CIA - Accordions Worldwide

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News from Estonia…
The Estonian Accordion
Society: Eesti Akordioniliit – The
Estonian Accordion Society was
founded in 1994 and became a
CIA member in 2004.
The majority of the membership
of the Estonian Accordion Society
is made up of accordion teachers
from music schools throughout
the country. The main aim of
Society’s activity is the following:
EESTI AKORDIONILIIT (EAL)
President: Tiit Kalluste
E-mail: akordion@hot.ee
Vice President: Tiina Välja
Board Members: Sirje Mõttus
Margus Laugesaar
Kristel Laas
• Organizing of education in the field of accordion, methodology
lectures, seminars and master classes
• Organizing of the annual national youth accordion competition
• Organizing of accordion students’ summer camps
• Mediating of professional information of one’s members
There are over 80 music schools in Estonia where
one can study the accordion. In Estonia, there are
two conservatories where the accordion can be
studied, one in Tallinn and the other in Tartu the
Georg Ots Tallinn Music School and the Heino Eller
Tartu Music School.
Classical accordion can now be studied at a higher
level at the Institute of Pedagogic Interpretation at the
Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre where
Bachelor‘s and Master’s studies for accordion
soloists became possible as of 2009.
Accordion is represented also at highest artistic level
in jazz music department and folk music department
in Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Higher
education in the fields of folk music and pop-jazz
music can be acquired in University of Tartu Viljandi
Culture Academy. There are approximately ten
accordion festivals held every year in Estonia, the
Contact Information
Eesti Akordioniliit
(Estonian Accordion Society)
Vabaduse väljak 4,
101 46, Tallinn, ESTONIA
oldest of which is the Pärnu
International Accordion Music
Days, happening for the 28th time
in 2010.
Every year the Baltic-Nordic
Harmonica festival and
competition in Pärnu, the Tartu
Concertina Festival and several
other Accordion Days of
importance take place throughout
Estonia. The Võru Accordion
Music Days take place every
second year, next time in 2011,
which will be the 10th anniversary
of the festival. Lars Holm was the honored guest of
Võru Accordion Music Days 2009, giving lectures and
Master Classes. Võru Accordion Music Days is
organized by Võru Music School and accordion
teacher Heli Raitar.
There are also accordion orchestras in Estonia, the
biggest being the Pärnu Accordion Orchestra
“Tremolo” (pictured below). Their most recent
performance was at the Tartu University Concert Hall
at their Uno Arro 75 years Anniversary Jubilee
concert, conducted by Uno Arro and Valdo Värk.