The Japan Mandolin Union (JMU) has held their 50th anniversary this year. Beside the publication of a regular journal about mandolin activities in Japan the JMU every two years a solo mandolin competition is executed.
This year the JMU has started their own youtube channel with videos from the anniversary concert and from the 26th solo mandolin competition
The Ankordis Trio is composed of Miki Nishiyama (mandolin), Giuliana Ferraboli (diatonic accordion) and Cetti Schinocca (piano). The unique instrumenttion of this trio proposes a captivating repertoire that is easy to use for the public. The pieces are specially arranged for mandolin, diatonic accorion and piano and belong to the history of cinema (Morricone, Bacalov, Tiersen, Piovani …), tango (Piazzolla, Galliano, Canaro …), the French organ repertoire (Delicq ), of the Brazilian choro …
The Ankordis Trio has recorded their first CD Pizolla in 2017. A new CD is in preparation.
The Ankordis Trio has just added new videos from their latest concert in Bovegno, chiesa di San Rocco, 23 settembre 2018. You can also find more pictures and videos in the facebook profile of Ankoris Trio.
Il trio “Ankordis” è formato da Miki Nishiyama al mandolino, Giuliana Ferraboli all’organetto e Cetti Schinocca al pianoforte. Compagine strumentale unica nel suo genere, propone un repertorio accattivante e di facile fruibilità per il pubblico. I brani eseguiti sono appositamente arrangiati per mandolino, organetto e pianoforte ed appartengono alla storia del cinema (Morricone, Bacalov, Tiersen, Piovani …), del tango (Piazzolla, Galliano, Canaro …), del repertorio organettistico francese (Delicq), del choro brasiliano …
The Mandolin Lovers Club (MLC) is a group of leading mandolin players in Japan.
The MLC has organized a competition for solo mandolin / mandola / mandoloncello performances. There was no limitation, everybody could make a video and take part in the competition. All videos were added to a playlist and everybody could vote for his favorite videos.
Winner of the competition: RADWIMPS mandolin cover by Yoshito Ishizu
The complete playlist with the 17 videos taking part in the competition.
Steffen Trekel and Michael Tröster have travelled to Japan several times and given concert.
A complete concert from Oct. 2013 can be found at youtube. The duo Trekel Tröster is joyned by the Japanese guitarist Yoshinobu Hara in some of the pieces.
The concert took place in the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music. The introductions to the pieces were translated from German to Japanese by Ayako Kojima, a Japanese mandolin player who studied in Germany for some time.
Konzert – Senzoku Gakuen College of Music – Silver Mountain B1F, Oct. 12, 2013
Steffen Trekel counts among the leading mandolinists and mandolin pedagogues of our time. He studied mandolin private with Detlef Tewes as well as with Professor Marga Wilden-Huesgen at the Academy of Music at Cologne, and is the prize winner in many national and international competitions. As a soloist, with diverse casts of chamber music, as well as with renowned orchestras, he travelled on numerous concert tours throughout Germany and many other countries worldwide.
Steffen Trekel has been active as a university lecturer for mandolin and methodology at theHamburger Konservatorium since 1995 and, in addition, teaches at the Kreismusikschule Herzogtum Lauenburg. His teaching activity extends from early instrumental instruction to the more advanced education of students. The successes of his students at competitions are reflected in the outstanding reputation he enjoys as pedagogue.
Michael Tröster who teaches at Kassel Academy of Music , was born in 1956 and studied under Gerhard Vogt. He continued his studies at music academies in Frankfurt, Würzburg and Basel and was a student of the well-known German guitarist, Siegfried Behrend.
After winning numerous national and international competitions e.g. the “Deutschen Musikwettbewerb” (the German Music Competition), or the “International Villa-Lobos Competition” in Milan, it was not long before he embarked on his international concert career.