Mary Tokarski, Chairman of the 2009 AAA Competition and Festival in Memphis, TN. from July 15-19, 2009, has announced that several new categories will be included in this year’s events including: AAA Digital/Electronic International Entertainment Competition, as well as a solo category honoring “The King”, Elvis Presley.
There will be an International Piano Accordion Competition with prizes funded by the Carmen Carrozza Scholarship Fund, Maddalena Belfiore Entertainment Competition for Female Accordionists. This competition is sponsored by the Mauro Greco family, under the auspices of the AAA.
Another category will be the Elsie M. Bennett Composition Category whose general purpose is to encourage young students of the accordion and those who just enjoy the sound of the accordion, to create literature for accordion either as a solo instrument, or with other instruments. There is no directive for the style of the composition, ONLY that it is written for the acoustic accordion, not electronic accordion.
There will be cash awards. A performance at Graceland will take place followed by a Graceland tour with, Additional Sightseeing time afterwards.
The events will take place at the Holiday Inn Suites at the University of Memphis, TN. The Holiday Inn is an all-suite hotel located on the campus of the University of Memphis and adjacent to the Fogelman Executive Conference Center.
Headline performers include Tony Lovello, {Liberace of the Accordion}, Joe Natoli { winner of the recent Roland V Competition in Los Angeles} and Randy Martin,director of the Martin School in Fullerton, California, who will conduct the AAA Festival Orchestra.
Frank Busso, Sr. will conduct the performance at Graceland which will include “Love Me Tender” and “Blue Suede Shoes”. Frank is a noted accordionist and educator, First Vice-President of the American Accordionists’ Association and Director of the Staten Island Music School in New York.
The Thursday evening entertainment will feature “Riders in the Sky” who have been playing original and classic cowboy songs for more than thirty years. They are keepers of the flame passed on by the Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, reviving and revitalizing the genre. While remaining true to the integrity of Western music, they have themselves become modern-day icons by branding the genre with their own legendary wacky humor and way-out Western wit.
The Jeff Lisenby Ensemble will perform on the Friday evening concert on July 17. Lisenby holds a master’s degree from The Conservatory of Music of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His experience runs the gamut of styles. He has twice been the national accordion champion and a bronze medalist in the Coupe Mondiale international classical accordion competitions.
But classical music wasn’t the only style he practiced. Lisenby used his genius on the accordion and keyboards to carve a niche market for himself, and gained performances with the Nashville, Kansas City, and Los Angeles Symphonies, the Palm Beach Pops Orchestra, and a gig accompanying Luciano Pavarotti during part of his U.S. tour.
Certainly not limited to classical music, Lisenby toured extensively with the Mills Brothers, Boots Randolph, and Brenda Lee, and has accompanied Lee Greenwood, Donna Summer, Tricia Yearwood, Three-Dog Night, the Coasters, David Cassidy, Marty Stuart, Jo Dee Messina, Pam Tillis, Loretta Lynn, Roy Clark, and Dolly Parton, to name a few.
Most recently, Lisenby was honored to be the music director on Broadway for RING OF FIRE: The Music of Johnny Cash, for which he pulled from his extensive experience backing country artists in Nashville.
Lisenby is also one of the first-call accordionists for recording sessions in Nashville. Projects he has worked on include the Grammy-winning album: “Songs from the Neighborhood; the Music of Mister Rogers”, and jingles for Budweiser and Sutherland’s Lumber (which he also wrote and produced).When he is not on the road performing around the country, Lisenby teaches for Belmont University’s School of Music and is active in the Nashville recording scene.
Steve Stolaruk has been a generous supporter of AAA activities and has contributed the prizes for the Vivian Vivio Stolaruk International Entertainment Competition in divine remembrance of his late wife, Vivian. Steve has written a song in her memory, “We Shall be Forever,” which will be sung by Jaclyn Brown, Jeff Lisenby’s daughter, at the Friday night concert.
Come to the 2009 AAA Festival! You will hear some of the best accordionists in the country! Enter the competitions! Play your accordion with the band at Graceland! Attend the workshops! Meet new accordion friends!
For more info: www.ameraccord.com
