The accordion has often been a misunderstood and sometimes maligned instrument. However, its roots in folk culture go back centuries.
Accordions are now played around the world, not only in cafes and public squares, but on stage alongside chamber and symphony orchestras. There has been a sort of revival of the instrument in past years, especially in places such as Vancouver, Victoria, Australia, Europe and, for the past four years, the qathet region.
qathet's fourth annual Accordion Fest will take place at Powell River Academy of Music's James Hall on Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3. Co-directors of the festival Walter Martella and Karina Inkster have invited a few special guests to perform on stage this year, including seasoned piano accordion player Anthony Schulz, who has dedicated his career to showcasing the versatility and artistry of the instrument. He's travelling to BC and qathet all the way from Australia.
"I reached out to Karina and Walter last year; I was coming to Vancouver on a reconnaissance mission because my partner Isabel and I are moving to Vancouver," said Schulz. "I wanted to start making some connections."
Schulz said this will be his 50th year playing the accordion.
"One could say I'm fairly committed to the instrument," said Schulz. "I try to walk the line between trying to honour the accordion in terms of its tradition as a folk instrument, because there's no denying that, it plays such an important role in so many different cultures around the world, while looking to the future and thinking about, how does the accordion function as a contemporary instrument?"
Schulz was six years old when he first walked into a music shop with his parents, who are also musicians, in Melbourne. He recalls entering a room full of amazing instruments; accordions of all shapes, sizes and colours lined the walls. Since that time and after he had his first piano accordion, music has encompassed Schulz's life.
"I don't like the term world music, but I do play in world music ensembles," said Schulz. "I have my own French musette ensemble, but then this weekend, I was up in Sydney playing classical repertoire with a cellist."
He said he also does a lot of quite exploratory work, with a contemporary trio called Ball Hanlon Schulz, with double bass and trumpet.
"I'm always looking for new ways to think about the accordion," said Schulz. "I know it's been a good concert if somebody comes up afterwards and says, 'I didn't know the accordion could sound like that.'"
On Friday, May 2, there will be accordion repairs and sales happening all day at the James Hall, then the Accordion Fest main concert and opening night will take place at 7:30 pm.
Martella and Inkster will be on stage with at least five accordions that night. Audiences will see and hear a five-piece tango band, jazz quartet, klezmer, and special guests Schulz and Ronen Segall from Vancouver Island.
Guitarists Budge Schachte and Stephen Nikleva, bassist Boyd Norman and percussionist Terry Martyniuk will also be on stage for opening night. Schulz will also perform at the closing night cabaret on Saturday, May 3.
"The first, most common misconception, I'm sad to say, is that it's generally badly played," said Schulz. "The second misconception, I think, is that it's primarily for playing French music."
That misconception was the catalyst for Schulz to start his own French music group that explored the sounds of high level 20th century accordion players.
"My parents are both from accordion playing cultures: German and Irish," said Schulz. "It was my father's idea that I would play the accordion, and I'm glad to say that even at six years old, I was naive enough to not think there was anything wrong with that."
Accordion players can be found all over the world playing a wide variety of different genres, but have formed connections and community through this instrument.
"There's something very special about the accordion; for one thing it's portable and usually played by displaced and migrating cultures who have moved to places like Canada and Australia," said Schulz. "They [accordion players] bring all their memories and culture with them, so there's something about the accordion in particular that really provokes and prompts a response from people."
Schulz is a lecturer in the Bachelor of Music program at Melbourne Polytechnic and has played with many ensembles. He also composes original scores that audiences in qathet will hear at the festival in May.
"My compositions are attached to novels that I've read in terms of where they're [his compositions] coming from," said Schulz. "I'll also play a musette waltz as well, which is transcribed from a Yvette Horner recording,” adding that Horner was one of the few female accordion players in the early to mid 20th century in France.
"It's nice to bring awareness that it wasn't just men playing the accordion," said Schulz.
To find out more about the 2025 Accordion Fest, go to accordionfest.com/2025guests.
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