Our Festival last year was so fabulous, as reported by you, our members, that I thought there was no chance we could ever equal or exceed that event. Well, I believe this year we ARE doing exactly that! ATG will present seven workshops, four concerts (all in the beautiful Armerding Center for Performing Arts at Wheaton College), our fabulous Festival Orchestra playing selections from musicals, Astor Piazolla’s Libertango and some classical (very familiar) selections!

Our featured artists are coming from all over the world – Grayson Masefield from New Zealand, Duo Kollektiv from Austria, The Polyphonia Orchestra from the French Island of Reunion, Nikolay Bine from Canada and of course our own Stas Venglevski and the UMKC Accordion Ensemble, directed by Joan Sommers, will be with us as well. We also have a special treat this year with Kevin Friedrich presenting a new work for accordion, organ and timpani.

This is not the year to skip attending the ATG Festival. If you are sitting on the fence I encourage you to jump over to the side of attending the Festival. Remember, the price of all events goes up on May 1 when early bird pricing ends. Your early registration helps us to better plan our events, so we provide a benefit for your kind assistance.

Festival Pricing Information and Registration: 2023ATG-Festival
To make hotel reservations: 2023ATG-HotelRegistration

Description of the Concerts:

Thursday, July 20, 2023:
The Accordionists & Teachers Guild, International Festival presents the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) Accordion Ensemble, directed by world-renowned conductor, Joan Cochran Sommers, to open the program. This year’s group, assisted by Wheaton College graduates on percussion, presents an interesting and musically demanding repertoire which we know will be appreciated by all audiences! The UMKC Ensemble will be followed by Nikolay Bine, of Canada, presenting an all-jazz program featuring music by contemporary French accordionists as well as well-known jazz standards. Finally, Das Duo Kollektiv, from Vienna, Austria, brings a unique combination of accordion and flute music to the program. Das Duo Kollektiv has placed itself among the best innovative ensembles of classical music throughout Europe and is gaining recognition in the United States. They bring craftsmanship and a flair for new colors, dynamics, and refined interpretations of classical music to their program shaped by their travels throughout the world.

Friday, July 21, 2023:
The Accordionists & Teachers Guild, International Festival continues with the presentation of the dynamic energy of Stanislav Venglevski and Nathaniel Holman as they combine the warmth of the marimba and wide range and sparkle of the bayan to create an unforgettable performance. The visual and auditory elements of these two instruments present listeners with new and exciting ways of hearing both new and classic works. The duo will be followed by Accordionist Kevin Friedrich who will be joined by Wheaton College’s own Dr. Tony Payne, Associate Professor of Music, Director of Special Programs and Artist Series at Wheaton College, on organ; Ron Dake (bass accordion) and Nathaniel Holman (percussion) in a performance of a newly commissioned work titled ‘Dargaville Impressions’ by a well-known English accordionist and composer, Ian Watson. The program culminates with a performance by The Polyphonia Orchestra, from the French Island of Reunion, under the direction of Pierre Varo. This is an unforgettable group that combines accordions, singers, and multiple orchestral instruments made up of young musicians from the French Island of Reunion who have shared their eclectic program from classical to pop across four continents.

Saturday, July 22, 2023:
As a final concert to close the Festival, Accordionists & Teachers Guild, International, presents the ATG Festival Accordion Orchestra, directed by Joan Cochran Sommers, to open the program. This is a long-standing Festival activity involving accordionists from all over the USA plus other countries such as Canada, Austria and New Zealand and Australia. Assisted by Wheaton College graduates on percussion, the program will include classical selections, medleys from musicals and tango nuevo. This program culminates with soloist, Grayson Masefield, a New Zealand born accordionist, and the first person to win World Championships in Classical, Virtuoso and Digital accordion categories. He is currently the Instrumental Music Instructor for accordion at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and is regularly invited to perform concerts, give masterclasses and serve as an adjudicator at festivals and universities around the world. His program of classical transcriptions, original works, and nuevo tango will also include a world premiere of “Meditatio” (a meditation on the irrationality of human barbarish) from Spanish composer Gorka Hermosa, commissioned by the ATG.

Visit our website at www.atgaccordions.com to see the schedule and for addtional information. I look forward to seeing you in July!

Best regards,

Mary Ann Covone
President of Accordionists & Teachers Guild, International