No, this is not a juicing festival. This is a festival dedicated to the art of the squeezebox or accordion. The festival coincides with the American Accordionists’ Association Convention being hosted at the Adam’s Mark Hotel. Squeeze Fest takes place at The Tralf on July 8, at 7:30pm.
Accordionists will be coming from all over the world to attend the convention. That means that Buffalo will be alive with the sounds of the squeezebox – a once in a lifetime opportunity to listen to some of the best musicians in the world, creating sounds that you might not expect to hear coming from such an unusual and revered instrument.
Following are some of the big names, posted on the festival’s Facebook page.
GUY KLUCEVSEK
“Forget everything you thought you knew about the accordion” The Seattle Weekly
“Klucevsek is a trailblazing virtuoso” The Wall Street Journal
“A rebel with an accordion…Klucevsek combines poker-faced wit and imagination with command of his instrument, forcing you to re-think the accordion’s limitations” Downbeat
GINNY MAC
Hailing from Fort Worth, TX, Ginny Mac fronts a dynamic group that brings a fresh and exciting twist to vocal and instrumental stylings in the Country & Western Swing, Americana, Hot Jazz, and International music genres. Ginny is also a former member of the two-time Grammy Award winning group Brave Combo based in Denton, TX. She endorses Menghini s.r.l. Scandalli Accordions based in Castelfidardo, Italy.
ALEXANDER SEVASTIAN
Alexander Sevastian (accordion, piano, bandoneon) has won four International Accordion Competitions including the Oslofjord in Norway (1998), The Cup of the North in Russia (2000), the Anthony Galla-Rini Accordion Competition in the U.S.A. (2001) and The Coupe Mondiale in the U.S.A. (2007)
QUARTETTO GELATO
Virtuosic showpieces, romantic tenor arias, pyrotechnical solos, blazing gypsy show pieces, multi-instrument mastery and a World Accordion Champion – this is Quartetto Gelato. For 25 years and eclectic by design the group’s theatrical stage presence and relaxed humor establishes an intimate rapport with audiences worldwide. Winners of the coveted title of NPR Performance Today’s Debut Artist of the Year and broadcast by PBS throughout the U.S. Winners for Best Classical Ensemble at Canada’s INDIE awards. Their eight CDs have sold over 150,000 units to date and their music accompanied Canadian astronaut, Dr. Robert Thirsk, during his NASA flight on board the space shuttle Columbia.
CORY PESATURO
Cory is known as both a visionary and a rebel with the main United States “accordion world” World Digital Accordion Champion (Coupe Mondiale) and World Acoustic Accordion Champion (Primus Ikaalinen) Cory Pesaturo (C Pez) is a graduate of the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA, where he was the first musician ever to major and graduate in the accordion. Cory is in fact, the only person to ever win World Championships on Acoustic Accordion, Digital Accordion, and Jazz. Cory’s main contribution, is his visionary thinking of how the accordion should be used, played, and presented in the modern music world. Pesaturo’s extensive resumé includes 4 appearances at the White House starting at age 12. Cory has performed in 5 different continents and regularly travels 75,000-100,000 miles a year. Pesaturo currently gives masterclasses on both Music Theory and Accordion, and has taught at Harvard University, Brown University, UNC Ashville, Berklee College of Music, MIT and of course New England Conservatory.
GRAYSON MASEFIELD
In 2009, Grayson became the first person to win the Coupe Mondiale top classical category and the Coupe Mondiale Virtuoso Entertainment category in the same year. He also won the Roland International V-Accordion Competition & Festival, Rome and the Primus Ikaalinen International TV Competition, Finland, showing his amazing musical versatility. September 2010 Grayson won the Trophée Mondial Classique World Accordion Championships and retired from competitions. At the 2010 Coupe Mondiale, Varaždin, Croatia, Grayson was elected to the prestigious CIA Music Committee. He also made a major USA Tour in 2010. His musical career began at 3 years of age with Fay Schaw, then developed into the entertainment field with Maurice Jones. He played in the North Shore Accordion Orchestras. Grayson began classical training at Auckland University with Stephanie Poole. Grayson went to France for seminars and tuition with Frédéric Deschamps in 2007. He is currently studying at the HEMU (University of Music Lausanne), tutor Prof. Stéphane Chapuis. Grayson has been invited to perform in many European countries during 2007 to 2014 – France, Spain, Germany, UK, Portugal, Slovakia, Italy, USA, Canada, Russia, Lithuania, Portugal, China, Switzerland, Austria, New Zealand, Australia, Finland.
Dr ROBERT YOUNG McMAHAN
A native of Washington, DC, Robert McMahan earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. He joined the music faculty of the College of New Jersey in 1991, where he is Associate Professor of Music and head of theory, composition, ear training, and electronic music studies. He has been instrumental in convincing other composers, such as Lukas Foss and Robert Hall Lewis, to use accordion in their compositions. He has recorded on the CRS and Orion labels. Presently, he serves on the Board of Governors of the American Accordionists’ Association, he has been featured in articles by others in Keyboard Magazine, The Music Connoisseur; High Fidelity, The Baltimore Sun, Accordion Arts Magazine, Contemporary American Composers, and Who’s Who in American Composers: Classical.
NORA SIRBAUGH
Mezzo-soprano Dr. Nora Sirbaugh was appointed in 1989 to the adjunct music faculty at The College of New Jersey. She is also currently an Instructor of Music and Voice at Mercer County Community College. Previously, Dr. Sirbaugh taught Voice at the Peabody Conservatory of Music and at Temple University. Dr. Sirbaugh was the recipient of the Peabody Development Grant, a research grant for study of original manuscripts in Gloucester, England. In addition, she was awarded the Peabody Scholarship, Temple University Opera Scholarship, and The Delius Trust from the United Kingdom to fund her 2000 European concert tour. As a performer, Dr. Sirbaugh’s solo engagements include performances in major US cities and England as well as numerous opera roles and oratorio. Dr. Sirbaugh has numerous publications to her credit including several books and CD reviews for The Delian, The British Music Society News, The Delius Society Journal, and The NATS Journal.
Buffalo Squeeze FEST world renown stars of the accordion
Entertaining Comedy And All Styles Of Music
July 8, 2016 at 7:30pm
Tickets $28.00
Tralf.com tickets
716 – 852 – 2860
The American Accordionists’ Association Convention is taking place at the Adam’s Mark Hotel July 6 – 10, 2016.
Lead accordion image: elinluna