New York based accordionist Kevin Friedrich celebrated his milestone 20^th Anniversary Concert at the Dargaville Museum in New Zealand on November 16, 2025.  The popular Concert series titled ‘An Afternoon of Music with Kevin Friedrich and Friends’ sold out weeks in advance and featured an impressive lineup of talent. This years theme ‘From Baylys to Broadway’ followed Kevin’s musical journey which took him from the tiny beach side community of Baylys Beach near Dargaville to his home in New York with a side trip to France, where Kevin the accordion studied in Paris.

Joining Kevin for his milestone 20^th anniversary fundraising concert were an impressive lineup of guests including the 25 member North Shore Accordion Orchestra which opened the concert with renowned New Zealand composer and conductor Gary Daverne conducting his composition Song of the Far North for accordion and orchestra with Kevin Friedrich as soloist.  The orchestra was also conducted by the Dargaville Museum Weekend Manager Christine Johnstone as guest conductor before the baton was turned over to the regular conductor Lian Jones who led the orchestra in a program featuring vocal soloists Alanah Jones and Lionel Reekie then concluding with a rousing rendition of the Overture to the Marriage of Figaro. 

When the Dargaville Museum added the new wing to accommodate Kevin’s accordion collection in 2006, the manager at that time Pene McKenzie requested that once in a while, the instruments would be used if possible.  In keeping with this tradition, for this concert, Kevin showcased a variety of instruments including the oldest one, a 6 key flutina from 1830, a Frosini keyboard, an extremely rare Alfred Arnold bandoneon with the buttons in a piano keyboard configuration, a recently donated Scandalli butterfly accordion, the world’s first Kauri accordion and more. 

The program featured local songster Jone Yelcich and Dargaville’s ever favorite pianist Nolene Osbaldiston, vocalist Cindy Randall accompanied by Kevin Friedrich, pianist and vocalist Thomas Koloi, the Baylys Beats African Drummers, the ever popular and multi talented Lionel Reekie, well know accordionist and entertainer Maurice Jones, Chinese folk dancing artist Sophia Daverne and local born country star Kim Copedo.

Making her Dargaville debut was the acclaimed harpist Ingrid Bauer (Principal Harp of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra) which included a Piazzolla work with her fellow orchestra member and concert master, renowned violinist Andrew Beer.  Andrew later joined World Accordion Champion Grayson Masefield to present a set that highlighted their incredible virtuosic and musical skills before the concert concluded with world’s most southern accordion group, the Christchurch Accordion Orchestra.

The regular fundraising concerts have helped support the Dargaville Museum tell the stories of the Kaipara region as well as support the only public accordion exhibition in the southern Hemisphere, Kevin’s ‘Accordion Gems, A Master Collection of Accordions Through Time.’