ATG International Ambassador Reports

atgaccordionistste
May 28
6 min read

Dr. Herbert Scheibenreif

PAKS Accordion Festival – 10 Years

What makes the PAKS Festival so special is its unique combination of an international competition, masterclasses, and concerts, while simultaneously providing a space for talent development, inspiring musical experiences, and the building of a professional community. Thanks to these encounters, many young people have chosen a musical career and continued their studies at renowned institutions such as the music academies of Budapest, St. Petersburg, Florence, and Munich.

Renowned Hungarian and international artists such as Zoltán Orosz, Artem Nizhnik, Vladimir Zubitsky, Alexander Poeluev, Samuele Telari, and Jovica Djordjevic have already performed at the accordion concerts organized at PAKS. This year's festival featured the world-famous bandoneonist Igor Sayenko, a Honored Artist of Ukraine, accompanied by a string quintet of outstanding musicians – the Nexus Chamber Music Workshop. The concert's unique feature lay in its program selection: instead of well-known hits, the focus was on less frequently performed, but all the more impressive, works by Piazzolla. The nuanced and dynamic performance guaranteed the audience an unforgettable intellectual and emotional experience.

At the second concert, "From Baroque to Modern," Mykola Syniahivskyi and Roman Stolbov (both from Germany/Ukraine), as well as Djordje Perić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), gave the next generation of international accordion soloists the opportunity to showcase their already considerable talent. An evening of accordion music imbued with elegance and virtuosity combined refined cuisine with the magic of accordion music, resulting in an extraordinary musical experience. That evening, Anna Pappert and her father, Gábor, dressed in authentic Swabian costumes and playing traditional accordions, performed the cheerful and enchanting melodies of their ancestors. Following this, Attila Schmidt demonstrated his highly professional improvisational skills. In the concluding gala concert featuring all the prize winners in each category, the sheer joy of playing displayed by all the performing artists – from the youngest participants to the full orchestra – was particularly impressive.

In his lecture on the history of music, focusing on the "Development of the Accordion and its Repertoire," Herbert Scheibenreif emphasized the importance of understanding the past in order to be better prepared for the challenges of the future.

Laszlo Ernyei, Tamas Kemendi, Zsanett Szatzker, Zsolt Deli (Hungary), Zoran Rakić, Vladimir Mandić (Serbia), Mirco Patarini (Italy), Daniela Gazdić, Slaviša Perić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Herbert Scheibenreif (Austria), Jiri Lukes (Czech Republic), Volodymyr Sztegnej and Igor Sayenko (Ukraine) formed the expert jury, which considered candidates from Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark and Germany in the individual categories of classical, popular music, chamber music and orchestral music. Since modern and contemporary accordion pedagogy often incorporates new playing techniques such as clusters, vibrato, glissando, ricochet, etc., from the very beginning, the level of performance is constantly rising, even in higher categories. Technique is a prerequisite; the focus is essentially on the interpretation of the musical content, on the story the performer has to tell. Mykola Syniahivskyi (Ukraine) was the first prize winner in the highest category VI, while Aleksa Brankovic from Serbia secured the Grand Prix in category V (highest score achieved). The performances of Balint Patarcsits (light music), the Perić & Kalajdzić Duo (chamber music), and the Estonian Youth Accordion Orchestra were also more than remarkable.

Great thanks are due to the two organizers, Olga Papp and Szergej Krickij, for their hard work. We are already looking forward to the next festival in 2027. The Coupe Mondiale of the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes is scheduled for the end of August 2028 in Paks. Please mark your calendars!

3rd International Accordion Festival

Accordion Without Borders 2026

Accordion Without Borders, an event organized by the Hohner Conservatory in Trossingen, has become a fixture in the international accordion world in just a few years. Through a multitude of concerts, workshops, and competitions in seven categories, the festival has become a widely recognized cultural highlight. Attending Accordion Without Borders thus offered all participants a holistic experience, providing important inspiration for their continued engagement with the accordion.

The workshops, led by top-class instructors, were aimed at players of all harmonica instruments, including accordion, harmonica, Styrian harmonica, and diatonic accordion, as well as players of other instruments.

Alex Almeida transported participants into the rhythmic and vibrant world of Brazilian music. In this hands-on workshop, the accordion could be experienced as the heart of Brazilian musical traditions such as bossa nova, forró, and samba.

With heart, tradition, and sheer joy of playing, Jakob Steinkellner immersed himself in the world of folk music. The participants in this workshop playfully learned the basics and discovered how quickly the first notes can become real music. Whether beginner or advanced player, this workshop offered a lively and personal introduction to the Styrian harmonica.

In the interactive workshop "Jazz in the Jam Session," Tian Long Li, together with the outstanding musicians Fabio Gouvea (guitar) and Yosuke Doki (drums), guided participants through the world of the jam session – spontaneous, creative, and full of musical energy.

In the Year of the Accordion, many rediscovered the instrument. Matthias Matzke provided valuable assistance in his introductory compact course for returning players. Participants strengthened their rhythm, finger dexterity, and ear for music, and deepened their understanding of the standard bass system, playing everything from folk songs to pop, incorporating jazz and blues elements.

Reinhard Rieder, better known as "Turboreini," taught the typical playing techniques for accompanying other instrumentalists, singers, or choirs on the accordion in his energetic workshop. This workshop was ideal for music enthusiasts of all ages who enjoy traditional folk and Oberkrainer music.

The competition participants in the categories of Classical, Popular, Ensemble (both seniors and juniors), and Trossingen School competed with great dedication and fairness, making the festival an unforgettable and exciting experience. The top performers in each category competed in the final rounds during two public competition concerts. President Andreas Nebl (Germany), Zbigniew Ignaczewski (Poland), Frédéric Deschamps (France), Petr Vacek (Czech Republic), Herbert Scheibenreif (Austria), Manuela Glock (Germany), Eglė Bartkevičiūtė (Lithuania), Ladislav Horak (Czech Republic), Xu Xiao Nan (China), Vladimir Marechko (Ukraine), Azmir Halilović (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Nikola Paković formed the renowned international jury.

The evening concerts offered a diverse range of accordion music performed by the workshop instructors, students from the Hohner Conservatory, and the competition finalists. A jam session allowed musicians of various styles to perform together on stage.

The festival was complemented by guided tours of the Harmonica Museum and the Hohner factory, as well as a sheet music exhibition.

Congratulations are in order for the successful organization of Accordion Without Borders 2026 by Conservatory Director Eric Dann and Jury President Andreas Nebl. By the way, Accordion Without Borders 2027 will take place from March 30th to April 3rd! Save the date!

The first-prize winners in the individual categories:

Classical (Senior): Yiming Wang (China)

Classical (Junior): Changhan Liu (China)

Popular (Senior): Armin Dzafic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Popular (Junior): Jaroslav Pokuta (Czech Republic)

Ensemble (Senior): Hexa Bellows (various nationalities)

Ensemble (Junior): DUO BUGARI (Czech Republic)

Trossingen School: Martin Sigl (Germany)

XVIII "Dani Harmonike" in Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina

For the 18th time, the "Kornelije Stanković" Music School organized the now long-established "Dani Harmonike" Festival in Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition to concerts and masterclasses, competitions for soloists and chamber ensembles were held, judged by an international panel of renowned and accomplished music educators and performers from 12 countries. Thanks to its excellent organization, high judging standards, and outstanding guests, the festival has gained considerable acclaim, according to many prominent music critics.

This year, approximately 150 young accordionists from 10 countries gathered to compete in 11 solo, 5 virtuoso, and 3 chamber music categories. Many participants surprised the international jury with their remarkably mature interpretations, even at such a young age. The introduction of the "Accordion Euro Coupe" has proven highly successful, leading to a further increase in the quality and diversity of the performances. The prize-winners' concert presented an impressive showcase of talent, from the youngest participants to seasoned artists. Thanks in particular to the participation of students from Professor Shishkin's class at the Rostov Rachmaninoff Conservatory, "Dani Harmonike" can easily compete with other major competitions. Serbian musician Aleksa Branković achieved the highest score of all festival participants, earning him a special prize and a trophy.

The festival was opened by an international accordion ensemble under the direction of Melita Ćićić. Djordje Kristivojević (winner of the 2025 "Dani Harmonike" competition), Ruslan Kochkin (winner of the 2025 "Championship of Russia" held in Tyumen, Siberia), Angel Marinov, and Yuri Shishkin were the soloists on the first evening. The following day, Volodymyr Murza (a professor in Odessa) and his son Oleksii showcased the breadth of today's accordion repertoire, both as soloists and as a duo, performing original works and transcriptions: from Baroque and Romantic to Modern, from Russian folk songs to a Gershwin medley. The undisputed star of the festival, however, was Yuri Shishkin from Russia, whose outstanding interpretations of works from various eras captivated the audience and elicited thunderous applause.

Once again, Slavisa Perić, as organizer, made the 18th edition of the "Dani Harmonike" possible. Many thanks for his tireless dedication to the accordion! The 11th "International Accordion Festival" is scheduled to take place in Graz, Austria, in early December 2026.

Winners of the individual categories of the "Accordion Euro Coupe":

Senior: Ruslan Kochkin (Russia)

Junior: Aleksa Branković (Serbia)

Masters: Alexej Mykitenko (Russia)

Senior Virtuoso: Artur Larin (Russia)

Junior Virtuoso: Bálint Patarcsits (Hungary)

Chamber Music: Alina Matiushenko / Timur Setrakov (Russia)