ACCORDIONS WORLDWIDE - Key Persons
The tremendous contribution of Fay-Ellen Schaw to the accordion and her country was officially recognised in 1990 when she was awarded The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal by the Governor General, as the Queens representative, for services to NZ.
Born a farmer's daughter, she started piano lessons at eight years of age but after hearing an accordion band at the picture theatre in the local town of Putaruru, she responded positively to her father when he offered to buy an accordion for her.
She was firstly taught by Mr Greenaway and then later by Gerry Schmits when he commenced teaching in Putaruru. At fifteen years of age Fay travelled to Hamilton for lessons and practice with the Con Brio Accordion Orchestra, during this time she also entered and won the New Zealand Virtuoso and Open Solo Championships. Then came the decision to move to Auckland for lessons with Allan William Jones.
Several years of concentrated practice and study bought Fay to where she along with Harley Jones represented New Zealand at the 1969 Coupe Mondiale International Accordion Championships in New York. This was to introduce them to a wider world of accordionists and accordion activities, solo and orchestra, and shortly after her return to NZ, Fay, with support from the Jones family, established the Major Musicale Accordion Orchestra.
Gary Dahl was born in 1937, grew up in Seattle, Washington and started playing the accordion at the age of 12. Gary studied with one of the Northwest's premiere accordionists, Joe Spano. By age 16, Gary started playing professionally, and was well known in the Seattle area. At first, Gary performed as a solo accordionist but later realized that he enjoyed leading various trios and quartets. Whether playing solo or with one of his groups, Gary's performances entertained audiences at many venues including private and corporate events, night clubs, and even a few major hotel chains.
Gary won numerous awards in his early years as a performer. Gary's tenure as a professional accordion instructor started during 1960 at Joe Spano Studios where he continued to teach until 1974. It was during this time that Gary served his country and attended the University of Washington to study music composition and theory. With his degree in hand and the accordion declining in popularity, Gary also earned his flight instructor credentials. Gary could now provide for his new family and begin charting a path that would benefit the Accordion Community more than he could have ever imagined!
With his brother, Harley Jones, he has recorded an LP record and been featured soloist on a number of accordion LP and CD recordings. He has regularly performed as a session musician, recording advertising jingles and supporting several top New Zealand bands. A few years ago he was backing accordionist for well known Scottish entertainer Andy Stewart on his 20 concert tour of New Zealand.
Harley Jones has received several international awards for his accordion internet activities:
Harley Jones is a virtuoso concert piano accordionist. He has appeared on T.V. and National Radio in New Zealand many times, and has performed extensively in the USA, Canada, England, Germany, Holland, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, Hong Kong, Singapore and China as well as his home country of New Zealand.
Harley was soloist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra on a C.D. of symphony orchestra works composed by Gary Daverne, recorded in 1992 and now released internationally by EMI. "Rhapsody for Accordion and Orchestra" was written by New Zealand composer Gary Daverne especially for Harley Jones.
He premiered this work in New Zealand with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the composer (December 1987). He performed "Rhapsody" at the International Piano Accordion Competition and Festival in New York (August 1988) and at the Prize Giving of the 1990 Coupe Mondiale held in Germany in 1990.
Harley has performed this work over 120 times worldwide, usually with composer Gary Daverne as the conductor, including Europe, North America, Australasia, China and Turkey.
Harley Jones has been involved with the Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes (CIA) for many years, having been an adjudicator on a number of ocassions and Chairman of the Coupe Mondiale Adjudicators in 1976 in Washington.
He has served on the Music Committee for the CIA for about 16 years (the committee which selects the Coupe Mondiale jury) and is currently the Public Relations Officer for the CIA and has been a CIA Executive member for some 16 years.
Harley was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1953. His qualifications include LTCL piano, ATDNZ accordion and AIRMT, later awarded FIRMT.
Winner of the New Zealand Accordion Championship at 14 years of age he represented New Zealand at 16 years of age at the Coupe Mondiale International Accordion Solo Competition held in New York in 1969.
His performance repertoire includes novelty and musette pieces, serious original compositions and classical transcriptions. With his brother Maurice Jones, he has recorded an L.P. record in 1975 and been featured soloist on various other accordion L.P. records and CD's.
As a teacher Harley has enjoyed much success with his students:
Winning the New Zealand Solo Piano Accordion Championship eight times in recent years and South Pacific Accordion Championships.
Three top ten placings In the Coupe Mondiale International Accordion Solo Competition.
Numerous successes in New Zealand competitions and 1st and 2nd placings in national class competitions in the USA.
He was a co-director of the North Shore Accordion Orchestra which as the Air New Zealand Accordion Orchestra has had nine successful American, Asian and European tours receiving standing ovations in many countries.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean in the Conservatory of Music
Joan Cochran Sommers serves as Assistant Dean in the Conservatory of Music as well as Professor of Music. She has held elective and appointed offices in both national and international accordion organizations and is the newly-elected president of the Accordionists & Teachers Guild, Int'l., a post that she also held in previous years.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Accordion House
Maurice Jones is an internationally known piano-accordion entertainer. He has frequently appeared on T.V. and National Radio in New Zealand and has several T.V. and radio performances in Germany and Hong Kong to his credit. He has performed extensively in England, Germany and Italy, as well as his home country New Zealand.
Maurice Jones is the Manager of Accordion House and Titano Accordions, importer of accordions, sales of new and used accordions, Italian trained and qualified accordion repairer.
Job Titles:
- SECRETARY
- Co - Director of the North Shore Accordion Orchestra
- Member of the New Zealand Accordion Association Committee
- Member of the North Shore Performing Arts Competition Society
Heather Masefield has been a member of the New Zealand Accordion Association committee since 1981 and Editor of the NZAA Newsletter since 1990. In 2008 she took over the position of Secretary from her mother. She is the Secretary of the Accordion Examination Board of New Zealand since 1981 and held the position of Institute of Registered Music Teachers Examination Board Secretary from 1993 to 1998.
Heather Masefield has been a Co-Director of the North Shore Accordion Orchestra since 1977, training members of the Air New Zealand Accordion Orchestra for their 9 overseas concert tours from 1979 to 1996, once to China, 4 times to the USA & Canada, and 4 times to Europe. This orchestra achieved many standing ovations all over Europe and North America.
Since 1996 other accordion groups conducted by Heather Masefield have toured 7 times to Australia and to China. On 3 occasions the Air New Zealand Accordion Orchestra was named a New Zealand Cultural Ambassador in recognition of its promotion of tourism to New Zealand. Heather was also a member of the Radio New Zealand Advisory Committee for five years.
Whilst still at school Heather commenced what was to become a full time accordion teaching career. Her students have competed internationally in Europe, USA and Australia. Five students have become the New Zealand Solo Champion. Three ex students are now AIRMT, eight others are teaching accordion.
Heather Masefield has been an international adjudicator at accordion competitions in New Zealand, Australia, USA and since 2004, she has adjudicated at Citta di Castelfidardo (2004 - 2007) Coupe Mondiale (2004 France, 2005 Portugal, 2006 Norway, 2007 USA, 2008 UK, 2009 New Zealand, 2010 Croatia) CMA (2006 Serbia, 2008 Bosnia) and in the Shanghai Spring Festival (2009).
Being the youngest of Allan and Marie Jones' children ensured that Heather would grow up surrounded by accordions with many top accordionists frequently visiting the Joneses home and the example of her two older brothers Maurice Jones and Harley Jones.
Heather had plenty of motivation to excel on accordion, winning many age restricted classes in national competitions, recording for radio and at twelve years she became the youngest finalist for the "New Faces" Talent Quest on TV.
Her family are involved with the accordion with Amber (right), now the Treasurer of the NZAA and Grayson (middle) the 2009 Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Champion for concert music and entertainment music and winner of many other international accordion competitions. Grayson is now an international concert artist performing concerts and seminars in many countries each year.
Heather is also a committee member of the North Shore Performing Arts Competition Society and is a committee member of the Milford Residents Association, taking part in many community activities.
Job Titles:
- Artistic Director of the International
Paolo Picchio is the Artistic Director of the International "Citta' Di Castelfidardo" Accordion Competition and Festival.
Paolo Picchio studied the concert accordion under the guidance of Mr Giancarlo Spegni (Scuola Adamo Volpi) and has taken part in various National Competitions.
He also has a Diploma in Flute which he obtained at the Istituto Musicale Pareggiato "B. Gigli" in Recanati in 1991.
He was nominated Musical Advisor in 1991, and consequently Artistic Director, in 1992, for the International Competition and Award "Città di Castelfidardo" for Solo Accordion Players and Accordion Ensembles.
Since 1994, he is also the Artistic Director of the International Award "Astor Piazzolla" taking place in Castelfidardo. He is one of the founding members of the "Centro Studi sulla Fisarmonica of Castelfidardo" and the Vice President of the Associazione Italiana di Fisarmonica Classica "A.I.F.C".
Since 1995, he is a steady guest teacher at the International Seminars organized by the O.K.U.D. Istra Summer School in Pula, Croatia along with Peter Soave (USA), Mr Magdic (Slovenia), Alexander Skliarov (Russia) and Denis Modrusan (Croatia).
In 1996 he was the external examiner for both the summer and autumn sessions of Accordion Exams at the "Piccinni" Conservatory in Bari (Italy).
In 1999 he was invited as guest teacher at the Conservatoire National de Region de Marseille (France) for the summer seminars.
He is also promoter and teacher of the "Giornate Internazionali di Studio sulla Fisarmonica" di Baragiano (1998-1999)
He held several conferences concerning the accordion in Italy, Croatia, Czech Republic, France and Slovakia.
Paolo regularly publishes articles and reviews in Accordions Worldwide and in the italian newspaper "Fisarmoniae" for which he is signing as editor.
He has supervised the edtion for accordion of Improvvisazione nr 6 by Luciano Chailly with Edizioni Bèrben, Ancona (Italy), and the edition of Davide Remigio's piece "Minimal" with Edizioni Sonzogno, Milan (Italy).
He is the author of the "Original Accordion Literature" section in the book "Castelfidardo e la storia della fisarmonica".
Job Titles:
- Organization Art Director
- Professor
- Vice President of Heilongjiang Province Musician Association
Professor Wang Hongyu is the Dean and the PH.D advisor of the Music College of Harbin Normal University. He is the expert of the public and cultural system, one of the first chief experts of the Priority Cultivating Project, and the chief expert of the University League of Heilongjiang Province of China.
Professor Wang Hongyu is also the Vice President of Heilongjiang Province Musician Association. Since 1998, he has also been a jury member of international repute, judging many prestigious international accordion competitions including competitions in Russia, France, Italy, Lithuania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Australia and New Zealand.