UMKC Community Accordion Ensemble in Concert

By Kevin Friedrich

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Community Accordion Ensemble directed by Joan Cochran Sommers will perform two concerts in June 2025 as part of the lead up to their appearance at the ATG Festival in Lisle, Il (Chicago) in July. Their concerts will be Saturday, June 28, 2025, 2:00 PM at the Lakeview Village Senior Living – Heritage Activity Center, 9100 Park St. in Lenexa, KS 66215 and on Sunday, June 29, 2025, 2:00 PM at the Kansas City United Church of Christ, 205 W. 65th St. in Kansas City, MO 64113.

Most of the players of The UMKC Community Accordion Ensemble are alumni of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and former members of the renowned UMKC Accordion Orchestra. The players make their living in various careers, but each has remained devoted to promoting the accordion and its varied repertoire, including transcriptions, commissions and other original works.

Over the last years, they have performed in San Francisco, Kansas City, the 80th Anniversary of the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA) in Alexandria, VA, Superior, WI at A World of Accordions Museum and at recent ATG Festivals such as last year’s festival in Kansas City celebrating the 90th Birthday of ensemble director Joan Cochran Sommers. In addition, they have participated in the USA contributions to World Accordion Day events, when videos of their performances were broadcast during the live presentations.

Director Joan C. Sommers has held numerous positions in several music organizations, including the Accordionists and Teachers Guild International (ATG) and the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA – IMC-UNESCO) where she was awarded lifetime Honorary Membership upon her retirement from office. Joan C. Sommers was awarded the title of Professor Emerita upon her retirement from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music (USA), where she established and taught the accordion degree program for forty years. She has arranged innumerable works for both Accordion Orchestra and Chamber Ensemble over many years, works that have been performed around the globe. 

Today she enjoys performing with fellow accordionists in duo, with other instrumentalists, with the UMKC Community Accordion Ensemble and as guest Conductor with various orchestras around the world including founding and leading the magnificent World Accordion Orchestra in many countries around the world including the USA, Scotland, New Zealand, Croatia, Canada, Austria and Lithuania and twice in both China and Italy.

The 2025 University of Missouri - Kansas City (UMKC) Community Accordion Ensemble players under the musical direction of Joan C. Sommers are Mary Ann Covone, Ron Dake, Ron Barrow, Kevin Friedrich, Madalynn Neu, Samantha Wagner, Jane Christison and Sherry Carroll.