San Francisco Bay Area --- ACCORDION ORCHESTRA PROJECT

• Do you want to play music with other accordionists?

• Are you interested in playing familiar tunes?

• Is it difficult to make a long-term commitment to participate with an established group?

If you answered Yes to any or all of these questions, you’re a likely candidate to attend the first SF Bay area Accordion Orchestra Project held in San Mateo. Rehearsals will be held on the following dates from 10 AM until approx. 2:30 PM (with breaks),

The Project will be directed by Richard Yaus, the leading force behind the successful accordion ensemble AbsolutAccord. The goal is to bring accordionists together to create a one-of-a-kind orchestra experience that will conclude with a performance at the San Francisco Accordion Club on July 21st, 2013.

For details and more information, please view an Invitation to the Project.

To register, please print and complete the Accordion Orchestra Project Registration Form and mail or email it as directed on the form!

Classical Accordionist Paul Chamberlain comes to the Bay Area!

Classical Accordionist Paul Chamberlain, from Scotland, will be performing several concerts around the Bay Area.

21st February  - Santa Cruz Public Library, CA. – (12.10PM)

24th February - St. Mary’s Cathedral, San Francisco, CA. – Solo Recital (3.30pm)

• St. Mary's Cathedral, 1111 Gough Street, SF
• http://www.stmarycathedralsf.org/concert.html

28th February - Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA. – Evening Concert. (6.30pm) This concert will feature a live scoring to a projection of 3 Pink Panther cartoons of Paul’s own composition in  honour of the Pink Panther’s 50^th Birthday.

2nd March - Seventh Avenue Concerts, San Francisco, CA. – Solo Recital (7.30pm)

• Seventh Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1329 7th Ave, (between Irving and Judah)
• http://www.sevenperforms.org/background.html 

Mr. Chamberlain will perform a selection of music featuring transcriptions of pieces by Bach, Weber and Scarlatti along with original works for accordion.

The former UK Virtuoso Champion promises an exciting performance with the opportunity to hear the accordion as never before! One of the first classical accordionists to graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Paul is a highly accomplished player appearing at many music festivals across the world.

Learn more about Mr. Chamberlain at his website:  http://www.theaccordionist.com/

2012 Festa Coloniale Italiana, August 11

The 2012 Festa Coloniale Italiana

What: 2012 Festa Coloniale Italiana

When: Saturday, August 11, 2012

Place: San Francisco Italian Athletic Club. 1630 Stockton St. San Francisco, Ca 94133

Time: 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Admission: Free

Website: http://www.sfiacfesta.com/

Contact: Tom Torriglia, 415 440 0800, festa@sfiac.com

We are very excited to announce that on Saturday, August 11, The San Francisco Italian Athletic Club Foundation welcomes the Bay Area to North Beach for the 2012 Festa Coloniale Italiana, an annual Italian festival that celebrates the rich Italian and Italian-American heritage that has existed in San Francisco for generations. This free event continues to be San Francisco’s only Italian festival. In addition, we are celebrating Ferragosto, a traditional mid-summer Italian holiday.

Along Stockton St., between Union and Filbert sts., there will be continuous live Italian music including:

The Bella Ciao band: www.ladyofspain.com/bellaciao.html

Due Zighi Baci: www.EuroCafeMusic.com

Sunday 7 accordion band. Members of the San Jose and San Francisco accordion clubs

Musica degli Borelli. Italian-music trio with a splash of jazz

The Rico Dancers will be putting on a dance show and world champion pizza-toss expert Tony Gemignani will astound the crowd with his pizza tossing.

There will be plenty of beer and wine, and the most mouth-watering food this side of Siena including sausage and peppers, pasta, deep-fried calamari, meatball sandwiches and cannoli. Vendors will be selling Italian-related products.

Inside, the club's main ballroom will be transformed into an Italian piazza complete with a fountain.  The third-floor Parkview room, which overlooks the festa and Washington Square park, is being transformed into a wine-tasting venue featuring some of the Bay Area’s finest wineries including Mondavi.

The Festa Coloniale Italiana is a family-fun event that is free and open to the public. The Festa runs from 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and for additional information, please contact Tom Torriglia at either 415 440 0800 or at festa@sfiac.com.

 The San Francisco Italian Athletic Club, which is located at 1630 Stockton St., may be reached at 415 781 0165.

Please check back for entertainment updates.

May 6th - World Accordion Day - 24 hr continuous online broadcaststreaming

The Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA) is sponsoring a 24-hour non-stop online broadcast, which will feature accordion music and interviews with accordionists from around the globe.

The event will begin on Sunday, May 6 at 7 am Paris time (1 am New York time, GMT+1) and will go for 24 hours straight. Additional information is available at http://www.accordions.com/cia/cia_worldaccordionday.htm or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/worldaccordionday .

Please let your friends and accordion club & association members know about this exciting event. The broadcast will be archived at the same website for those who are not able to watch it live.

Goodbye Valerie

It is with sadness that we inform you of the passing of our dear Valerie Kieser, a woman who was the heart and soul of the San Francisco Accordion Club.

Valerie passed away peacefully at her home on Feb 27th, 2012, at the age of 74.  Beloved wife of the late John F. Kieser,  they had lived at their Oakland residence since 1973.  Valerie was an exceptional cook, hostess to all who came within miles of her, and a bright and shining spirit who lived a truly exceptional life. 

She was an avid accordion and button box aficionado, having played with numerous orchestras and ensembles, including the Accordion Chamber Ensemble and directed the Club's "Fun Band." She had a deep love for all animals, though she had a special affinity for horses, dogs and cats.  Always a joy to those around here, she will be deeply missed by her friends and family all over the globe. 

Valerie's nephew, Jeff Trabucco has set up a lovely Memorial website where you can read more about Valerie, see photos and share your thoughts about her in the Memory Book on the website.  Val's Memorial Website

Family and friends are planning a musical tribute and celebration of Val's life at the regular 2 PM meeting of the San Francisco Accordion Club on April 15th.   All who knew Val are invited to attend and if you have a musical gift to contribute to this celebration, please contact Lynn Ewing, SFAC President, at: ewinglynn@gmail.com  

We, who were Val's "Accordion Family" will miss her beyond measure!  

Joe (Joseph H.) Smiell has passed away.

Beloved accordionist and button box master, composer, arranger, conductor, husband, father and grandfather Joe Smiell passed away on January 31 at the age of 86  from liver cancer.  Joe was active right up until the end readying the San Francisco Accordion Chamber Ensemble for their next concert.

The San Francisco Accordion Club extends their most heartfelt sympathy to the Smiell family.  Joe will be greatly missed by all!

The family is discussing a memorial, but no announcement has been made yet.

Italy's Accordion Industry: Tiny and Thriving : NPR

Italy's Accordion Industry: Tiny And Thriving

by CHRISTOPHER LIVESAY

January 9, 2012

More than 70 percent of Italy's gross domestic product comes from small businesses — and they're not growing. Economists are worried this will make it impossible for Italy to climb out of its massive $2.6 trillion debt.

Even in a global economy, something as small as Italy's accordion industry can have an impact. The work of its craftsmen has reached millions of ears.  read more ....