Video 1: In this Talk, Elena explains how she lost her voice as a child and regained it through the gift of music. Elena and her husband Gregory, who are a part of the accordion movement, share their musical expertise in an awe-inspiring performance! Elena Fainshtein is a professional musician. Her instrument of choice from childhood has been the button accordion.

At the age of 17 at music college, she began playing as an accordion duo with her classmate, Gregory Fainshtein, who became her husband and music partner for life six years later. The two have performed nationally at various conventions and are actively engaged in introducing the accordion to younger generations who have never been introduced to this unique instrument in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

Elena Fainshtein has been teaching accordion over 30 years, the last 15 years working in her studio in Plano, Texas, working with students with various backgrounds and abilities, children and adults, in person and on Skype.

Recently, one of Elena accordion students, Peter Gresser, won the State of Texas “Big Squeeze” contest in the Polka category in Austin (see article in this publication). Elena’s student, Elijah Clements, was awarded Honorably Mention. This is the 12th year for the Big Squeeze program that supports up-and-coming Texas youth accordionists. The contest is one of the ways in which Texas Folklife carries out its mission to preserve and present Texas’s diverse cultural heritage. The contest recruits players in all genres of the Lone Star State’s accordion-based music, including German, Czech, and Polish polka; Creole, Cajun, and zydeco; conjunto, norteño, and Tejano.

Elena has scheduled the musical recital of her students from her studio “Musical Expressions” to be followed by a performance of her ‘Accordion student Orchestra’ and their Duo “Together” on June 9, 2018. in Plano, Texas, open to the public at the International Education Center, 903 W. Parker, TX 75023.   

Elena started to play the button accordion at the age of five years old. She first took private lessons and then attended the School for Gifted kids in Minsk, Belarus. She enjoyed playing accordion from a very young age. Born into a family of teachers, she had the opportunity to play at school for many occasions. At the age of 17 at music college she began playing as an accordion duo with her classmate, Gregory Fainshtein, who become her husband and music partner six years later.

They moved to different countries, speak four different languages, but what has remain constant – is their love, passion and dedication for music. Since their school days, Elena and Gregory performed in a variety of concerts all over the world, including Belarus, Russia, German, Ukraine, Lithuania, , Israel and the United States.

They are active members of the National Accordion Association for over a decade, performing nationally at various conventions and are actively engaged in introduction the accordion to young  generation. Recently Elena gave a Talk and they both performed on TEDx Talk Show.

At the 2018 NAA Convention, Elena Fainshtein presented a workshop on Teaching Accordion Students, with her students and audience participation included they played several duets together for the first time: PH arrangements of Clarinet Polka, Lets Play Polka, and a Fainshtein arrangement of Yankee Doodle. There were about 25 participating accordionists and students, enjoying the music together. Elena shared her experiences working with students and pre-paring to play. Later Elena and Gregory Fainshtein played a beautiful waltz , the 2nd Waltz by Dimitri Shostakovich and demon-strated the style of working together as a duet performer.

They are actively engaged in introducing the accordion to younger generations who have never been introduced to this unique instrument in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex taking every possible opportunity to perform at various venues and have expanded our musical services to private parties, festivals, events, and weddings.

Elena shares her passion for the accordion, “I have been teaching piano and accordion for over 25 years in three different languages, working with children and adults in Belarus, part of the former Soviet Union, in 1991 we moved to Israel, and from 2003 we live in Plano, Texas, and I work in my private home studio, called Musical Expressions.

I like to share my musical passion to my adult and children students! Recently, I took the role of conductor of the Happy Fingers Accordion Band, which was assembled with the purpose of getting more accordion enthusiasts engaged in performance in an effort to showcase their talents to a greater audience.

In the TED talks video, Gregory and Elena perform three special compositions: Roger Dufas “Princess of Accordion”, “Sunrise, Sunset”, and “Belorussian Wedding Polka”. 


For further information: elena.fainshtein@gmail.com