The World's Largest Gathering of Accordion Stars!

Honorary Conductor

Carl Fortina
will be our Honorary Conductor for 2008.  Carl is known as the worlds most recorded accordionist.  Carl for 35 years was the accordionist on first call for Hollywood.  He played in some 600 motion picture and 25,000 television sound tracks.  When Nino Rota, the composer who wrote the music for “The Godfather”, heard Carl play the theme for the movies sound track, he told Carl “You don’t play with your hands; you play with your heart”.  Carl went onto become musical director of Paramount Studios.  We are honored to have such a great musician, friend, and recognized accordions perform and accept the 2008 Honorary Conductors Award!

Featuring

Alex Sevastian

will be our featured artist.  Alex is the winner the 2007 Accordion World Cup Championship held in Washington DC.  Alex was born in Belarus and began playing the accordion at age seven.  After finishing musical school in 1991 he entered the Musical College in Minsk and upon completion entered the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow where he went on to work for five years in Russian TV and Radio.  Since April of 2001, Alexander has been living in Toronto, Canada. He has been playing with the Toronto Woodwinds Ensemble.  However his most noted gig is with the internationally recognized group “Quartetto Gelato” (www.quartettogelato.ca). We are excited to have such a fine musician and world renowned accordionist join the 2008 Convention.

 

Mr. Entertainment Dick Contino

Dick joins us again for 2008 and is an accordion iconic legend - Dick is recognized as Mr Entertainer and proves that each time he takes the stage .   Making our list of guests and artist sound like a who's who of the Accordion World - imagine Dick Contino and Art Van Damme along with Peter Soave, Pete Barbutti and many others all appearing at the same event.  This is truly a defining moment as we celebrate Mr. Entertainment in concert the final night with his Las Vegas band.

 

 

Art Van Damme

Internationally recognized as a legendary musician, Art has collaborated with such great names in Jazz as Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Dizzy Gillespie. His successful recording career with NBC and Capitol Records spans more than 30 years, and he has taken the accordion to the pinnacle of the Jazz music world.  Hear Art will perform with his quintet - a rare and an unforgettable experience!

 

 

 

International Accordion Orchestra
Directed by Joan Cochran - Sommers
The 2008 Convention will feature the World Premiere of the Las Vegas International Accordion Orchestra, under the direction of Joan Cochran Sommers Professor Sommers established the accordion degree program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. Upon her retirement, after 40 years of full-time teaching at the University of Missouri, including 12 years as Assistant Dean of the Conservatory of Music, she was awarded the title of Professor Emerita.  She has conducted many award winning orchestra’s.

 

Starring

Mary Tokarski
Mary Tokarski performs both as a soloist, and as a member of both “Buttons & Keys” (a piano/accordion duo) and The “K” Trio.  Recently, Mary toured mainland China with the Mantovani Orchestra, both as orchestra member and as a soloist.  Mary was United States Champion - twice, and represented the U.S. in the 1971 and 1973 Coupe Mondiale events in Belgium and France.  Mary serves on the Board of Directors for both the American Accordionists Association and the Accordionists and Teachers Guild, Intl.  Mary also teaches and travels throughout the U.S. presenting workshops and Master Classes on improving musical skills, and coaches on all aspects of performance.

 

Peter Soave & Mady Soave

Peter has appeared as guest soloist with more symphony orchestras than any other accordionist in the world, and Mady is a talented performer of the French musette and bayan repertoire, and is an accomplished educator. Recently Peter and his wife Mady moved their home to Lyon, France, where Peter travels extensively through Europe giving concerts, conducting master classes, and teaching. Their home address is now in France, but Peter and Mady have friends worldwide. 

 

 

Mario Pedone

Mario is a classically trained accordionist.  Born in Southern Italy near Bari, he immigrated with his family at age of seven to Valencia, Venezuela where he grew up and studied accordion and graduated with the degree of Professor of Accordion.  Mario has won numerous awards on both accordion and organ and has played professionally all over the world and teaches accordion in his home state of Texas where he has lived for over 25 years with his wife & children.  You will be amazed at Mario’s musical style. 

 

Soundscape Accordion Trio

Soundscape is a very talented accordion trio based out of Denver and consisting of members Larry Mill, Madalynn Neu and John Neu. Larry was an Accordion Major at the University of Denver under Robert Devine, and John and Madalynn studied with the studios of Vince Geraci in Chicago. All three had stopped playing for about 25 years, but now that their children are grown, they’ve rekindled their musical interests. You’ll be astounded by their elegant style and virtuosic ensemble ability.