In its second year, Powell River Accordion Fest will offer a variety of performed musical styles, plus the opportunity for people to get up close and personal with the instrument.
Karina Inkster, co-director of the festival, said on May 5, there will be an opening night concert and at least eight special guest musicians taking the stage at James Hall.
Inkster said the concert will involve some local musicians, such as pianist Dr. Moira Hopfe-Ostensen, percussionist Terry Martyniuk, and Jessica Colansanto (flute, melodica and toy piano). From Roberts Creek will be classical guitarist Budge Schachte and bassist Boyd Norman.
Inkster said the opening night will feature many different genres, including classical, jazz and klezmer, which is a musical tradition of Jewish people from Central and Eastern Europe.
“The musical selection will be quite different; some of the music will be new for us and the attendees as well,” said Inkster. “There is going to be a larger group of musicians than last year and we’ll have six or eight musicians doing all sorts of different combinations for the night. For the audience, it will be quite an experience. I’m looking forward to it.”
The following day, May 6, has a full day of events scheduled.
“We have workshops and classes and a whole bunch of exciting things on the second day,” said Inkster. “The evening will feature our closing night, and that will feature more popular music with Ron Campbell’s band, with co-director Walter Martella, and a visiting accordionist, Ronen Segall from Vancouver Island, playing.
“Closing night will feature more popular styles, with dancing.”
Inkster said she and Martella were surprised last year by the number of people who came from afar to take in the first accordion fest.
“We thought it would be just local people, but we had people coming from Penticton, Vancouver Island, and from the Lower Mainland for the first festival,” said Inkster. “Based on that, of course we had to do it again.”
Inkster said regarding her involvement in the first festival, she never thought she would get the chance to perform with musicians of such a high calibre.
“I’m not a professional musician, but playing accordion is an important part of my life,” said Inkster. “Having opportunities like this is pretty amazing.”
Plenty of players
She said there is a following for accordion in this community. A few students take lessons at Powell River Academy of Music and people have also been dropping off accordions.
“We actually have a room of feral accordions at the academy,” said Inkster, laughing. “When we held a workshop two years ago for complete beginners, we had 10 people show up, which was a lot. There are people who played back in school in the ’50s, when the accordion was learned like the recorder is now. It was the instrument all kids learned on.”
Popularity of the first accordion festival has prompted broader involvement from the community. For the first one, Inkster and Martella did the organizing, now the organizing group has grown to six.
The festival will mostly be taking place at the music academy, with the exception of the closing event, at Forest Bistro and Lounge, for which tickets will be required.
Again this year, on both days, Tempo Trend, a Victoria-based speciality accordion store that’s been in business for more than 60 years, will be on site for people’s accordion wants, such as tune-ups, repairs and sales. People can bring an old squeezebox languishing in their closet, or they can purchase their first (or seventh) accordion, said Inkster.
“Last year he brought an RV full of about 60 accordions, so he’ll be here again Friday, all day, and Saturday, all day,” added Inkster. “Last year, he had so many accordions come in that he had to take a bunch of them back to Victoria and send them back.”
Also at this year’s festival will be accordion 101, where, for an hour, accordion-curious people of all levels can attend a workshop. They can either bring their accordions or borrow one.
Inkster said last year, about 10 or 12 people attended, some picking up an accordion for the first time and learning the basics.
There will also be a klezmer workshop, plus courtyard performances, which will basically be an open-mic session.
This year, the festival will have the services of Jelena Milojević, who is a world-class accordionist and will be leading a master class. Inkster said Milojević will be listening to intermediate and advanced accordionists and providing feedback on their pieces and their playing.
“It will be insightful for the students and the audience,” said Inkster. “She will be doing the masterclass via Zoom from Victoria.”
There are links to purchase tickets for the opening night concert and squeezebox night at the Forest Bistro at the festival’s website at praccordionfest.com. Tickets are also available at the music academy on Kemano Street.
