New Hampshire Accordion Association and Accordion Connection LLC, concert co-sponsors and co-hosts, warmly welcomed Cory Pesaturo, World Digital Accordion Champion, in his first concert appearance since his recent 2009 Coupe Mondiale win in New Zealand.
On September 13, a highly receptive audience, which included 1964 world champion and New Hampshire resident Stephen Dominko, was treated to an afternoon of extraordinary Pesaturo-style improvisation on a wide variety of music.
For the first half of his performance, Cory played acoustic accordion, opening with the jazz standard, “On Green Dolphin Street.” He then offered up a tasty musical potpourri: a Sicilian tarantella, a French musette, “Pennsylvania Polka,” a tango medley, “Come Back to Sorrento,” and a schottische he had learned for the 2009 Kimberley International competition, at which he won the Jazz Champion title.
In addition, Cory’s outstanding fingerwork brought him both the 2009 Leavenworth International Champion and 2009 Leavenworth International Jazz Champion titles.
Switching to the digital Roland for the concert’s second half, Cory began with a piece based on Bulgarian rhythms, proceeded to “Czardas” [Monti], “Besame Mucho,” “Carnival of Venice” variations, and the classic Kern ballad, “All the Things You Are.”
Throughout his presentation Cory frequently asked for genre suggestions from the audience, at one point forging their seemingly incompatible requests for “blues” and “El Cumbanchero” into an unlikely medley but one this uniquely talented but unassuming New England Conservatory graduate made work. He honored several other requests, including Jobim’s “Meditation” and Piazzola’s “Libertango.” On their feet, refusing to let this phenomenal improviser go, the enthusiastic audience demanded encores and was rewarded with two: “Satin Doll” and a piece from Macedonia.
Cory Pesaturo can play anything – jazz, classical, world music, etc. – and he does — but never the same way twice! New Hampshire looks forward to a return visit by this remarkable young man.
For more information: Donna Maria Regis, NHAA Music Director: regisdonna@yahoo.com or Suzanne Welch at Accordion Connection, 1-800-328-5227.
