Report page 1 and Report page 2
Report page 3
The last day of the festival began on Saturday with a final workshop by Joaquín Muñoz Donoso on “Latin Rhythms,” where he demonstrated and showed attendees an authentic representation of how to play Latin Rhythms with a focus on using the left hand. The Saturday Morning Concert featured the many ensembles of the Chicagoland Accordion Academy. Started in 2020 by past ATG president Mary Ann Covone, the Chicagoland Accordion Academy has grown to become the premier Chicagoland accordion school and is operating at nearly full capacity.
The concert featured the “Gruppo Piccolo” ensemble (comprised of beginning adult students), the Children’s Group with over a dozen young students, a mixed-instrumental group, and finally the Chicagoland Accordion Academy Orchestra (the advanced group). One of the final selections was a piece written by our very own Amy Jo Sawyer, named Brazilian Holiday, and was dedicated to and premiered by the Chicagoland Accordion Academy Orchestra.
Following a lunch buffet with entertainment provided by the beloved duo of Frank Busso Sr. & Frank Busso Jr., the Awards Ceremony honored all of our fantastic competitors, exam takers, and those who performed in a juried evaluation for their hard work. The ATG awarded a cash prize to the 2025 Virtuoso Championship and Virtuoso Entertainment winner, Djordje Peric from Bijeljina. A cash scholarship was also awarded to Cristobal Montoya.
Gallery Day 3 – click each picture to view large.
To start off the final evening concert, the long-standing and ever-popular ATG Festival Accordion Orchestra, directed by Joan C. Sommers, performed works by Sibelius, Prokofiev, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mascagni, and Anthony Galla-Rini. The Festival Orchestra brings a diverse set of musicians from all over the USA, plus international players from countries such as Canada, Austria, and New Zealand. With only a few rehearsals, Joan is able to put together an unforgettable experience for both the players and audience.
Bringing the concert to a close was the encapsulating music of Bridge & Wolak, who are a globe-trotting duo from Canada who create life-affirming concerts full of beauty, virtuosity, and humor. Michael Bridge (digital and acoustic accordion) and Kornel Wolak (clarinet) met over a decade ago and immediately established an artistic alliance based on the attraction of opposites: Wolak – intensely focused with a world view infused with sardonic humor; and Bridge – flexible and fearless with a playful wit. They play dozens of original shows every year, exploring everything from Bach to Benny Goodman, and figure they’ve logged about 350,000 kilometres on the road.
Marking the end of the ATG 2025 Festival was the farewell party with lots of laughter and parting goodbyes. Thank you to everyone who was able to participate and help with this year’s festival, and we hope to see you all in Salt Lake City 2026!
