When Dee Langley first played the accordion at the age of four, she could not have known that her love for the instrument and her passion for music would eventually reap her numerous first place honors, take her to Europe, and earn her several guest appearances as accordionist with the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

As a professional, Dee has participated in seminars and symposiums on accordion styles and techniques in Chatel, France and Klingenthal, East Germany. She also has performed with the Dolina Polish Folk Dancers and Ethnic Dance Theatre as well as officiating as Director of The EDT Folk Orchestra. Concert tours of Poland, France and the Czech Republic, respectively, being a few of the highlights of her tenures with these companies. On several occasions, Dee has been asked to perform accordion works not only with the Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, but also the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, and the Northwoods Classical Players (members of the Chicago Symphony). She has also premiered compositions with the Ancia Quartet, the Minneapolis Philharmonic and Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra and has worked with contemporary composers including, Peter Blauvelt, Mary Ellen Childs, Becky Dale, Shelley Hanson, Mark Hellem, Carleton Macy, Carole Saline and Kim Sherman to expand the visibility of classical accordion with other instruments.

Dee Langley currently lives in Minneapolis, performs with her accordion duet partner, Greg Dagoumas, as "Just Du-et", and is a member of the Bulgarian group, "Traki". She is on the Board of Directors of the Accordionists' and Teachers' Guild, Int., and the American Accordion Musicological Society as well as a member of the American Accordionists' Association. Ms. Langley is also co-founder the Minnesota Accordion Club and teaches accordion in the Metro area.

A native of Washington, DC, Robert McMahan began his musical career at age twelve when he became an accordion student of Louis Coppola. He later won many first place awards in the Amecian Accordionists' Association national competitions in classiscal and contemporary original music divisions in the 1960s. In addition, he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he studied with Robert Hall Lewis, Jean Eichelberger Ivey, and Stefan Grove'.

He also holds a master's degree in the Great Books program at St. John's College. He joined the music faculty of the College of New Jersey in 1991, where he is Professor of Music and coordinator of theory and composition studies and classical accordion. As a noted classical accordionist, he has tirelessly promoted the instrument in serious contemporary music across his entire career.

He has recorded on the CRS and Orion labels and was accordionist for the Baltimore Symphony during his years of residence in that region. Presently, he is an officer of the Board of Governors of the American Accordionists' Association and is the chair of its Composers Commissioning Committee. He became active with the AAMS in 1992.

Concert Accordionist, Mary Tokarski performs both nationally and internationally as a soloist, with Symphony Orchestra and as a member of The 'K' Trio. For 20 years Mary served as Director of Music Education at Tokarski Music Center in North Haven, Connecticut, where she taught piano and accordion, as well as conducted the choral & ensemble programs, and supervised the pre-school programs. Mary currently teaches piano and accordion at her home in Northford, Connecticut.



She also serves as a Music Educator in the North Haven Department of Education's Early Childhood Development Program at Green Acres Elementary School. Currently, Mary serves as a Board of Director with both The American Accordionists' Association (AAA) and the Accordionists and Teachers Guild, International (ATG) which are the two national member organizations of the Confederation Interntaionale des Accordeonistes, (IMC-UNESCO).

The Sunday afternoon Concert will feature the Massed Festival Orchestra under the direction of our Guest Artist, Dee Langley. All attendees are invited to bring their accordion and take part in the Saturday rehearsal and the Sunday morning rehearsal and then perform in the Concert.

Just prior to the presentation of trophys to the various competition category winners, you will be treated to a brief concert by the Westmont Philharmonia Accordion Orchestra, Ron Onda, and Bernie Gardzalla, and a special concert presentation by the AAMS 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Lenny Feldmann... known internationally as "The CordeenMan".

WPAO

  
Ron Onda                    Bernie Gardzalla


Concert Audience


Stan Darrow and Joanna Arnold Darrow


Rik Kaplan

In Memoriam

The Accordion Community and the AAMS was saddened this past year by the passing of two of our colleagues,
both of whom had often participated in the AAMS Festivals. They will be missed.

      
Bobby Raye                                             Tom Bruno

AAMS Archives
2005    -    2006    -    2007    -    2008

Click on the links below for complete information and necessary forms:

Festival Guidelines -  Festival Registration Form -  Competition Entry Form -  Hotel Reservations
Directions to Hotel -  2009 Honoree - Concert Schedule