Rita Davidson Barnea of New York City is an accomplished accordionist and music teacher, regularly presents workshops and adjudicates at important accordion competitions.

Rita Barnea, now retired,taught Pre-K to Grade 5 vocal music and special education music in the West Orange, NJ public schools for many years where she used the accordion every day in her music classes to accompany her chorus, music festivals and programs!

The principals of the schools were especially pleased she played the accordion because a music room was not always available. The use of the accordion allowed the curriculum to be taught not only without losing any quality of teaching but also making the music class experience so much more positive, interactive, and enjoyable for the students.

For example, she led the entire school in a flag song each morning which was paged throughout the school. She did this by bringing her accordion to the main office where the broadcast originated. The accordion plays an important role in the life of a music teacher, especially one that does not have a dedicated music room!

Rita is an honors graduate of the University of Connecticut with a degree in Music Education. She is on the Governing Board of the American Accordionists' Association (AAA). Rita studied accordion with Eugene Ettore, former AAA President and noted accordion composer. Rita has attended accordion festivals and competitions for many years where she judges both accordion and piano.

She also presents workshops and concerts on the “Life and Music of Eugene Ettore” and “The Use of the Accordion in the Teaching of Music in School”. Rita has performed on faculty recitals and presents programs at senior citizen centers. She also plays Klezmer music and gives workshops on Klezmer Music.

For many years, Rita has presented workshops and concerts at the AAA Accordion Festivals throughout the USA. One of her topics is the “The Life and Music of Eugene Ettore.” She also has presented workshops/concerts at the AAMS {American Accordion Musicological Society} Accordion Festival, the NAA, and the FMAE {Frank Marocco Accordion Event} in Arizona.



In the past she has performed Eugene Ettore’s “Manhattan Concerto” with the Westmont Accordion Orchestra, Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra, the NJ Intergenerational Orchestra and the Roxborough Symphony Orchestra in Philadelphia.

Rita is the creator and curator of the Eugene Ettore Memorial Website. It contains photos, articles, and other valuable information about Eugene Ettore. For comments/information contributions: Ritabelll@aol.com

Rita also has a busy children’s birthday party business in which she utilizes the accordion to entertain young children. Not only is it an enjoyable and portable means to entertain, but this program also serves to educate and expose young children to the possibilities of the accordion. She also gives workshops on “How to Organize a Children’s Birthday Party” centered around the use of the accordion.”

Rita Davidson Barnea was approached to become the Editor of the Accordion USA News in December 2008. This popular online monthly publication covers accordion events, artists, concerts, etc. which take place on the North American continent. Rita welcomes accordion news, photos, and information for the USA News.

Contact:

Email: Ritabelll@aol.com
Phone: +1 201-675-4861

Rita Davidson, well known concert accordionist, and editor of the USA News presented the works of Eugene Ettore (1921-1985) on Saturday evening, November 6th, 2010 in front of a standing room only audience at MoFiddles concert hall in Livingston, NJ. 

This concert was the ‘kick off’ event in a series of concerts in memorial celebration of Eugene Ettore's 90th birthday. Rita mesmerized the audience with her flawless performances of Ettore's original compositions for accordion. The first half of the program included ‘Springtime Caprice’, ‘Concert Etude’, ‘Five O'Clock Rush’, ‘Prelude and Scherzo’, ‘Valse’, ‘Accordion Miniatures’, and ‘Spanish Holiday’. 

 After a brief intermission, Rita Davidson Barnea then delighted everyone in attendance with perhaps the most famous composition of Eugene Ettore, which he wrote in 1952, ‘Manhattan Concerto’.  This was followed by a piece written in 1967 that to date has never been published (Rita Davidson Barnea plans to make this manuscript available to all accordionists) entitled ‘Introduction, Cadenza, and Tarantella’.  

Her final selection, ‘Rhapsodie Espagnol’, not only demonstrated her virtuosity, but also the wonderful melodies, counter-melodies, and rhythmic nuances that Ettore was so adept at composing.  A standing ovation brought Rita Davidson back for an encore of ‘Agitato’, a piece composed in 1964.

A memorial website is now open for Eugene Ettore that is being updated regularly with information from the family archives.

Review by Lenny Feldman (November 2010).