A Report on the 14th Annual World Music Festival in Innsbruck, Austria

Reported by Joan C. Sommers

The Life Time Achievement Award was given to Joan Sommers during the 14^th Annual World  Music Festival held in Innsbruck, Austria on May 29 – June 1, 2025. The Austrian Accordion  Association (HVO) sponsored a special evening on May 29 with typical Austrian-Tyrolean food and drink plus wonderful entertainment featuring the Styrian diatonic accordion with harp, trombone, guitar in groups plus folk dancers. The award was presented to Joan by the President,  Werner Weibert, because of her lifetime devotion to the accordion throughout the world. It was a secret and Joan had no idea she would be honored with this award! She has conducted different accordion groups at various times in Austria and has known several important members including Dr. Herbert Scheibenreif who serves as Vice President of the HVO association, through their mutual cooperation involving the accordion, including the CIA Coupe Mondiale over many years.  

Joan served as the Chair for the Jury 1 hearing the 35 very top accordion orchestras entered in the Orchestra Competitions held over the days of May 30 and 31. Other members of the Jury were Fabian Dobler (Germany, the son of the esteemed Fritz Dobler, composer of so many compositions for the accordion orchestra who died in December, 2024), Prof. Ladislav Horak (Czech Republic), Heidrun Neugebauer (Germany), and Raimondas Sviackevicius (Lithuania).

This event is normally held every three years but was canceled, of course, during the pandemic.  It draws players, solo, duo, trio, and ensembles from many different countries and is usually sponsored by the German Accordion Association (DHV). This year, however, the HVO and the  DHV cooperated since it was not known how the previous pandemic might affect attendees.  Accordions Worldwide has a complete report with photos of the event which drew 3000 people.  There were 130 accordion orchestras entered in many different categories, plus many other competitions for both accordion and Styrian instruments. Emusicforaccordion.com also had a display featuring The ATG Musical Archives with arrangements of Anthony Galla-Rini publicized in the World Music Festival brochure. In addition to the large number of publishers and companies showing their instruments, and the competitions, there are multiple concerts every evening.

The accordion was certainly alive and well during this very successful 14^th Annual World Music  Festival in the beautiful city of Innsbruck, Austria. Plan to attend the next event in 3 years and I promise you will be inspired, excited, and full of joy whether you are an accordionist or a person who loves the instrument! And Innsbruck is beautiful; one can walk easily from the hotels to the Congress, where concerts and competitions take place, and look up and see winter snow still in the mountains seemingly so close to the city! I found it to be a glorious destination for enjoying the accordion! It was my second trip to the event and I hope to go again!