Bachtopus will perform at “Accordions Around the World” in Bryant Park on Monday, September 15, 2025 from 5:30 to 6:10 PM at Station 1. Bachtopus members include: Robert Duncan, Peter Flint, Mayumi Miyaoka, and Jeanne Velonis.
Bachtopus is an accordion ensemble from New York City that performs music by contemporary composers and Johann Sebastian Bach. The ensemble was formed in 2011 to play Bach’s organ music, which is well suited to the accordion. The group soon shifted focus to become one of the few accordion ensembles in the United States that focuses on new music. Having established a large repertoire in just a few years, Bachtopus continues to perform contemporary music that is interesting and accessible. To support this effort Bachtopus also commissions music from living composers via their Composers Commissioning Fund.
The group features original compositions and commissioned works by Bratko Bibič, Rob Curto, Henco Espag, Peter Flint, Philip Glass, Bob Goldberg, Lars Hollmer, Will Holshouser, Denise Koncelik, Tony Kovatch, Dean Olsher, Arvo Pärt, Elliot Roman, Bill Schimmel, Doug Makofka, Bob Goldberg, Stas Venglevski, and Randall Woolf. Bachtopus was founded by Robert Duncan and features fellow accordionists Peter Flint, Mayumi Miyaoka, and Jeanne Velonis. For more information:
“Scintillation In Isolation” by Will Holshouser
Bachtopus is excited to release the fifth commission from their 2020 Composers Commissioning Fund, which was written by composer and accordionist Will Holshouser for Bachtopus. “Scintillation in Isolation” was composed during the general quarantine in New York City during the spring of 2020. The title refers to the quiet maintenance of hope in the midst of fear and chaos, and the sharing of that hope through music, arts, and acts of solidarity.
The ensemble has performed for diverse audiences, and previous performance highlights include: Make Music New York, Bach in the Subways, The New Museum, Accordions Around the World, Meetup.com, and the American Accordion Association Seminars. Bachtopus performs music by and is inspired by Accordion Tribe, Motion Trio, the Kronos Quartet, Arvo Pärt, Philip Glass, Stas Venglevski, the Bang On a Can All-Stars, and Jacques Cousteau. The group features original compositions by Peter Flint and Sy Kushner, and arrangements by Robert Duncan and Denise Koncelik.
Robert Duncan, is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the City University of New York and received a BA in Music Humanities at the University of California at San Diego. He is the founder and director of Bachtopus.
Peter Flint has degrees in electronic music, history, and composition from Oberlin College and Conservatory and New England Conservatory. He has studied accordion with Walter Kuehr, William Schimmel, and Rob Curto, Conrad Cummings, Michael Gandolfi, Scott Wheeler, and Lee Hyla. He is deeply interested in Afro-Cuban music and recently had an orchestral composition performed in Havana, Cuba by the Camerata Romeu.He is on the board of directors at the Third Street Music School Settlement.
Mayumi Miyaoka, is an Academic Librarian/Archivist by day, and accordionist by night. She is the founder/organizer of Brooklyn Accordion Club, and is the compiler/editor of a self-published magazine, SqueeZine! – Chronicles of Accordionists. Mayumi studied with Stanley and Joanna Darrow at ACME Accordion School in NJ, and with Dr. William Schimmel in NYC.
Jeanne Velonis is a classical recording enginee. Initially self-taught, she has studied accordion with Leah Barkan and Mary Tokarski.
For further information: sinolev@yahoo.com
