The arrangement of “Octobler Rondo” composed by accordionist Stas Venglevski features the intended artists for the 2020 season. The accordion solo of “Octobler Rondo” is available online at Catalog: vstas055

The 2020 Beethoven & Banjos festival was cancelled due to Covid-19, however, organizers specially created the online celebration of Beethoven & Banjos 2020 which was held on September 26, 2021. The Board of Directors of Northwoods Music Collaborative decided to cancel the live concerts for Beethoven and Banjos Music Festival 2020. 

Consideration of the health and comfort of audience members, staff, volunteers and musicians has strongly influenced this decision. The health concern associated with large gatherings of people, at this time of the Coronavirus pandemic, compelled them to pause plans for an in-person festival.

That said, all look forward to 2021 when wonderful musicians can be brought to all of you in some of the most beautiful venues in the Upper Peninsula and celebrate together, again, at the unique Beethoven and Banjos concerts which is held at the Upper Peninsula’s Annual Cross-Genre Music Festival, an annual week-long collaboration between members of Decoda
(Carnegie Hall’s affiliate ensemble) and folk musicians creating and performing music together in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

About Stas Venglevski His artistry, dazzling technical command, and sensitivity have brought Stanislav, “Stas” Venglevski, a native of the Republic of Moldova, part of the former Soviet Union, increasing acclaim as a virtuoso of the Bayan. A two-time first prize winner of Bayan competition in the Republic of Moldova, Stas is a graduate of the Russian Academy of Music in Moscow where he received his Masters Degree in Music under the tutelage of the famed Russian Friedrich Lips. In 1992 he immigrated to the US.

He has toured extensively as a soloist throughout the former Soviet Union, Canada, Europe, and the United States, including numerous performances with Doc Severinsen, Steve Allen and with Garrison Keillor on the Prairie Home Companion Show. He is a regular participant at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s  Arts in Community Education Program (ACE); has performed with  the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Tacoma Symphony  Orchestra; has done television commercials and performed in  theater productions; produced 15 acclaimed albums including a  transcription of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite for Bayan as well  as one of his original compositions.