I am happy to report that I have reached the halfway point since beginning this project a half year ago of updating and expanding my 22 articles on the histories and descriptions of the AAA commissioned contemporary classical works which I had the privilege to research and write about for the annual AAA Festival Journal between 1997 and 2019.

The newly enhanced versions include 1) additional new research, 2) extra photos, and, for the first time, 3) expansive musical examples with brief accompanying analyses. I hope one or more of these features will pique the reader’s interest in New Music for or including the accordion and inspire artists everywhere to add some of these important, diverse, and unique works to their concert repertoire. I also hope that the series will draw attention and interest from the world-wide contemporary music community in general.

The Journal publication dates and works discussed in the newly revised articles are listed below. To peruse or read them, one may upload the articles directly from the table by clicking on any of the items appearing in red. Titles of compositions which are followed by green asterisks (*) have been recorded and the reader may listen to them by clicking on the links provided on the list of titles on the AAA website’s Commissioned Works home page at http://www.ameraccord.com/aaacommissions.php

AAA Festival Journal Publication year. Title of Updated and Expanded Article and its Present Print Format(s)

The formats are:

“pdf” plus year of publication; sometimes preceded by “original.” These are pdfs of scans of the original articles in the print copies of the Journal and are mainly of “nostalgic” interest prior to their updated, expanded improvements. This initial version will always be retained alongside its update when the latter has been completed.

“updated pdf” plus year of update. This is the final updated and expanded edition I have created of the article (and thus an improvement over the original version described above). The only projected change would be its eventual conversion into html format when time allows. (Presently, only the 1998, 2020, and 2011 articles have been recast in html format.)

1998 “The First [AAA] Commission: Prelude and Dance, by Paul Creston”*
(html format; pdf of its original print version may be added later)

2001 “The 8th Commission: William Grant Still: Aria*
original pdf2001  updated pdf2022

2006 “The 19th Commission: George Kleinsinger: Prelude & Sarabande”* original pdf2006  updated pdf2022

2008 “The 20th Commission: Ernst Krenek: Toccata”* original pdf 2008  updated pdf2022

2010 “The 22nd Commission: Normand Lockwood: Sonata-Fantasia”
pdf 2010 & updated pdf2022; but now also in final html format

2011 “The 23rd Commission: Nicholas Flagello: Introduction & Scherzo” *
pdf 2011; but now also in final html format

2014 “The 25th and 31st Commissions: Alexander Tcherepnin: Invention and Tzigane”
 pdf 2014  updated pdf2022

2015 “The 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th Commissions: Carlos Surinach: Prelude of the Sea; * David Diamond: Introduction & Dance; * José Serebrier: Danza Ritual; William Grant Still: Lilt” * 
original pdf2015  updated pdf2022

2017 “The 32nd Commission: Paul Creston: Embryo Suite, * and a Personal Appreciation of the Composer’s Contribution to the Classical Accordion”
original pdf 2017  updated pdf2022

2018 “The 33rd Commission: Joel Brickman: Prelude & Caprice” *
pdf 2018 updated pdf2022 completed and will soon be available online at http://www.ameraccord.com/aaacommissions2.php, if not already there when you see this.

2019 “The 34th and 35th Commissions: William Schimmel: Fables; * John Franceschina: Scaramouche” *
pdf 2019 updated pdf2022 completed and will soon be available online at http://www.ameraccord.com/aaacommissions2.php, if not already there when you see this.

So that’s it for now: 11 down and 11 to go, namely the 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002-2005, 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2016 AAA Festival Journal issues, containing a total of 19 more works! This endeavor will hopefully reach completion sometime during early spring 2023, after which I plan to commence writing similar articles on the remaining titles beyond these of the AAA commissioned works list (totaling 26 as of this writing, but still growing—a race with time!). We’ll keep you posted.