Faithe Deffner’s achievements for the accordion are well recognised in her home country, the USA, however the New Zealand Accordion Association (NZAA) wishes to recognise her lifetime of services to the development of the accordion in New Zealand, and the warm international friendship she has extended to New Zealand accordionists over the years.

Faithe Deffner’s support and encouragement has been instrumental in setting the foundations for the accordion network we have in New Zealand today. Her inspiration has been mainly directed at two key NZ accordion figures – Kevin Friedrich (CIA President & NZAA Life Member) and Harley Jones (NZAA Vice President & CIA Public Relations Manager) – however the benefits of her guidance and support has spread far through the network of New Zealand accordionists.

Over the years, Faithe Deffner has been very helpful to the many New Zealand accordion soloists and orchestras travelling to the USA and other parts of the world in helping them arrange concerts, tuition, competitions, and generally providing useful concert touring information and contacts.

Faithe’s organisation has been instrumental to the musical career of Harley Jones, who gained from organised concert tours and tuition in the USA for TitanoAccordions International in the early 1970’s. Harley was able to pass this back onto his New Zealand accordion students upon his return home, leading to the beginnings of New Zealand accordion contestants on the international competition scene.

During the late 1970’s into the 1980’s, New Zealanders started competing in the Coupe Mondiale and other international competitions, performing with distinction (several top 5th and 7th Placings achieved), and winning a considerable number of regional accordion competitions such as ASA (Australia), AFNA (California), AAA (USA) and ATG (USA) competitions. These early successes helped set a foundation for the excellent standards achieved by New Zealand contestants today.

For New Zealand accordion orchestras, Faithe’s inspiration and organisation helped lead to the formation of the Air New Zealand Accordion Orchestra, conducted by Fay Schaw and directed by Harley Jones. Benefiting from his experience with world-class accordion orchestras in the USA, Harley and Fay co-ordinated and organised the Air New Zealand Accordion Orchestra which made several international Goodwill Concert Tours in the 1980’s to 1990’s, enjoying many standing ovations at these concerts and forming life-long international affiliations.

Faithe was a key figure in the historical Air New Zealand Accordion Orchestra tour to China in 1988. This was the first accordion orchestra ever invited to visit China, a country with enormous numbers of accordionists, and was of great interest to accordionists all over the world. This tour formed the basis of the close relationship between New Zealand and Chinese accordion communities that has continued over the years.

Faithe’s guidance and mentorship also allowed Harley to set up the Music Education Centre and then Accordions Worldwide. The Music Education Centre was started specifically for accordion tuition, and has today become New Zealand’s largest private music teaching studio, offering tuition for a range of instruments.

Faithe’s foresight of the potential future of the internet prompted Harley to set up Accordions Worldwide in 1996, which has today become the largest group of internet websites dedicated specifically to the accordion, and an important international communications and networking medium (and a sponsor of this news).

The NZAA also wishes to recognise Faithe Deffner’s support of the NZAA on an international level, in relation to the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA – IMC-UNESCO). Faithe has had a consistence presence on the CIA, as one of its longest serving delegates, and through her Presidency of the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA).

Her influence aided New Zealand in 1980 when the NZAA first hosted the Coupe Mondiale. She also supported Kevin Friedrich to become CIA President in 2001. Her most recent efforts for the CIA include co-ordinating the 2007 60th Anniversary Coupe Mondiale in Washington DC, USA.

NZAA President John Statham presented the NZAALifetime Achievement Award to Faithe Deffner: “The inspiration and support of Faithe Deffner has therefore had a profoundly positive effect on the development of the accordion in New Zealand and in the many musical successes of New Zealand accordionists over a long period of time. The NZAA wishes to recognise the important contributions of Faithe Deffner towards the development of the accordion in New Zealand, with the NZAALifetime Achievement Award.”