Singer Ken Lavigne, fiddler Daniel Lapp and accordionist Jelena Milojevic will perform at a Friday night fundraising concert for an international accordion festival coming to Victoria.
The Coupe Mondiale, considered the world’s most prestigious accordion competition, will be hosted here by the B.C. Accordion Society Aug. 17 to 25. It marks the second time the event has come to Canada — Toronto hosted the Coupe Mondiale in 1964.
The fundraising concert at Alix Goolden Hall, starting at 8 p.m., also features the B.C. Accordion Orchestra. Admission is $25, or $20 for seniors and students. Tickets are available at Tempo Trend and Long & McQuade.
Aleksandar Milojevic, president of the B.C. Accordion Society, said the Coupe Mondiale will attract hundreds of the world’s top accordionists.
“So far, so good,” he said. “Now it’s getting crazy busy.”
He hopes Friday’s concert raises as much as $10,000 for the festival.
The Coupe Mondiale has a projected budget of about $200,000, with $100,000 coming from the B.C. Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, Milojevic said.
Apart from the competition itself, the event offers concerts with such internationally renowned musicians as Ludovic Beier, Renzo Ruggieri, Alexander Sevastian, Trio Voronezh, Cory Pesaturo and the Esse Quintet. There will also be guest performances by Ballet Victoria and Vox Humana Choir.
As part of the event, on Aug. 18 there will be an accordion parade in downtown Victoria. Festivities also include an accordion museum exhibition, a trade show and an open-air concert in Centennial Square on Aug. 24.
Tickets for the Coupe Mondiale are now on sale. An all-inclusive ticket package, providing access to all events, costs $95. Those interested can email coupe2013@gmail.com.
