Accordionist Dee Langley has a busy Spring and Summer performance schedule.In honor of World Accordion Day, May 6, the 13 piece “Masked Accordions” put on a free show at 6:30 PM. Saturday, May 4, 2024 near Dock & Paddle, the cafe at Como Lakeside Pavilion in St. Paul. The musicians played a variety of music “from the Beatles to the Balkans to James Bond,” said director, accordionist Dee Langley.

May 4 is colloquially “Star Wars Day” — May the Fourth be with you; get it? — and so the accordionists also played some of the themes from a galaxy far, far away.

Built in 1992, the pavilion is an exact replica of the one built in 1905 along the lakeshore. With a hill, waterfall and Lexington Avenue separating the pavilion from the rest of Como Park, a pedestrian bridge spanning the avenue brings people from the trails in the central portion of the park to the lake and pavilion. It was a beautiful setting for an enthusiastic audience.

The World Premiere of “Johnny Skeeky; or, The Remedy for Everything” takes place from
May 29 to July 7, 2024 at the Ritz Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota. The 13 piece “Masked Accordions” put on a free show at 6:30 PM Saturday, May 4, 2024 near Dock & Paddle Cafe.

First love and old friendship face off against greed and hypocrisy aboard a tricked-out yacht anchored off the coast of Miami in Bradley Greenwald and Steven Epp’s witty, contemporary libretto, a reimagining of Puccini’s comic opera Gianni Schicchi.

The orchestration was written by award winning composer, orchestrator, and arranger Robert Elhai. It is scored for a small ensemble – keyboard, violin, bass, woodwind and accordion. Weary of not having the accordion used to its full potential within a score, Robert took special care to provide a strong accordion voice throughout the work. Mr. Elhai is the recipient of Tony and Drama Desk nominations for his work for the Broadway production of The Lion King.

Musicians include:
Music Director/Keyboard – Sonja Thompson
Accordion – Dee Langley
Violin – Renata Steve
Woodwinds – Brain Handeland
Bass – Joan Griffith

Dee Langley comes from what has been called “an accordion dynasty”. She was born into an accordion family with brothers “Skeets” Langley (1964 World Champion, Coupe Mondiale) and Rick Langley leading the way. All three Langley children grew to be professional musicians. Since “Skeets” and Rick were 12 and 8 years her seniors (respectively) they were already proficient on the accordion when 4 year old Dee demanded an accordion of her own for Christmas. Her parents borrowed a small 8-bass accordion and a career was started. No one could have known that this toddler’s love for the instrument and her passion for music would eventually reap her numerous first place honors, take her to Europe and the Balkans, and earn her several guest appearances as accordionist with the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

As a professional, Dee has developed her musical talent into a career of performance, teaching and study, focusing on authentic ethnic sounds. She specializes in both solo and ensemble works for the accordion and has participated in seminars and symposiums on accordion styles and techniques in Chatel, France and Klingenthal, East Germany. She has performed with the Dolina Polish Folk Dancers and Ethnic Dance Theatre and officiated as Director of The EDT Folk Orchestra. Concert tours of Poland, France and the Czech Republic.

Dee has performed accordion works with the Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra andthe Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, Philomusica, The St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra, Duluth Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Sinfonia, Theater Latte Da, Nautilus Music Theater, Flying Foot Forum, and the Northwoods Classical Players (members of the Chicago Symphony). She has premiered compositions with the Ancia Quartet, the Minneapolis Philharmonic and Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra and worked with contemporary composers including Dominic Argento, Robert Elhai, Peter Blauvelt, Mary Ellen Childs, Becky Dale, Shelley Hanson, Mark Hellem, Carleton Macy, Carole Saline and Kim Sherman to expand the visibility of classical accordion with other instruments.

Ms. Langley is winner of the 2012 Minnesota Emerging Composer Award (Orkestar Bez Ime – World Music), the 2011-2012 McKnight Fellowship for Performing Musicians. In March of 2019 Dee was honored by both the American Musicological Society and the American Accordionists’ Association for her lifelong dedication and service to the accordion as a performer, educator, director and composer. She was inducted into the American Accordion Hall of Fame in 2020. Founder and coordinator for the NE Accordion Festival, Ms. Langley is also a former president of the Accordionists and Teachers Guild, International, and currently teaches accordion for Minneapolis College as well as privately in NE Minneapolis.

Future 2024 performances include:
June 20: The Belvedere at Crooners,Minneapolis, Minnesota
Celebrating June as Accordion Awareness Month with Dan Newton, Dee Langley, Dan Chouiard, Bob Walser, Elisabeth Rowan

July 12-14: Marriott Philadelphia West, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; American Accordionists Association
Presenter

July 26: Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra Summer Festival Concert “Three Penny Opera”

For further information: squeezermn@yahoo.com