International Ambassador Reports
- atgaccordionistste
- Nov 23
- 9 min read
Updated: Nov 26
2025 PIF Castelfidardo 50th International Accordion Competitions & Festival
The 2025 PIF Castelfidardo Accordion Festival was celebrated at the “home of the accordion” Castelfidardo from 10 – 14 September 2025. The PIF Castelfidardo Competitions and Festival is organized by the City Council of Castelfidardo led by Mayor Roberto Ascani, the Castelfidardo Pro Loco Tourist Association headed by Ruben Cittadini and 2025 PIF Artistic Director Antonio Spaccarotella. For 2025, it’s the 50th edition, PIF Castelfidardo International Accordion Award which has become an international accordion event with great spirit and musical innovation. The beginnings of the International Accordionist Exhibition in 1963, sixty-two years ago, began introducing foreign participants in 1975 and the 1st National Accordionist Championship in 1979. Known as the International Accordion Festival from 1989 to 2013, it was called PIF for the first time in 2014, at the edition with Roberto Lucanero as artistic director. These historical beginnings 50 years ago, projects the PIF into the future with great enthusiasm. Edition after edition has shown that a solid experience and love for music and the accordion are fundamental ingredients required to keep evolving and growing PIF Castelfidardo in the name of top quality.
The “Città di Castelfidardo” International Award, dedicated to accordion for soloists and groups, was divided into 3 sections: Classical Accordion, Virtuoso Accordion and World Accordion. The participants in the Classic Categories A (soloists up to 12 years), B (up to 15 years), C (up to 18 years), D (without age limit) had to perform free programs of 10, 12, 18 and 25 minutes. The PIF Premio Award, the most prestigious PIF category featured three finalists in the 3rd round, performing with a full symphony orchestra in the Teatro Astra. Those admitted had to perform in a rehearsal with Orchestra performing the obligatory piece “ForEverPIF”, which this year was commissioned to the composer Cesare Chiacchiaretta. The Categories of the Virtuoso and World Sections were Student, Junior, Senior and Ensemble. The Jury consisted of renowned accordion professors and experts with Massimiliano Pitocco as its President.
The result in the highest category was a curious twist: for the first time in PIF history, Emanuele Viti and Luca Bello from Italy were tied for first place, down to the hundredths of a point, so first place was awarded jointly. The Chinese candidates won eight of the 13 categories, demonstrating their country's clear dominance. The remaining categories went to Italy, Moldova, the Czech Republic, and Portugal.
Midday, afternoon, and evening concerts kept Castelfidardo buzzing for five days. Gemini-Duo Wanchen Zhao and Wanxu Zhao, known for their seamless interplay, expressive depth and refined elegance, left a lasting impression on the audience. They perform with a natural synergy that transcends technical skill, offering a program full of nuance, balance and emotional richness. Their concert conveyed a captivating journey through the colors and possibilities of the accordion in chamber music. Enzo Avitabile – saxophonist, composer, and singer – is one of the most original and distinctive voices in contemporary Italian music. His artistic journey was rooted in Neapolitan folk traditions, blended with soul, jazz, funk, and global rhythms, creating a visceral and universal musical language that is deeply personal and culturally rich. Nonato Lima is recognized as one of the greatest contemporary Brazilian accordionists. Lima captivated his audience with impeccable technique and deeply expressive energy. Czech Duo Bugari (Jaroslav Pokuta and Martin Chodl), consisting of two young accordionists united by a shared passion and outstanding talent, showcased the accordion’s full versatility through a journey across styles and eras. They stood out for their energetic interpretations, technical precision, and remarkable musical connection. Their performance spanned eras and styles, demonstrating the accordion’s incredible expressive range across classical, contemporary, and folk traditions. A fresh and engaging concert that celebrated the full potential of this versatile instrument. Radu Ratoi, an award-winning international talent, returned to PIF with a concert that redefined the classical accordion repertoire. Virtuosity, charisma, and brilliant talent: Radu Ratoi, winner of more than 60 national and international awards – including the prestigious YCA “Susan Wadsworth” Auditions in New York – returned to mesmerize the PIF audience with his extraordinary artistry. From the Berlin Philharmonic to concert halls around the globe, Ratoi has elevated the accordion to new expressive heights, breaking the boundaries of its traditional repertoire with original transcriptions and bold interpretations that reinvent the classics. A national première brought together the visionary accordion of Simone Zanchini and the power of the Italian Jazz Orchestra. A vibrant explosion of swing, improvisation, and great music in the heart of Castelfidardo in a special project conducted by Fabio Petretti. More entertainment came from Andrea Coruzzi, Antonio Forcione Quartet feat. Natalino Marchetti, Voci a Mano, Daniele Falasca Duo, Emy Drăgoi, Giacomo Medici Tango Ensemble and Luciano Maia.
The Closing Ceremony of PIF 2025 marked the final highlight of this vibrant festival edition. Guests and leading artists gathered on the Teatro Astra stage for performances, award ceremonies, and a festive atmosphere.
Winners:
Premio: ex-aequo Emanuele Viti, Luca Bello (both Italy)
A: Hongda He (China)
B: Wang Junhao (China)
C: Li Yijin (China)
D: Guşevati Catalin (Moldova)
Chamber: Dialogue of the Reeds (China)
Virtuoso Student: Yanxi Xiang (China)
Virtuoso Junior: Jaroslav Pokuta (Czech Republic)
Virtuoso Senior: Xu Rachael (China)
World Student: Djordje Perić (Bosnia & Hercegovina)
World Junior: Curcio Eros (Italy)
World Senior: Miguel Coelho (Portugal)
World Ensemble: Dialogue of the Reeds (China)
For videos and photos please go to https://accordions.news/pif2025/
2025 Kammerton Accordion Festival in Stockholm
Kammerton is a cultural association from Sweden dedicated to fostering the next generation of artists and performers. This creates meaningful opportunities through concerts, festivals, educational programs and masterclasses, exhibitions, and collaborative projects to connect young talent with audiences and enrich cultural life in Sweden and internationally.
The Kammerton Accordion Festival is the culmination of the annual program and embodies the essence of what Kammerton is all about. The festival brings together young talent and professional musicians from all over the world, offering them a unique platform to showcase their art and creativity. Through concerts, performances, and interactive events, the festival creates space for artistic discovery and cultural exchange.
The Kammerton Accordion Festival 2025, already the third of its kind, included concerts at the Stockholm Concert Hall and the Queen Silvia Concert Hall in Norrmalm, Stockholm, from October 2 to 5, 2025. Leo Florin, a multiple prizewinner of international competitions at a young age, is the founder of this festival and has even performed for the Swedish royal couple. Each festival has a specific theme: after last year's "Fauna and Flora," this year's theme was "Pictures."
In the opening concert, "Imaginary Worlds," at the Stockholm Concert Hall, the KAMMERTON ensemble (consisting of some of Sweden's most promising young musicians) met the internationally acclaimed French accordionist Julien Beautemps, whose expressiveness and virtuosity opened doors to entirely new musical landscapes. Together, they explored the power of music to build bridges between cultures, genres, and generations, and the possibility of bringing to life the imaginary worlds hidden in every note. The title of the concert reflects its content: from intimate sounds and subtle nuances to powerful, energetic outbursts. In dialogue with the festival theme, "Images," sounds transform into images, and images into sounds. The familiar takes on new contours, and the unexpected becomes a source of wonder. The opening concert, "Imaginary Worlds," set the tone for the entire festival, where music created meeting points for inspiration, creativity, and new perspectives.
Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" provided the musical framework for the gala concert "A Gallery of Sounds" in the Queen Silvia Concert Hall. The accordion, either as a solo instrument or in dialogue with other instruments, was embedded in a spectrum of styles from folk to jazz, from baroque to avant-garde. Each performance delivered a distinctive sound, reflecting diversity and creativity, which ultimately defines the spirit of Kammerton. Artists such as Radu Ratoi (Moldova – accordion), Mirco Patarini (Italy – accordion), Sebastian Malmquist (drums), Leo Florin (accordion), Luca Bello (Italy – accordion), the Kammerton Festival Orchestra, and the Skallsjo Summer Orchestra were at their best in the grand finale with "Baba Yaga" and "The Great Gate of Kiev." A special performance was provided by Sherivan Tutus (Turkey – artist and painter), who, inspired by the live music, created magnificent paintings during the concert: from music to image.
The Moldovan/Romanian MoldoDuo Radu Ratoi & Stefan Diaconu (accordion and flute) and the Swedish Lars Karlsson Band merged "images from the north and the south" in a captivating evening. The music of Piazzolla, Weinberg, and Bartok, on the one hand, and Lars Karlsson and his arrangements, on the other, was further enlivened by colorful imagery.
In his workshop, Herbert Scheibenreif offered interesting details on the "development of the accordion and its repertoire," from the Chinese sheng to Cyril Demian's patent to the modern concert instrument, and from popular music to the contemporary avant-garde.
78th World Cup in Sarajevo (BIH)
The 78th World Cup of the "Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes" was held in Sarajevo (BIH) from September 23-27, 2025. The 154th General Assembly of the Delegates to the CIA Congress took place at the Music Academy in East Sarajevo, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The following important resolutions were passed:
1) The General Assembly approved the Action Plan for CIA Activities and the Draft Budget for 2026, as well as the CIA Financial Auditors, who will approve the annual financial statements at the upcoming Winter Congress. The following auditors were elected: Georg Hettmann (DHV) and Herbert Scheibenreif (HVÖ), with Pietro Roffi as deputy (IAC).
2) Mirco Patarini reported on the numerous events he and members of the CIA Executive and Music Committees had attended and supported around the world over the past year.
3) Alexander Selivanov (Russia) presented the Music Committee's report, and Maja Žuža, organizer and dean of the Music Academy in East Sarajevo, gave an overview of the 78th Coupe Mondiale.
4) Mirco Patarini, Kimmo Mattila, and Amber Masefield formed the Calculation Committee.
5) Future activities:
2026 – Winter Congress in Castelfidardo (Italy) March 13–15 – CM in Tacheng (China) in August
2027 – Winter Congress in North Macedonia – CM in Disentis (Switzerland) September 14–18
2028 – Winter Congress open – CM in Paks (Hungary)
2029 – CM in Astana (Kazakhstan)
6) Mirco Patarini was elected CIA President for the third time, following in 2017 (Osimo, Italy) and 2021 in Munich.
7) CIA Vice President Li Cong and Crystal Wang presented a preview of the 2026 Coupe Mondiale in Tacheng (China).
8) HVÖ President Werner Weibert reported on the successful "Harmonica Day" at the World Music Festival in Innsbruck, as well as new ideas and suggestions for future Coupe Mondiales. Further presentations came from delegates from North Macedonia, Hungary, and Kazakhstan.
9) Three new members were admitted to the CIA:
1) Chile: Fundación Entre Fuelles, contact person Joaquín Muñoz Donoso
2) Cyprus: Association Music Moments Culture, contact person Cleopatra Charalambous
3) Montenegro: Music Art Association, contact person Nemanja Potparic.
At the beginning of the opening concert, accordionists Vladimir Blagojević and Marko Stojanović premiered Dražan Kosorić's "Concerto Diptych for Two Accordions, String Orchestra, and Percussion," demonstrating the accordion's high level of development in the Balkan countries. Vladimir Blagojević then dazzled with Dragana Jovanović's "Concerto for Accordion and Strings," while Marko Stojanović enchanted the audience with Yefrem Podgaits's "Viva Voce," a concerto for accordion and string orchestra, and Dražan Kosorić's "Balkan Tango" for accordion, string orchestra, and percussion.
Accordionist Haris Kaltak's orchestra, named the best in the Balkans at the Banaton Festival in Timisoara, Romania, presented a spectacular concert of Balkan music full of melody, rhythm, and complex articulation. The standing ovation demonstrated the audience's deep appreciation for this musical experience from the hands of masters.
During the Coupe Mondiale 2025 Prizewinners' Concert, Nathalie Boucheix was presented with the Merit Award of the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA) in recognition of her "outstanding contribution to the international accordion movement." Nathalie Boucheix is a celebrated accordionist and co-founder of the CNIMA (Centre National et International de Musique et d'Accordéon), which was founded in 1995 with her mentor and teacher Jacques Mornet. Her musical career is marked by prestigious successes, including victories at the Trophée Mondial and Klingenthal competitions in 1994 and the Médard Ferrero and Sacem Francis Baxter prizes in 1993. Boucheix has performed at major French galas with icons such as André Verchuren and Yvette Horner and continues to give concerts internationally.
Winners of the individual categories:
Coupe Mondiale: Konstantin Ryabin (Russia)
Masters: Cătălin Gușevatîi (Moldova)
Junior Coupe Mondiale: Rostislav Goriansky (Russia)
Virtuoso Entertainment: Lev Solomonovich (Moldova)
Junior Virtuoso Entertainment: Djordje Perić (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Ensemble - Classical Music: Trio "Obayanie" (Russia)
Ensemble - World Music: Trio "Obayanie" (Russia)
The results of the individual categories demonstrated the clear dominance of the Russian accordion school, although leading accordionists from the Balkans (see Moldova and Bosnia & Herzegovina) were also trained in Russia.
Leo Florin in Austria
Even at a young age, Leo Florin celebrated numerous successes at international competitions, including winning the prestigious Premio Internazionale della Fisarmonica in Castelfidardo, Italy. In addition to hundreds of concerts in Sweden and abroad, Leo has also performed for King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden. He has appeared on radio and television and was named "Accordionist of the Year" in Sweden in 2022. As the initiator and artistic director of the Kammerton Accordion Festival in Stockholm, he aims to showcase the accordion's full range of possibilities, both solo and in combination with other instruments.
The program of his Austrian concerts was very well-balanced in terms of musical eras (from Baroque and Romantic to Modern) and styles (from popular music and arrangements of classical works to original compositions). Johan Helmich Roman was a Swedish composer of the Baroque period whose oeuvre included suites, solo concertos, and symphonies. From his best-known work, "Drottningholm Music," Leo performed the first movement, an Allegro. After Jean-Philippe Rameau's "Les Sauvages" (The Savages) and "Le rappel des Oiseaux" (Birds' Song), Leo concluded the Baroque portion of his concert with Johann Sebastian Bach's "Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp minor, BWV 849." For contemporary works, Leo alternated between Torbjörn Lundquist's "Metamorphosen" and Martin Lohse's "Passing," which has recently been heard frequently at competitions. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "May" from "The Seasons" provided an excellent contrast. Mikhail Glinka's "The Lark" (here in the arrangement by the Kazakh composer Olzhas Nurlanov) is a Russian Romantic piece originally known from the transcription by Mili Balakirev. Leo concluded his concert with the rousing "Dance of the Shepherd Girls" by Hugo Alfvén (also considered Sweden's national composer). As a tribute to his host country, Austria, he treated his enthusiastic audience to two virtuoso encores: Johann Strauss's "Tritsch-Tratsch Polka" and a paraphrase on themes by Mozart.
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