It is my pleasure to present to you the 2013 annual president’s report. Our newsletters, website and facebook page have detailed the numerous individual and group performances and other achievements of many of our students and talented professional accordionists both in New Zealand and overseas. I thank you all for the huge contribution you have all made in maintaining and highlighting the versatility of our instrument. Following is a summary of significant accordion activities during the past year.

In July 2012, the Canterbury Accordion Association celebrated their 50th birthday. A contingent of supporters and players from Auckland went down to Christchurch to join in the celebrations. The New Zealand Youth Orchestra performed conducted by Christine Johnstone. This orchestra consisted of players from Auckland and Christchurch under the age of 18 years. Both the Christchurch Accordion Orchestra and the Canterbury Accordion Association Reunion Orchestra performed. We congratulate President Lynette Kelcher and her team on reaching this milestone.

In August 2012, the 65th Coupe Mondiale Championships were held in the picturesque Italian town of Spoleto in Umbria. The official New Zealand delegation consisted of myself, Grayson Masefield, Heather Masefield and Maurice Jones. Sitting on the CIA Executive were Harley Jones as public relations manager and Kevin Friedrich as CIA ambassador. Alison Worthington attended as a delegate for the United Kingdom. We did not have any competitors representing New Zealand this year but we definitely had a presence in running the event. Kevin Friedrich, Heather Masefield and Alison Worthington all worked as category managers. Grayson Masefield worked as an adjudicator and also sat on the Music Committee.

The championships and concerts were staged in the magnificent 19th century opera house – Teatro Nuovo with its ornate box seats. A number of us performed in the World Accordion Orchestra VI being myself, Kevin Friedrich, Harley Jones, Grayson Masefield and Heather Masefield. Just before the orchestra was due to perform, Harley Jones was awarded the Paolo Soprani award. This prestigious award was awarded to Harley in recognition of his work promoting the accordion via the internet. We congratulate him on this achievement.

In October, I together with Maurice Jones and Heather Masefield attended the 2012 Benny Awards dinner in Auckland. These awards hosted by the Variety Artists Club are the highest awards given to entertainers across all genres in New Zealand. Lionel Reekie was nominated for the top musician award. We congratulate him on his nomination. During the course of the evening, tributes were made to the late Toni Savage and the late Silvio de Pra.

In November, Eddie Giffney performed with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra at the Trusts Stadium in Waitakere premiering his own arrangement of Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in G minor – 3rd movement arranged for accordion and string orchestra together with performing Gary Daverne’s arrangement of Oblivion. This was part of the “Meet the Instruments” section of the event which was very well received by the audience.

Stephanie Poole performed with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra in a community concert at the Auckland Town Hall. She played the solo accordion part in Musical Party for Solo Accordion which was composed and conducted by Gary Daverne. This work was premiered at this concert and repeated a week later at a concert at the Bruce Mason Centre.

Grayson Masefield performed solo accordion in Picasso’s Guernica by Gorka Hermosa with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra at the Confédération Mondiale de l’accordéon (CMA) Trophée Mondiale in Spokane, Washington, USA in October. During the year, Grayson adjudicated at all of the international competitions he has won being CIA, CMA, Roland and Sata Hame Soi respectively. He also performed in Finland, France, Italy, Austria, Bosnia, Belgium, USA, Chile, Switzerland and China.

In March 2013, Kevin Friedrich realised his dream of producing the world’s first Kauri accordion when a joint project between New Zealand and Finland produced an instrument combining a Finnish folk accordion culture instrument with the magnificent and ancient Kauri tree of New Zealand. An unveiling of this instrument took place on 24 March at a sold out concert at the Lighthouse function centre in Dargaville. The annual fundraising concert featured Kevin with the assistance of his many local musician friends together with vocalist and accordionist Lionel Reekie. The beautiful two row Kauri instrument is rich in its sonority and showcases the gorgeous blonde and precious Kauri wood. It certainly wowed the audience and will now be proudly featured as the entrance exhibit at the Dargaville Museum which also houses the rare and permanent Accordion Gems exhibition.

World Accordion day was again celebrated on 6 May. As New Zealand is the first country in the world to see the sun, we were the first country to kick off the celebration. A live interview was held with organisers Frederic Deschamps and Grayson Masefield in France together with showing highlights of our accordion activities during the year.

Our annual championships and festival were held on Queens Birthday weekend. The farewell concert featured prize winners and the newly formed Auckland Accordion Symphonietta with their conductor Lionel Reekie. We also had a memorable performance from Noteable Sounz from South Auckland. Christine Johnstone was awarded a well-deserved Life Membership.

The weekend was perfectly capped off with a dinner at Aubergine Restaurant in Takapuna. We thank our wonderful accordion entertainers Stephen Cope, Heather Gladstone, Maurice Jones and Lionel Reekie for entertaining us that night.

At the dinner, trophies and prize monies were presented to the following winners of the South Pacific Championship Classes:
(a) 12 years and under – Alanah Jones;
Junior Virtuoso – Alexandra Reekie;
(b) Accordion solo – Patrick Liu;
(c) Piano Accordion solo – Eddie Giffney.

• Samantha Rutherford Memorial trophy – Patrick Liu;
• Cecil Smith trophy – Ben Hurley;
• Cocorullo Family trophy – Amy Jennings and Llewe Jones;
• Doreen and Ben Emmett Memorial Rose Bowl – Eddie Giffney;
• Emmett Family Classical Ensemble trophy – Noteable Sounz;
• Ben Emmett Accordion Orchestra Commendation trophy – North Shore Music Makers.

We thank all the competitors, performers, parents and supporters for their contribution in making this weekend a success.

With technology, we are all linked more closely with what is happening globally on the international accordion scene and we do have a real presence on this scene. I consider this has a real positive effect on us to keep raising the profile of the accordion in New Zealand and to stay inspired. I take this opportunity to thank all members and other supporters who have contributed in whatever way to promote the accordion in this country.

Sonja Palinich
President
New Zealand Accordion Association