The Milwaukee Accordion Cub presents Australian born International artist Bernadette Conlon Zabawa on Monday, September 28th, at 8 PM at the Root River Center, 7220 W. Rawson Avenue, Franklin, WI.

Bernadette Zabawa is a virtuoso accordionist. Her dazzling technique and musicality have earned her over 100 first-place awards in competitions. She is a four-time South Pacific Champion, 7-time Australian National Champion, and she maintains a busy concert schedule.

Bernadette has an amazing repertoire, which ranges from classical, to jazz, pop and various folk and ethnic music. Astounding her professors in Russia with her amazing technique, she built on her already mature and sensitive musical style, resulting in a unique mastery of the instrument with a western approach, upon which she added her unique Russian teachings.

Bernadette is famed for her own intricate orchestral arrangements, some of which appear on the six CD’s she has released. Academically, Bernadette has won scholarships to study in the Ukraine, Russia, England and Germany, with some of the world’s top accordionists. All this is even more remarkable, considering the fact that Bernadette has less than 1% eyesight. Her memory of thousands of pieces of music is internationally renowned, and she often gives concerts made up solely of audience requests.

As well as acoustic accordion (both stradella and free bass), Bernadette specializes in MIDI accordion, on which she has already released six CDs: “Accordion Popular Classical Masterpieces”, “Accordionally Yours”, “Absolutely French”, “A Christmas Selection”,” Abduction By Tango”, and “Accordiana”.

In addition to the accordion, Bernadette has a great interest in reed organs, bandoneón, concertina, button accordions of many different systems, as well as various forms of antique accordions, flutinas, and harmony flutes. Her love of reeds even meant that she studied saxophone and clarinet in school! But her first instrument, and first love, is of course the piano accordion.

Bernadette will perform a Las Vegas style program with her husband, Ed Zabawa. The Zabawas now live in Northern Illinois.

The tickets are $3 for MAC members and $5 for non-members. For further information: csherry@att.net

To contact Bernadette directly: bernadette.zabawa@hotmail.com