Though the Lens of Attendees - 2025 Festival

Compiled by Esther Lanting

What stood out to you about the 2025 Festival? What memories did you take home? What would you tell someone who has never attended?

Isaac Silverman, Chicago, IL

In May of 2021, I received an accordion from my grandfather and started taking lessons from

Mary Ann Covone. A couple of years later, in 2023, she mentioned a competition for the accordion and that I should attend it. I agreed, and competed at the ATG accordion festival that year. The competition was a very good experience. The judges' critiques provided helpful advice to improve my playing and gained a little bit more experience playing for others. Because I just showed up to compete and hear a few other competitions, however, I didn’t really experience the full festival that year. The next year, in 2024, I gained a much more complete and in-depth view of the festival. I really enjoyed my time in Kansas City and was inspired by it. In addition to the benefits of competing, I had the opportunity to hear a very wide range of accordion music in the many performances and competitions.

This year, I competed and saw even more performances and competitions. I also went to several fascinating workshops. I stayed longer and was in the festival orchestra with around 50 other accordionists. It was an amazing experience and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to play with so many accomplished musicians. During the festival I met so many wonderful people and felt welcomed despite being relatively new and being one of the youngest members of ATG. Over the three years, the number of younger people participating in ATG festivals has continued to grow. I have made fun new friends from around the world and enjoy spending time with them at the Festival.

Overall, ATG has been very inspiring for me and I look forward to future events.

Ted J. Piechocinski, JD, Greencastle, IN

The ATG Festival contains so many elements: available adjudication for players of all ages and levels, opportunities to hear great music and musicians, the chance for anyone interested to play in an accordion orchestra (which was a large percentage of us), and the constant opportunity to meet and speak with new friends who also love the accordion, whether players, aficionados, or spouses/family/friends of participants. The common denominator is always the accordion, its history, its possibilities, and its healthy future. It is what brings us all together. That is never a small thing; it is THE thing.

For the 2025 Festival, several mental snapshots recur and they make me smile all over again. First, serving as a room captain for one of the competition rooms, it was fantastic to see so many children performing, each with proud parents and families in tow (with cases and music) simply enjoying the experience. The smiles and high-fives from these participants were energizing. Playing in the festival orchestra was another great experience. Surrounded by people who read well, know how to play and are ready to really make music (not just playing the notes) is a special experience. Even the considerable time between Saturday's rehearsal and the concert was fantastic because that meal (thanks, Susan, for making that happen!) gave me the chance to sit with terrific and warm people who are also great players and chat about their histories with the accordion and their lives. In this relaxed time span, it was so great to be able to just talk and learn about fellow accordionists. In our many varied life journeys and careers, we all have great memories of growing up with the accordion the center of our musical and, very often, our social lives. It has served, and continues to serve, us all very well. Finally, another warming reflection was the chance meeting of people new to ATG who just wanted to experience it for themselves. For example, a simple hello led to meeting Gary and Linda from Clarkston, Michigan (close to where I took accordion lessons in Flint, Michigan decades ago) who dove into our ATG activities and seemed to truly enjoy it with their extended family. At each subsequent chance to say hello and chat, it was as if we'd known each other for years. In all of these ways, regardless of age, experience, life journey or background, the ATG Festival continues to give us all the chance to simply embrace that commonality of the accordion, which immediately gives us all the great common denominator to learn more about each other and enjoy new friends. We were there because we WANTED to be there and, once again, the time was very well spent and over far too soon.

Tatyana Hrytsay, Chicago, IL

I enjoyed sitting in the orchestra and being able to listen to all the different music parts (first accordion, second, cello, bass and etc), with all the harmony of the orchestra. All together it sounded terrific. 

I took home with me the fact that working together is the key to being successful, whether it’s participating in the orchestra or anything else. 

If someone has never been to ATG festival, they should come and ENJOY every moment of it especially if health is not an issue. 

Mary K. Zaborniak, Darien, IL

As a first time performer in the 50-piece accordion orchestra at the ATG 2025 Festival held in Lisle and Wheaton, Illinois, I throughly enjoyed the experience.  Within 24 hours of seeing the Facebook ad for the festival, I emailed the group, was accepted, received my music and began practicing!  Everything was very well organized by president Kenn Baert and his team.  I was warmly greeted by fellow accordionists, and found we had past teachers and other colleagues in common.  Also, it was a honor to meet Joan C. Sommers, and to have her conduct our orchestra.

Sharmon Kenyon, Morganton, North Carolina

This was my first time attending ATG and I had a very enjoyable time. The schedule was filled with many interesting things to do - orchestra rehearsals, 10 concerts, 3 workshops, and, of course, the opportunity to meet others who also enjoy playing the accordion and to catch up with others I have met at other accordion events. The food was great too - as were the performances done by attendees during some of the meals.

The 10 concerts made available to us all were all well performed. My absolute favorite, after our own orchestra performed, was Bridge and Wolak. They demonstrated their knowledge of music and had great chemistry as they performed. Another fun show was Sergei and Maria Teleshev playing together for their Two Accordions show. They were so in tune with each other and their choice of songs was a nice combination of classical to modern. Having the opportunity to see and hear Peter Soave play the bandoneon with a string quintet was truly amazing. The work of the Chicagoland Accordion Academy was very gratifying to see and hear. So nice to see young people learning and playing our favorite instrument - gives some hope for the future of accordions.

I was only able to attend 2 of the 3 workshops. The first one was done by Segei and Maria Teleshev and they explained seven ways to make the accordion popular. When asked about copyright issues with playing contemporary songs, they told us that the venue hiring the performers generally has a blanket kind of permission for players. The other workshop I attended was done by Joaquin Munoz Donoso. He explained and demonstrated several different Latin Rhythms. He said there were 4 things to remember about playing Latin rhythms. Sadly, I've forgotten all except that playing with passion is critical.

All in all the hard work of the ATG Board and others involved in planning the festival made for a very enjoyable experience. Thanks to all of you who worked so hard on the festival!!!!!!

Kaylynn Martin, Goshen, IN

This year was the first I have ever been to the ATG. I didn’t know exactly what to expect but each day there were some workshops to attend and also orchestra rehearsal. That was definitely my favorite part. I loved being able to play with other people and be right in the middle of the music instead of playing with a video! I also learned new technique to put to practice in my music! Then there were the concerts every evening. I really enjoyed those as well. If you ever get a chance to play in the orchestra, it is definitely an experience that is worth all the work put into practicing for it!