The NAA Board of Directors announces that New Zealand accordionist, educator and entertainer Lionel Reekie will direct the NAA symphonic orchestra in 2019. The NAA Convention takes place March 7-9, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Richardson,Texas.

Lionel will direct the 2019 NAA Orchestra with these selections:
1. “The Tango for Claude” by Richard Galliano
2. “Two Plus One” composed by Gary Daverne – World Orchestra Premiere
3. “Country Accordion Medley” arranged by Gary Daverne
4. “Colonel Boogey March” from the movie “Bridge over River Kwai”

Lionel Reekie international accordionist with a beautiful tenor voice has performed in many countries of the world and he will perform solo and sing on Two Concerts and also the Final concert.

Lionel Reekie was born in Rotorua, New Zealand. He began accordion lessons at the age of 9, and very quickly started to combine these skills with his love of singing. As an accordion entertainer, Lionel performed extensively around New Zealand from an early age, eventually being selected as a player in the Air New Zealand Accordion Orchestra for six of their international concert tours through Europe, USA and Asia. On these concert tours, Lionel was also a vocalist, performing a repertoire ranging from Light Opera to Rock and Roll.

Lionel continues to perform regularly on accordion, as well as conducting accordion orchestras and teaching accordion at one of New Zealand’s largest music schools – the Music Education Centre.

The Auckland Symphony Orchestra asked Lionel to appear as a solo vocalist for their “Last Night of the Proms” and this inspired Lionel to record an album of songs from Stage and Screen with an orchestra. After having travelled to Novosibirsk, Russia, with his family on several occasions, Lionel was so impressed by the excellent quality of Siberian musicians, that he chose to record his CD “From Russia With Love” in Novosibirsk in 2011. Released throughout New Zealand, and on iTunes, Lionel has been interviewed and featured on radio throughout the lcountry.

Lionel’s most recent trips to Russia were to perform in concert to a full house at the prestigious Novosibirsk Philharmonia in January 2013 and in September last year to featuring in the opening concert of the Coupe Mondiale in Rostov on Don.

In August 2013, Lionel also performed as an invited soloist the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA) 75th Anniversary celebration in New York City and then sang with the World Accordion Orchestra at the world championships being held in Victoria, B.C. Canada. Closer to home, his appearance at the Vector Arena for the Silver Scrolls also received a great deal of media publicity.

Lionel was guest artist for the Australian International Championships Festival in Sydney in 2017 where he has also been a regular adjudicator and appeared in the USA at the AAA Festival in Washington DC in July 2018. Lionel was also a member of the international jury at the Harbin International Accordion Art week competition in China in August of the same year.

Invitation by Lionel Reekie to all NAA Conventioneers:
I am looking forward to meeting all of you at the 2019 National Accordion Association Convention. Some of my fondest memories of the accordion come from the time I have spent making music with others. I am inviting you to join our symphonic accordion orchestra and make some great memories of your own.

I have been lucky enough to conduct massed accordion orchestras for the South Pacific Accordion Championships (New Zealand) and the Australian International Championships Festival (Sydney, Australia) in the past and know that this type of experience cannot only be a lot of fun, but is also a super way to build your accordion skills in perhaps a different way from what you are used to. Just as with a real symphony all the parts are equally important – but don’t let that worry you – the great thing about playing in an orchestra is having others there to help you along!

We have an exciting program with a variety of musical styles and I need a big group of keen and enthusiastic players! – Let’s work together to make this 2019 NAA Festival something really special.”