Friday July 12, Daily Report
Saturday July 13, Daily Report
Sunday July 14, Daily Report
Join us live to help celebrate the 86th anniversary of the American Accordionists' Association! The AAA festival will return to the Marriott Philadelphia West in Conshohocken, PA, July 12-14, 2024.
Visit ameraccord.com/hotel to book your hotel room today! The discounted room block deadline is June 29, 2024. The rate and room type can sell out prior to the deadline, so book your room early to secure the lowest rate.
The importance of reserving a hotel room at the AAA’s official conference hotel, the Marriott Philadelphia West: The AAA makes every effort to keep your expenses at the conference as low as possible. We work hard to negotiate the best hotel rates and to keep conference registration fees as low as possible, even as expenses rise annually. The AAA is able to offer high-quality conferences in desirable locations because we reserve a significant number of hotel rooms. If you choose to stay at another property, the official hotel room block is smaller, making it more difficult for the AAA to gain favorable hotel space at reasonable prices for future meetings.
Use the following form to register for the festival and to purchase tickets: 2024AAARegistration.pdf
Payments can be made by check or online through the AAA’s secure checkout page: AA Store or https://www.ameraccord.com/cart.aspx
One of the festival’s flagship events is the Gala Banquet on Saturday night. This year’s banquet will feature the 2024 AAA Festival Orchestra conducted by Frank Busso Sr., as well as an ensemble performance led by Dallas Vietty.
Would you like to send a personal message to the AAA? Do you have a business that might be of interest to accordion enthusiasts? We invite you to advertise in the Festival Program Journal: 2024FAP.pdf
If you would like to sell or exhibit merchandise during the festival, please complete an exhibitor registration form here: 2024Exhibitor.pdf
We are excited to once again offer live competitions for students of all ages and abilities! Solos, duets, ensembles, and bands. Competition rules can be found online at
2024 AAA Competition Rules
Entry forms must be submitted by June 12, 2024 and can be found here:
2024 AAA Competition Entry Forms
June 12 - Competition entry form submission deadline
June 21 - Registrations and ticket purchases deadline
June 27 - Advertisements in Festival Program Journal due date
June 27 - Exhibitor/Vendor registration due date
June 29 - Deadline to book your hotel room at the official festival hotel at discounted rate: ameraccord.com/hotel
Acclaimed for her "staggering virtuosity," Hanzhi Wang is the only accordionist to ever win a place on the roster of Young Concert Artists in its 60-year history. An ambassador for the accordion, Hanzhi has been praised for her captivating stage presence and performances that display passion and finesse.
No stranger to the AAA, Joe Natoli has been a performer, composer, arranger, and advocate of the accordion since age 7. He won the 1972 AAA Virtuoso championship under the tutelage of Mickey Bisilia of Youngstown, Ohio, and earning first runner-up honors several months later in the Coupe Mondiale in Caracas, Venezuela. In 2008, Joe won the grand prize for the first Roland US V-Accordion competition held in Los Angeles, California.
Dallas Vietty's unique style comes from his background in the American jazz tradition, as well as study and immersion in the European swing tradition of Django Reinhardt (Gypsy Jazz) and French accordionists. He remains very active on the East Coast concert and festival scene, with he and his groups performing at some of the top US festivals.
We are pleased to welcome Nikolay Bine to his first AAA festival. He has competed in – and won – many prestigious worldwide competitions. Inspired by current New York City jazz artists, Nikolay's music specialty is accordion and piano jazz. He has composed many contemporary jazz pieces, arranged several jazz standards, and maintains a busy performance schedule at many top venues, including famed Carnegie Hall.
The 2024 Festival Orchestra will be conducted by AAA 1st Vice President Frank Busso Sr., the recipient of AAA’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award just last year. This ensemble is open to all registered festival attendees and will perform at the Gala Banquet on Saturday, June 13, 2024.
A big highlight for several hobbyists during last year’s AAA festival was the Beginner Adult Band. This year, Dee Langley will return to lead the ensemble, which is open to all.
Conducting this year's Junior Festival Orchestra will be Joanna Darrow, who has dedicated her entire life to performing, teaching, and promoting the accordion. She has performed several times with the Philadelphia Orchestra and performed all over Europe, concertizing for over 30 years with her accordion teacher/husband, the late Stanley Darrow.
Accordion ensembles already slated to perform include those from Acme Accordion School conducted by Joanna Darrow and the Busso Festival Orchestra conducted by Frank Busso Jr.
Keep checking www.ameraccord.com for announcements of additional performers, workshop presenters, events, and registration information!
Frank Busso Jr. AAA President
Download print pdf 2024 schedule
Download print pdf 2024 schedule
Join us live to help celebrate the 85th anniversary of the American Accordionists' Association which will be held at the Marriott Philadelphia West in Conshohocken, PA, July 12-16, 2023.
Visit https://www.marriott.com/events/start.mi?id=1678315148565&key=GRP to book your hotel room today! The discounted room block deadline is June 26, 2023. The rate and room type can sell out prior to the deadline, so book your room early to secure the lowest rate.
The importance of reserving a hotel room at the AAA’s official conference hotel, the Marriott Philadelphia West: The AAA makes every effort to keep your expenses at the conference as low as possible. We work hard to negotiate the best hotel rates and to keep conference registration fees as low as possible, even as expenses rise annually. The AAA is able to offer high-quality conferences in desirable locations because we reserve a significant number of hotel rooms. If you choose to stay at another property, the official hotel room block is smaller, making it more difficult for the AAA to gain favorable hotel space at reasonable prices for future meetings.
View the most current version of the festival schedule here: 2023AAASchedule.pdf
Use the following form to register for the festival and to purchase tickets: 2023AAARegistration.pdf
Payments can be made by check or online through the AAA’s secure checkout page: AAA Store
One of the festival’s flagship events is the Gala Banquet on Saturday night. This year’s banquet will feature the 2023 AAA Festival Orchestra conducted by Joan Cochran Sommers, The United States Air Force Strolling Strings, and the Lifetime Achievement Award presentation to Frank Busso Sr.
To advertise in the Gala Banquet journal, including special messages to Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Frank Busso Sr, please use the following link: 2023 Banquet Journal Advertisement
We also have some ticket/hotel packages available that may be of interest to you: 2023 AAA Banquet Package.
Would you like to send a personal message to the AAA? Do you have a business that might be of interest to accordion enthusiasts? We invite you to advertise in the Festival Program Journal: 2023AAA-Advertiser.pdf
If you would like to sell or exhibit merchandise during the festival, please complete an exhibitor registration form here: 2023AAA-Exhibitor.pdf
After two years of virtual competition, we are excited to return to live competitions for students of all ages and abilities! Solos, duets, ensembles, and bands. Competition rules can be found online at 2023AAARules.pdf. Entry forms must be submitted by June 12, 2023 and can be found here: 2023AAAEntry.pdf
June 12 - Competition entry form submission deadline
June 16 - Advertisements in Festival Program Journal due date
June 16 - Exhibitor/Vendor registration due date
June 23 - Registrations and ticket purchases deadline
June 23 - Advertisements in Gala Banquet/Lifetime Achievement Award Journal due date
June 26 - Deadline to book your hotel room at the official festival hotel at discounted rate
We are sure we speak for all when we say accordionists cannot wait to get back together - in person! - to celebrate our beloved instrument. And speaking of accordions, make sure you bring yours along to play in the 2023 Festival Orchestra led by world-renowned conductor, Joan Cochran Sommers!
Grayson Masefield (New Zealand) will will join us for performances and workshops. Very personable and well-spoken, Grayson has won and been laureate at over a dozen international accordion competitions around the world in classical, entertainment, and digital categories. He is currently the instrumental music teacher for accordion at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Another special guest performer will be accordion legend Joey Miskulin (USA). Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2018 for his extraordinary accomplishments with the piano accordion, and a recent recipient of the AAA's Lifetime Achievement Award, Joey continues to delight listeners with his "flying fingers" and ability to engage audiences.
Looking for even more entertainment? Look no further than Mario Tacca, past AAA champion and AAA Artist in Residence, who will perform as a soloist at Friday night's gala concert, and with famed vocalist Mary Mancini at our Thursday night dinner.
Several accordion orchestras are already slated to perform, including the Accordion Pops Orchestra conducted by Al Terzo, the Westmont Philharmonia Accordion Orchestra conducted by Joanna Darrow, and the Busso Festival Orchestra conducted by Frank Busso Jr.
Conducting this year's Youth Orchestra will be Joanna Darrow who has dedicated her entire life to performing, teaching and promoting the accordion. She has performed several times with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and performed all over Europe, for over 30 years, with her accordion teacher/husband, the late Stanley Darrow.
The United States Air Force Strolling Strings, with AAA President Frank Busso Jr. on accordion, will perform at our Saturday night banquet. Also at the banquet, we will present our coveted Lifetime Achievement Award to longtime AAA Board member Frank Busso Sr. Frank has been an educator, performer, conductor, and all-around ambassador of the accordion for decades.
Keep checking www.ameraccord.com for announcements of additional performers, workshop presenters, events, and registration information!
To read more about Joan Cochran Sommers, Frank Busso Sr., Joey Miskulin, and to learn more about the events that led to the formation of the AAA, please see the articles listed below. Click here for many other articles about AAA History.
Article #1 — AAA-Formation.htm What events led to the formation of the AAA?
Article #9 — "Spotlight on Frank Busso Sr."
Article #18 - Joey Miskulin
Article #25 - Prof. Joan Cochran Sommers
I am sure I speak for all when I say that accordionists cannot wait to get back together, in person, again SOON!! The members of the AAA Governing Board are no exception.
As we are enthusiastically planning the 2023 AAA Festival, we are very excited to announce that the AAA will be honoring long-time AAA Board member, Frank Busso, Sr., at this event with the 2023 AAA Lifetime Achievement Award.
Frank has faithfully served the AAA as Treasurer, Vice-President, President (1981, 1992-94), and has also chaired many committees including the annual national festivals, and the Young Artists Concert Series. He held the position of the Comptroller of the AAA for many years. For decades, Frank has been an educator, performer, conductor and all-around ambassador of the accordion.
View the feature article from the 2017 AAA Festival Journal now online at: “Spotlight on Frank Busso”. It is an enjoyable, heartwarming and enlightening biography of a man whose life revolved around his love of the accordion, the national accordion community, and his family.
You might ask, “What has happened since 2017?” One delightful bit of news: Frank’s twin granddaughters, Julianna and Francesca, are now studying the accordion with their father, Frank Busso, Jr. All of the Busso grandchildren are now accordionists! Let’s hope we can hear the “Busso Octet” perform for us at the 2023 AAA Festival!
L to R: Christina Busso Lammers, Alexander Lammers, Frank Busso, Sr., TV reporter from Washington, DC, Caroline Lammers, Frank Busso, Jr., and Nicholas Busso at the 2018 AAA Festival, Alexandria, VA.
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