Daily reports by Kevin Friedrich (CIA Ambassador). Pictures provided by Kevin Friedrich and Harley Jones

 
General Information
Following the very successful inaugural World Accordion Orchestra debut performance at the Coupe Mondiale 2007 under the Musical Direction of Joan C. Sommers, the magnificent staging of the CIA World Accordion Orchestra II in Scotland in 2008 and the WAO III in Auckland, New Zealand, we are delighted to announce that the 'CIA World Accordion Orchestra IV' is to be held during the 2010 Coupe Mondiale in Varaždin, Croatia. The members of the 'CIA World Accordion Orchestra IV' again included musicians from many different countries – some of whom are members of organized accordion orchestras invited to perform during the schedule of the Coupe Mondiale. Other members are invited professional individuals from throughout the world. Many of these players hold offices in the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes or serve in a great variety of positions in the accordion organizations of their own countries as well as delegates to the CIA World Congress held during the Coupe Mondiale. Following CIA tradition, the President of the CIA will serve as Concert Master, so the World Accordion Orchestra IV welcomed the new CIA President Raymond Bodell to this position.
|  mers@kc.rr.com

 
Concert Program:

  • Iconosphere (World Premiere Performance) by John Franceschina (10:41)
    1. Prologue
    2. Parados
    3. Parabasis
    4. Agon
    5. Syzygy
    6. Cordax
    (Performed without pause)
    Conductor: Joan Cochran Sommers

  • Werziade I by Fritz Dobler (6:26)

  • Wither, Wither Violet by Josip Matanoviæ and Saša Bastalec (3:00)
    An arrangement based on a Croatian Folk Song
    Conductor:
    Slavko Magdić
Members of the World Accordion Orchestra IV under the direction of Joan Cochran Sommers
 
Above left: members of the World Accordion Orchestra IV under the direction of Joan Cochran Sommers
Above right: CIA General Secretary Kimmo Mattila (Finland) performing in the World Accordion Ochestra IV
 
Above right: CIA President and the Concert Master of the WAO IV, Raymond Bodell (United Kingdom).
Also pictured CIA Ambassador Kevin Friedrich, Mary Tokarski (USA AAA), Micro Patarini (Italy), Heather Masefield (New Zealand)
 Above right: CIA General Secretary Kimmo Mattila (Finland)
 
Joan C. Sommers (Founder - CIA World Accordion Orchestra) was awarded the title of Professor Emerita upon her retirement from the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory of Music (USA), where she established and taught the accordion degree programme for forty years. She has arranged innumerable works for the accordion orchestra over many years, often for the UMKC Accordion Orchestra which, under her direction, competed in and won more First Prizes in Virtuoso Accordion Orchestra Competitions than any other similar American group.

In both 1955 and 1956 she earned the right to represent the USA in the Coupe Mondiale and, although she didn’t win, it was those experiences which opened her eyes to the tremendous opportunities available to accordionists; perhaps it also fixed her life-long interest in worldwide accordion activities. She has held positions in several music organisations, including the Accordionists & Teachers Guild International (ATG) and the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA – IMC-UNESCO). Professor Sommers continues to adjudicate, coach soloists, prepare accordion orchestra arrangements, and conduct accordion orchestras regularly.
 
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World Accordion Orchestra IV conducted by Slavko Magdić
 
World Accordion Orchestra IV conducted by Slavko Magdić
 
Slavko Magdić congratulating the Concert Master and CIA President Raymond Bodell (United Kingdom)
 
Slavko Magdić (Slovenia, Croatia) graduated in accordion and conducting from the Gnessin Music Academy in Moscow. He took part in several competitions for accordion and conducting and distinguished himself with extraordinary results by winning the National Accordion Competition in 1970, the Gnessin Conducting Competition in 1979 and the National Conducting Competition in 1983.

As a conductor of Symphony Orchestras, he has conducted some of the best national symphony orchestras including The Zagreb Philharmonic, The Belgrade Philharmonic and The Symphony Orchestra of RTV Zagreb. He has also worked as a teacher and guest conductor of different accordion orchestras thereby working with many accordion students in Slovenia and Croatia, helping to develop their accordion skills.

His students have received numberous prizes in National and International competitions. He has served as a member of the International Jury at the competitions in Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, England, and as President of the Artistic Committee at the International competition in Pula (Croatia) for several years. In addition to making many transcriptions for solo accordion and accordion orchestras, he has also worked to help commission new pieces for accordion and accordion orchestras. In recognition of his pedagogical work in Slovenia, he was awarded with the "Fran Gerbic" and "Dr. Roman Klasinc" Awards.
 
Conductors Joan Cochran Sommers (USA), Slavko Magdić and event organizer Vjera Odak (Croatia)