The Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA) is pleased to announce May 6, 2012 as the fourth annual celebration of World Accordion Day. On May 6th, the anniversary of the day the accordion was patented in 1829, the CIA will coordinate an annual world wide celebration, in a unified global crusade to promote the diversity of the accordion and the outstanding artists that play it.

World Accordion Day is a unique global opportunity to promote public awareness of the accordion, an instrument without boundaries, one that spans all cultures and musical genres. From a solo performance to a Concerto with a 100 piece Symphony Orchestra, from a Duet or Trio to a 40 piece Accordion Orchestra, from the majestic sounds of the handmade acoustic reeds to the latest in Digital Technology, from newly commissioned original works to dazzling transcriptions of the classics, from Classical to Jazz, from Ethnic to Pop, from the pit orchestra in a Broadway Show to the background music in a TV Commercial, from Tchaikovsky to Gubaidulina, from the tiny diatonic nstruments to the multi octave concert models, from the shelves of a Museum to center stage at Carnegie Hall, from Private Music Studios to the most esteemed and respected Conservatories in the world, there is no limit to where one might find the accordion, or have the opportunity to enjoy the variety of ways in which it is utilized.

The CIA’s fourth World Accordion Day will be held on 6th May 2012, the 183th birthday of the accordion. All accordionists from around the world are invited to join this celebration, while paying homage to the accordion. This International event will serve as an exciting means to bring everyone together in a unified effort to promote public awareness of the accordion and its many capabilities.

We invite you to join us on, or around May 6th to celebrate the accordion by scheduling, attending, performing or promoting a concert featuring the accordion. You can list your accordion event on the website for all to see. Visit now to see what has already been planned for May 6th.

This year, the CIA will take embark on a new adventure to celebrate World Accordion Day with a live streaming 24 Hour Celebration of the Accordion, similar to the TV coverage of New Years Eve, whereby celebrations are viewed on an ongoing basis as the time zones elapse around the world (i.e. beginning in New Zealand +12GMT then traveling west across the world through Asia and Europe finishing in the Americas -8GMT).

For the 2012 World Accordion Day, each CIA member is invited to submit either a ‘live event’ via technology such as streaming video and Skype etc… at a pre-scheduled time, or, you may pre-record your contribution. This will provide viewers from around the world the opportunity to see another side of the accordion and promote your countries accordion activities. It would also be greatly appreciated if traditional or modern/popular accordion music from your country could be included in some way.

The production will be available for viewing live throughout the day with 24 separate hours of archived video coverage which will be available for viewing anytime after the event. World Accordion Day event is not exclusive to just CIA members and many people in the accordion world will be invited to participate.

For further information about the 24 hour streaming video, contact Grayson Masefield. Please visit the World Accordion Day website for more information. We look forward to celebrating this event with you! Remember, you do not have to be a professional to participate in World Accordion Day! Everyone is invited to be a part of it.

For inquiries, please contact: Harley Jones – CIA Public Relations Manager e-mail: harleyaccordion@yahoo.com