Guy Klucevsek will be featured in several important musical events on the West coast during April, 2016. Guy shares his thoughts about his music: “I am a concert accordionist who specializes in composing for accordion, much of it solo, but also in combination with other instruments, e.g., multiple accordions (Accordion Tribe), string trio (The Bantam Orchestra), duos with violin (Todd Reynolds), accordion/piano (Alan Bern) saxophone (Phillip Johnston), and in small band contexts (Ain’t Nothin’ But a Polka Band, Buffalo Braunschweiger).
Much of my music has been commissioned for collaborations from the worlds of dance, theatre, film, performance art, puppetry and object theatre, the audio book, and even the circus.
While many of my pieces are inspired by, and dedicated to, composers from the “art music” world—e.g., Béla Bartók, John Cage, Lou Harrison, György Ligeti, Astor Piazzolla, Erik Satie—just as many are inspired by accordion traditions from around the world, particularly eastern Europe and the Americas, as well as the Slovenian-American polka/waltz tradition I grew up with in western Pennsylvania. I have been commissioned by the American Accordionists Association to compose an accordion solo which I will premiere at their July, 2016, convention in Buffalo, NY.”
April 4 – May, 2016: Artist-in-Residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts, Marin Headlands, CA.Guy will work on composing his solo piece commissioned by the American Accordionists’ Association, which he will premiere tat the AAA Buffalo Squeeze-Fest in July. While in residence at Headlands, Guy will also do three public events:
April 7: 6 PM: Presidio Dialogues, at the Presidio Officers’ Club, SF, CA. Guy will present a one-hour lecture/demo about his influences and his musical language. In this dynamic presentation, Klucevsek discusses the influences on his music and playing, including such diverse sources as the Slovenian/American polkas and waltzes he grew up with; the accordion traditions of eastern Europe, Brazil, and Argentina; cajun and Tex-Mex music; and 20th-century composers such as Satie, Bartok, Piazzolla, and Stravinsky.
He illustrates his talk with live excerpts from his own music, showing the many unique techniques he has developed on accordion to realize his compositional ideas. Guy Klucevsek’s participation is made possible by a residency sponsored by the Headlands Center for the Arts. Admission is free, but advance registration is required.
April 21: 7-9:30 PM: Berkeley Music of Fine Arts/Pacific Film Archives (BAMFA)Guy will present a 30-minute solo set as part of a larger event which takes place throughout the building, with other artists including composer Paul Dresher, and homemade instruments. Included with museum admission fee. Seating extremely limited.
April 30: 7:30PM: Fifth Street Farm, Berkeley, CA. Solo house concert in one of Guy’s favorite venues in the U.S.A. Seating is limited, reservations required.
For further information: gklucevsek@mac.com
