with a loud 'whack' on the forest floor. It was a large and heavy (maybe four or five pounds) green pine cone with sharp spines protruding and profuse sap oozing. "I looked up at the top of the tree. At first I could see nothing unusual, but after a few moments noticed a shaking branch maybe 50 feet above my head.

A tiny squirrel (chickaree) peeked its head over the foliage and chattered, seemingly laughing at me in squirrel language: 'Awwww, shucks. I missed.'"

This story was corroborated by William C. Tweed, who wrote in Sequoia & Kings Canyon: The Story Behind the Scenery (1997: KC Publications, Inc.), p. 18: "From the forest comes the agitated chirp of the chickaree, a tree squirrel. . . he hops to the massive base (nearly 30 feet across) of a towering, cinnamon- colored tree. It does not matter to the chickaree that the fibrous bark he climbs belongs to one of the oldest and largest living things on earth and that the branch he carefully selects is . . . over 100 feet off the ground. All that matters to the chickaree is the numerous . . . green cones he finds near the end of the branch. He works rapidly and intently, severing the cones at the rate of one per second. As they are cut, the hard cones land with gentle thuds in the thick forest carpet far below."

Doktorski commented, "Gentle thud, my eye! That is unless the cone lands with a loud 'crack' on the head of an unsuspecting camper below. I'm lucky that I didn't end up in the emergency room of a hospital."

Bob Berta summed it up succinctly, "Luckily your tour didn't end with an obituary...'Famous accordionist killed by squirrel in California.' That will be a great story I will remember for years to come!"

Husband and wife duo accordionists Henry and Mary Kay Doktorski performed for the first time in public together on August 17 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

They provided music for the wedding ceremony of Robert Welter and Deborah Boyum. (Robert is Mary Kay's brother.) The ceremony, which was attended by 50 people, took place in the garden behind Robert's house.

The Doktorski Duo performed several pieces: Pastoral Symphony from "Messiah" by G.F. Handel, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by J.S. Bach, Kanon in D by Johann Pachelbel, Bridal Chorus from "Lohengrin" by Richard Wagner (as the bride processed down the aisle) and the recessional Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn.

The bride, Deborah Welter remarked afterwards, "Your music was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. It really made my day."

Joseph Soprani will be the featured accordion soloist with the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Irving Ludwig in the annual fund raising concert to be held on the grounds of the Corinthian Yacht Club of Philadelphia in Essington, PA. on Sunday September 22, 2002 at 4.00 PM

The concert is entitled "A Tale of Two Countries," commemorating the trials and tribulations of the United States and the Republic of Austria. In addition to selections by Johann Strauss and John Philip Sousa, Soprani will premiere his arrangements of three Viennese Dances by Fritz Kreisler for accordion and orchestra and perform the popular "Carnival of Venice" by Paganini, a number that for many years has captured the hearts of millions of audiences who heard him play it.

Irving Ludwig, violinist with the Philadelphia Orchestra for over 39 years under Eugene Ormandy and Riccardo Muti, will begin his 13th season as conductor and musical director of the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra of Lansdowne, PA October 2002. This marks the 57th season of the orchestra.

Soprani, who appeared with Russell Watson (pictured right) on GOOD MORNING AMERICA in New York, composed, arranged and performed on the accordion in a full length movie called "Invisible Mountains" by writer Rich Hoffmann and Paul Leitner, producer. Pete Tramo composed the musical score. It will soon be premiered in the fall at the Prince Theatre in Philadelphia.

Contact Numbers:(USA) Corinthian Yacht Club-610 521 4705
Lansdowne Sym-610 284 3719
E-mail: sopranimusic@webtv.net

This year's successful Cotati Accordion Festival was held in Cotati, California on August 24th and 25th.

Performers included Dick Contino, Jon Hammond, Montcorbier (which includes accordionist Francois Villon), Montango (family tango group includes Tom Montgomer - bandoneon, Vanessa - violin, Matt - guitar and Tom's wife on vocals), Tameem (Afghanistan), Big Lou & the Polka Casserole, Julio Morgani, The O'Grady Family, Patricia Bartell, Peach Face Lovebirds, Alex Meixner, AbsolutAccord, Rahman Asadollahi, Arizona Button Accordion Band, Hot Frittatas and Polkacide.

Dick Contino was in fine form playing many "crowd pleasers" such as Lady Of Spain (which he introduced in 1955), Tico Tico, Volare, etc. This is Dick's 55th year in show business and he spent both days out in the sun signing autographs and socializing with the crowd.

Vietnamese classical accordionist Ms. Nguyen Thi Quynh Trang, in the United States to perform a Saturday 7 September concert venue at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, has also been invited to perform with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Sunday 8 September. Ms. Nguyen will perform a three-minute solo and then accompany the famous choir on a number as part of the choir's worldwide syndicated long-running "Music and the Spoken Word" half-hour program that emanates from the Mormon Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

As $20,000 first-prize winner of the prestigious Hong Kong Competition for Young Asian musicians, which was adjudicated by Sir Neville Marriner and other acclaimed international musicians, Ms. Nguyen received a professional engagement contract for a year to help launch her career. One of those engagements is to perform in the Temple Square Concert Series in the Assembly Hall in Salt Lake City.

Born in Hai Hung, Vietnam in 1983, Ms. Nguyen started playing the accordion at age eight, and in 1992 entered the Hanoi National Conservatory of Music. A frequent accordion performer in concerts and programs in the Vietnamese broadcast media, she has also concertized in Asia. At the Hong Kong Competition Finals she performed Bach's Prelude & Fugue in D Minor, Paganini's Perpetual Motion, and Feld's 4 Intermezzos for Accordion.

More than 300 aspiring musical stars from more than 20 nations, including Japan, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand,and Hong Kong, entered the competition which is open to all musicians. The competition is sponsored by Radio Television Hong Kong, Morgan Stanley, Hong Kong's Leisure and Cultural Department, and Hong Kong's SAR government.

NY accordionist Kevin Friedrich and the New Zealand North Shore Musicale Accordion Ensemble (conducted by Lionel Reekie) have just returned from a very successful concert tour of China.

Concerts were given in Xiamen, Putian and Shanghai, all to capacity crowds which included attendees crowding into the aisles in standing room only arrangements. The Putian concert was also recorded by local television for broadcast later in the month. The ensemble was treated to wonderful hospitality from the accordionists in China, being hosted at a number of informal dinners where impromptu performances were given.

Other highlights of the trip included sightseeing at some of China's most famous attractions, a cultural exchange presented at the Xiamen Teenagers Centre and a specially arranged visit to the Shanghai factory that produces the Sheng.

The concert program included a wide variety of pieces such as a popular medley entitled 'Country Accordion' which featured dueling New Zealand Champion accordionists Kevin Friedrich and Campbell Bettridge (pictured left and right respectively).

Other works included pieces such as "Espana Cani", "Whiter Shade of Pale", "La Scala di Seta" (Rossini), the popular New Zealand work entitled "Invercargill March" and a medley of Beatles hits arranged by well known composer and conductor, Gary Daverne.

Normally when you have a birthday party thrown for you, it means you sit back, relax and enjoy everyone else doing all the work. Not if you are Maestro Anthony Galla-Rini!

Mr. Galla-Rini is currently working busily on orchestral arrangements that will be performed by the 'ATG Galla-Rini Birthday Orchestra' which he will direct during his 99th Birthday Celebration. Sponsored by the Accordionists and Teachers Guild, International , the celebrations will take place in San Diego from 17-19 January 2003.

This momentous weekend will begin the grand countdown to his 100th Birthday in 2004.

The ATG and Mr. Galla-Rini (who is the ATG President Emeritus) are inviting all accordionists to participate in this Birthday Orchestra which will perform at the concert on Saturday January 18th in San Diego.

The first rehearsal will take place on Friday evening, January 17th at 7:00 PM, with another rehearsal Saturday morning at 9:00 AM. The day time will be free for visits to local attractions such as the San Diego Zoo, or a quick visit to the NAAM convention up in Los Angeles, with guests reconvening later that evening for a Birthday Banquet and evening concert.

Anyone interested in performing in the orchestra should contact ATG President Joan Sommers at sommersj@umkc.edu.

The Yuri Yunakov Ensemble will perform at the La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley on September 14th.

The ensemble, which plays Bulgarian and Romani music, includes Ivan Milev (accordion), Yuri Yunakov (saxophone), Catherine Foster (clarinet, trumpet & vocals), Lauren Brody (keyboard & vocals) and Carol Silverman (vocals).

Ivan Milev (accordion), a recent emigrant to New York City, is one of Bulgaria's most virtuosi and inventive accordionists, drawing inspiration from classical, jazz, and Eastern Orthodox Church music. In the 1970's Milev founded the famous wedding band Mladost (Youth), based in Haskovo, Thrace. In 1986 Mladost won first prize in the Stambolovo Festival of Wedding Music and Milev won the best accordionist award. Yunakov credits Milev with training him in Bulgarian music and encouraging him to play the saxophone. Yuri played with Milev in Mladost for short time until Papazov recruited him. Milev's performances showcase a historic musical reunion with Yunakov on American soil.

The Yuri Yunakov Ensemble performs Bulgarian and Romani (Gypsy) music from the Balkan countries of Bulgaria and Macedonia. This music is renowned for its haunting melodies, dense ornamentation, complex rhythms, and stunning improvisations. The geographical position of the Balkans in southeastern Europe and hundreds of years of Ottoman Turkish rule has created a wealth of influences from both East and West. The ensemble plays in a contemporary styled called "wedding music," so named for its ubiquitous presence at life cycle celebrations such as weddings and baptisms where dancing and music are a requirement. This style, which gained popularity in the 1970's, emphasizes virtuosi technique, improvisation, rapid tempos, daring key changes, and eclectic musical literacy. A multiplicity of styles, such as jazz and rock, and a multiplicity of sources, such as Turkish and Indian music, are combined with Balkan rural and urban folk music. In Bulgaria, "wedding music, " while officially suppressed by the socialist government, thrived in private settings as a means of counter cultural expression.

The Ensemble's program weaves a texture of both instrumental and vocal music from contrasting regions of the Balkans performed in the Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, and Romani (Gypsy) languages. The Rom (Gypsy) repertoire highlights the popular dance form "chochek" and songs reflecting the marginalization of Roma from mainstream society. Roma, an ethnic group originally from India, has played a central role in the professional folk music of every country of the Balkans. Persecuted throughout history, Roma have recently become the target of numerous violent attacks in Eastern Europe. The leading members of the Ensemble, Yuri and Ivan, played together in Bulgaria in the 1970's. With Ivo Papazov's band, Yuri made many European tours, and has also toured throughout North America and Australia to enthusiastic crowds

For further details phone: +1 510-849-2568

Shanxi Upsdell, 16 year old accordionist from Overland Park, KS, presented a 15 minute solo recital for the Chicago Accordion Club on August 19, 2002 at the invitation of the club president, John Simkus.

John heard Shanxi play in San Antonio during the 2001 ATG Festival where she won the first ATG National Piano Accordion division which ran in conjunction with the new CIA category, and decided she should present a program for the Chicago Club. Shanxi played

• Mephisto Waltz by Franz Liszt, arranged Anthony Galla-Rini
• Sonata, K. 367 by D. Scarlatti
• Jalousie by Gade arranged by Anthony Galla-Rini
• Preludium 11 from the Well Tempered Clavier by J.S. Bach

Shanxi has a large repertoire consisting of original and arranged works and including both standard stradella and free-bass accordion works.

Shanxi began the study of accordion in New Zealand. After her family emigrated to the USA she has been studying with Joan Cochran Sommers in Kansas City, MO for 3 1/2 years, even driving in from Cincinnati for part of that time.

Shanxi is an active member of the UMKC Community Accordion Orchestra as well as being very successful in the field of Debate.

In the recent National Christian Forensics and Communications Association's 2002 Speech and Debate Tournament held in Murfreesboro, TN she and her partner received an 11th place ranking for Team Policy Debate, out of 92 teams. The Tournament was host to 334 national home schooled competitors representing 34 states.