Accordionist Cory Pesaturo will perform with the Boston Symphony Orchestra on January 10, 2026 at Boston Symphony Hall in the Pulitzer Prize winning opera, “Vanessa”, by Samuel Barber which is Barber’s most famous opera. It was premiered in 1958 and is known for its lush melodies and emotional depth.

Samuel Barber used the accordion sparingly and in a very specific way as a coloristic, atmospheric instrument in his opera Vanessa, not as a solo or virtuosic voice. He did not write any stand alone works for accordion.[nytimes]

Contemporary commentary on mid‑20th‑century serious accordion use notes that Barber included an accordion in the instrumentation of his opera “Vanessa”, placing it alongside other “upgraded” uses of the instrument by composers such as Hindemith and Blitzstein. [nytimes]

In this context the accordion functions as an orchestral color, reinforcing a particular local or domestic atmosphere rather than acting as an independent concertante instrument.[nytimes]

The video snippet shows ten seconds pre rehearsal warming up of the orchestra, showing the accordion music and the hall background.

Read a follow up report in the February www.accordionusa.news.

For further information: Cory.pesaturo@gmail.com