Mario Pedone will present a concert on Sunday, December 5th at the Mid-Cities Accordion Association’s Christmas meeting.
Mario is an internationally known performer, teacher, and recording artist. He recently returned from concert tours that took him to Canada and China. His vast musical range includes, but is not limited to Classical,Latin, European, and American Standards.
Mario Pedone was born on October 5, 1951 in Valenzano, a small town near Bari in Southern, Italy. In an effort to improve the family’s financial situation they immigrated to Valencia, Venezuela in 1959. Mario’s older brother Ludovico had begun to study the accordion and Mario was always watching him hoping one day that he also would play this wonderful Instrument. He persistently begged his father to let him start accordion lessons too and eventually succeeded.
His first teacher was Franco Cupertino, Mario devoted at least 4 to 5 hours per day practicing the accordion. After a few years Professor Miguel Casas Auge from Spain and Founder of the Valencia Accordion Club and also conductor of the Valencia Symphony Orquesta, assumed Mario’s accordion education. he was followed by Professor Roberto Ruscitti, a renowned classical accordionist who took care of his education for the next 7 years.
OnMarch 24, 1972, Mario graduated as a Concertista from the School Academia de Acordeon Smith, directed by Roberto Ruscitti. In March 1974 he earned a Cum Laude diploma in accordion from the same school. On April 30 – 1976 he graduated with a degree of Professor of Accordion.
After graduation he founded his own accordion school, Academia Latina de Acordeon where he had over 125 students. Most of his former students are now playing professionally.
Mario was a member of the Valencia Accordion Club and Co-founder of the Orquesta Latina Together with famous Spanish singer Esteban Abarca. The orquesta Latina Performed all over Venezuela. Also has won numerous championships with both, Accordion and Organ. In 1981 in search for a better future, Mario moved to Sugar Land, Texas USA with his wife Marbella and children. He has performed professionally in many Countries including Colombia, Venezuela, Sweden, Italy, and canada.
Mario has his own recording studio in Sugar Land,TX where he has arranged and recorded hundreds of tunes including many of his own compositions..
He has performed on TV Channel 22 in Houston, TX, Las Vegas Accordion Convention, Salt Lake Accordion Club in Utah, Accordion by the Sea Festival in Victoria, BC Canada, Performance in Montreal Canada, Accordion Club in Natick Massachusetts , Viking Hull in Massachusetts, Accordion Connection in Concorde, NH, Ageless Dreamer in Dover, NH, Accordion Festival in Kimberley BC Canada, Calgary AB Canada and with the Houston Symphony.
On December 14, 2003 Mario founded the Fort Bend County Accordion Club, in December 2004 the Club sponsored the first great accordion concert in Sugar Land, TX featuring: Frank Marocco, Anatoly Yegorov, Mario Pedone and Singer Liberty Palileo. Presently Mario holds the Position of President of Houston Accordion Club.
The concert will be on Sunday, December 5th from 2-4 PM at the Hurst Recreation Center, 700 Mary Drive,Hurst, Texas.The Hurst Recreation Center is easy to find, just a few blocks from Airport Freeway or Loop 820.
For more information please contact John Martin at AccordionClub@Charter.net or call 817-282-7449.
