A World of Accordions Museum in Superior, Wisconsin announces with pride and great pleasure the February 2nd and 3rd opening of their new display: “The Willard Palmer Legacy.” Located in the Duane Sellman Special Exhibits Area of the Hanni Strahl Concert Hall, this exhibit spotlights a man whose accomplishments are unequaled in the accordion world and whose influence touches virtually every American accordionist.

Each of the five major displays already present in this area represent compilations located throughout the museum: Charles Magnante’s Musical Estate, the Hugo Herrmann Collection, Pietro Frosini Collection, the Deiro Brothers Performance Accordions, and Great Russian Bayanists.

The focal center of the Palmer display is his last accordion, the Titano Emperor Super V. This piano accordion is a double converter with sustaining pedal basses, which is the same model used by 2009 World Champion Grayson Masefield to win international competitions. Instrumental in the acquisition is Willard Palmer, III, who plans to attend this 96th anniversary of his father’s birthday.

During this weekend, the following musicians will offer presentations/concerts: Bernard Mateo of Paris, Pauline Olivera, Claudee Schmitt, and Bill Palmer III. More great performers and details will be announced in the February USA News.

A world renowned musician, scholar and music teacher, Dr. Willard Palmer wrote 789 published works, including an accordion method, several piano methods, a method for Hammond Chord Organ, a guitar method, hundreds of solo pieces and many choral works, many of which have been translated into German, Japanese, French, Dutch and Spanish. He was also the choir director of Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas for many years.

Dr. Palmer was a child prodigy; he played the piano on the radio at age 13 and studied piano and accordion, which were to form the basis of his musical endeavors. He was a piano student of Mae Vardeman, who encouraged and nurtured his ability to improvise by teaching him the fundamentals of correct piano technique.

During his college years at Whitworth College in Brookhaven, Mississippi and Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, he continued to play the accordion and piano on radio shows and in various ensembles on and off campus. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree from Millsaps, he studied at the Conservatory of Leipzig, Germany, on a two-year scholarship. He did post-graduate work at the University of Houston and joined their music faculty, teaching the first successful college courses in accordion for 18 years.

A meticulous scholar, Dr. Palmer’s later years were dedicated to research in Classical and Baroque music and teaching methods. Recognized worldwide as an authority on Baroque music ornamentation, his work in this field was the basis of the highly acclaimed Alfred Masterworks series of publications. In recognition of his achievements in the field of musicological research, he was awarded a Doctor of Humanities degree in 1971 and a Doctor of Music degree in 1983.

A director of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute, Dr. Palmer was a member of the American Federation of Musicians, Local #65, the American Accordionists’ Association and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He is also a co-author of Alfred’s Basic Piano Library with Morton Manus and Amanda Vick Lethco. Dr. Palmer, who passed away on April 30, 1996, was beloved by many in the music field.

A World of Accordions, which opened in 2004, has about 1,700 accordions and chronicles the world history of the instrument. Music scholars from as far away as Austria have come to use the museum’s archives. Some of the world’s finest accordionists have performed in the Harrington Art Center’s 1,000-seat concert hall. The building also houses the nation’s only technical college program for accordion and concertina repair.

The museum is open Mon-Tues-Wed, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, most weeks of the year. If traveling from a distance, calling in advance is recommended
Phone: 715-395-2787 [ARTS]

For further information: accordion@sprynet.com