Compiled by Jeroen Nijhof.
Please let me know if you find any errors, or if you know of a link that should be included!

Orchestras & Clubs

Listed by Country:
International | Australia | Austria | Belarus | Belgium | Brazil | Canada | Croatia | Denmark | Finland | France | Germany | Iceland | Ireland | Italy | Japan | Luxembourg | Malta | Moldova | The Netherlands | New Zealand | Norway | Poland | Russia | Serbia | Slovenia | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland | United Kingdom | USA

International

Australia

  • Ars Harmoniae is an ensemble of the Gleisdorf Music School, which combines accordions with other instruments. Their repertoire includes the music of Astor Piazzolla, jazz, and compositions/arrangements for accordion orchestra.

Austria

  • Akkordeon Club Altach
  • Accordeana Graz (in German) has an entertainment orchestra, a large orchestra and a youth ensemble. Their repertoire encompasses light entertainment, jazz and contemporary classical music.
  • Die Klavitoniker (in German) from Salzburg

  • Wiener Akkordeonclub Favoriten, named after the district of Vienna, was founded in 1972 by Prof. Walter Maurer, who still conducts. It consists of two orchestras and an ensemble.

Belarus

  • Accordion ensemble Minstrels from Minsk is a quintet consisting of Galina Dorokhina and her ex-pupils. In 1996 they won the 3rd prize in Castelfidardo.

Belgium

Brazil

Canada

  • The Association Des Accordéonistes de Montréal meets every first and third Wednesday of the month.
  • The Canadian Accordion Association (Ontario) is a newly constituted accordion organization, formed from the former Canadian Accordion Club. They are planning to hold meetings to accommodate members both in the Toronto and other Ontario regions, issue regular newsletters regarding any and all aspects of accordions, and bring in top players to entertain and teach. Their office is located in the Service Centre of Accordions Exclusively in Burlington Ontario Canada. For more information, or for registering interest, there is a Information form for the Canadian Accordion Association (Ontario) [or for Accordions Exclusively]
  • Vancouver Squeezebox Circle meets on the first Thursday of every month at Spartacus Books, 684 East Hastings Street in Vancouver. "No experience necessary, punk-rockers and polkas welcome"

  • The Victoria Accordion Club meets the first Sunday of every month at the Victoria Edelweiss Club in James Bay, Victoria, British Columbia.

Croatia

  • Cultural Youth Organisation OKUD Istra from Pula, Croatia, was founded in 1959. It organises the yearly Pula International Accordion Competition, the 37th of which will be held April 25 - 28, 2012. OKUD Istra also encompasses two accordion orchestras: Harmonikaški orkestar "Stanko Mihovilić" Accordion Orchestra, (in Croatian) named after its founder and longtime conductor, and a youth orchestra, Orkestar "Čvrčak", (in Croatian) both of which have done well in various international competitions. OKUD Istra also teaches accordion and other instruments.

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Almost all (in German) and almost all e.V.-s. See also the list of German accordion orchestra links (in German) of Orchester Hohnerklang Trossingen: that list is very complete and up to date. This list is now also available as a searchable database. (in German) That's on the old website (state as of March, 2009) -- the accordion orchestra links (in German) are slowly being rebuilt on the new site.

Iceland

Ireland

  • K & S Accordion Band (That's Kentstown and Seneschalstown) is a marching accordion band from Navan

Italy

Japan

Luxembourg

Malta

Moldova

  • Accordion ensemble Concertino from Chisinau, Moldova was established in 2003 to revive the classical accordion in Moldova. It consists of students and graduates of the Music, Theater and Visual Arts Academy from Chisinau, and has performed in Moldova, China, and all over Europe. They play classical music, popular music, and in particular Piazolla -- their debut CD consists of Piazzolla music, and in 2006 they won the Aster Piazolla category in Castelfidardo.

The Netherlands

See also orkesten (in Dutch)

New Zealand

  • Air New Zealand Accordion Orchestra regularly tours internationally. They have recorded a CD with classical, jazz, folk and rock melodies, most arranged by Gary Daverne.
  • Christchurch Accordion Orchestra was founded in 1972, and has won the New Zealand Championship several times. It is currently conducted by Meg Fidler. They have recorded a CD, which can be ordered from musicforaccordions.com.
  • The Kokatahi Band from the West Coat of New Zealand was established around 1910, by local farmers and goldminers. It is mainly a (two-row) button accordion band, plus fiddles, banjos, bones, spoons, drum, and lagerphone. Their repertoire includes bush ballads, old Irish, Scottish, and New Zeland folk songs.

Norway

Poland

  • Accordion Ensemble Akord (in Polish) from Koszalin

Russia

Serbia

  • accordion orchestras in Novi Sad: (in Serbian) (junior orchestra) Orkestar Harmonika "Margita Baračkov" and Orkestar Harmonika AKUD "Sonja Marinković.". The latter has won various prizes, amongst others a first price in Castelfidardo in 2003.

Slovenia

  • Harmonikarski orkester Barbara, (in Slovenian) previously Harmonikarski orkester Premogovnika Velenje, is a diatonic accordion orchestra from the Velenje Colliery, Slovenia

Spain

  • Orquestra de Cambra d'Acordions de Barcelona
  • Orquesta Sinfonica de Acordeones de Bilbao (in Spanish) was founded 30 years ago. It assembles 32 players and their repertoire ranges from Mozart, Rossini and Tchaikovsky to many Spanish and Basque composers. Their last two recordings are available in CD.
  • Ensemble Acordeonistas Burgaleses (in Spanish) from Burgos

  • Zero Sette Akordeoi Orkestra is an accordion orchestra from the Basque city of Lasarte-Oria.
  • In a music directory on opencultura.com, (in Spanish) some cultural directory for Navarra, a few accordion orchestras are listed: "Orquesta de Acordeones Amaiur de Lakuntza" and "Orquesta de Acordeones Ave María" from Pamplona, "Bayan" from Barañain, and "Grupo de acordeones 'Hauspo-Alai' Akordeoi Taldea" from Irurtzun . The list also inclues music school "Hilarion Eslava" from Burlada - Vill and accordionist and teacher Julio Arpón Martínez from Peralta.

Sweden

Switzerland

(in German) unless noted otherwise

United Kingdom

  • Barnsley Accordion Club, "for beginners, experts or listeners", meets each first Wednesday of the month.
  • Biggar Accordion and Fiddle Club
  • Bradford Accordion Band, was founded in 1997. Today the band, under the musical direction of Anita Bašić, consists of 23 accordionists plus a drummer and a keyboard player.

  • Chester Accordion Club meets at Castrol Sports & Social Club, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, every last Tuesday, 7.30 pm.
  • The Blackpool Accordion Club (formerly Fylde Coast Music Club) meets every 1st Tuesday of the month in Cleveleys.
  • Craven Accordion Orchestra rehearses most Tuesdays in Keighley, West Yorkshire. It was formed in 1993 and is still lead by Harry Hinchcliffe.

  • The KODA, formerly Keith Dickson Accordion Orchestra, is an orchestra of young musicians (all under 20) from the South of Scotland
  • Dunloy Accordion Band are based in the Ballymoney Borough of North Antrim, Northern Ireland. There are two distinct areas in the band: a Marching Band and a Contest / Concert Orchestra.
  • The Guildford Accordion Club meets the 3rd Friday of every month, in Ripley, Surrey, England.

  • Les Amis De l'accordeon De Jersey
  • Concertina Anonymous meets on the second Tuesday of the month in Lewes; any system welcome.
  • The Leyland Accordion Club meets at Leyland, Nr Preston, Lancashire

  • The South East Cornwall Accordion Club meets every first Saturday of the month at the Liskeard Community College.
  • Accordions at Morley is the website for 2 accordion clubs, both of which meet at Morley College, near Westminster Bridge, in London: "Accordions at Morley", is an accordion ensemble of some 25 members, led by Ian Watson, and rehearses the first 2 Fridays of each month; and Morley Intermediate Accordion Club (IAC), led by Julie North, which meets one Sunday each month during term time for half day sessions.
  • Norwich Accordion Club has a band and a mixed ability group, both of which practice weekly.

  • The Brian Laurie Accordion Showband from Paisley, Scotland, is connected to the Brian Laurie Paisley Academy of Music. Apart from the showband there are three more accordion orchestras, tye Preparatory, Elementary and Intermediate Orchestras. Another website for the Brian Laurie Accordion Showband
  • The Graham Laurie Accordion Orchestra from Paisley, Scotland, was founded by Graham Laurie in 1986.
  • Reading Accordion Group

  • The Sheffield Accordion Club meet every third Tuesday of the month. On the same page information about Barnsley Accordion Club, who meet on the first Wednesday of each month.
  • The Isle of Skye Accordion & Fiddle Club meets first Thursday of the month, from October to May. Also, they organise the annual Isle of Skye Accordion & Fiddle Festival, next held on May 27 - 29, 2010.
  • Stockport Accordion Club meets (almost) every Tuesday at 7pm.

  • The Tameside Junior Accordion Band is a voluntary non profit making organisation, that offers free tuition and instruments; they funded mainly by fund raising efforts, public donations and grants. The bands practice in Denton, near Manchester, and in Ashton-u-Lyne.
  • West Country Concertina Players is a club that aims to promote interest in all types of concertina playing and music, to provide tuition for beginners and facilities for players to meet regularly in the West Country (that's the South West part of the UK). Amongst others they organise a yearly(?) concertina weekend in Kilve, last held October 15 - 17, 2004.
  • The White Horse Accordion Club meets quarterly in Westbury, Wiltshire.

  • Lindum Accordion Club meets in the Town Hall in Wragby on every 3rd Wednesday of the month.

USA