Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration
Sponsored by the Northwest Accordion Society
Herzlich Willkommen!
JUNE 26-29, 2025
2025
JUDGES
PRIVATE COACHING Schedule Details
Chairman: John Giuliani
FRIDAY:
9:30 - 11:30 am with Hank Thunander
12:00 - 1:00 pm with Hank Thunander
SATURDAY:
9:30 - 11:30 am with Matt Tolentino
12:00 - 1:00 pm with Matt Tolentino
COST $25
LOCATION Grange Lower Level
Private Coaching
with Chairpersons John Giuliani, Bonnie Birch
with out-of town artists
Matt Tolentino, Hank Thunander
A PERSONALIZED COACHING OPPORTUNITY
A PRICELESS OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM A SELECTION OF YOUR CHOICE BEFORE ONE OF OUR PERFORMING ARTISTS WHO STARTED OFF JUST LIKE YOU DID AND WHO WILL APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR AND WILL OFFER YOU SOME TOOLS TO FURTHER ENHANCE YOUR ABILITIES AND YOUR LOVE OF MUSIC.
For a very reasonable price, you can get valuable feedback which will enhance and supplement current practice and studies.
To register, go to the "Registration Form" under the "Competition" section.
Matt Tolentino
Matt Tolentino
Matt Tolentino “Multi-Instrumentalist, Band Leader, Vocalist, Preservationist, Music Historian…”
Sharing his birthday with Fred Astaire, Matt Tolentino was born May 10, 1985. For nearly two decades he has worked to perform and preserve ragtime, hot jazz, and the roots of swing for today’s modern audience. A true multi-instrumentalist, he plays accordion, piano, clarinet, saxophone, banjo, guitar, tuba, and vibraphone. As a vocalist, Matt has been praised for capturing the flavor and spirit of the 1920s and 1930s with sincerity and authenticity. His ensembles include small combos and multiple large ensembles including The Singapore Slingers and The New Liberty Dance Orchestra. Recent performance highlights include Transatlantic crossings aboard the Queen Mary 2, featured vocalist with the Maui Pops Orchestra, and appearances in the latest Scorsese picture, ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’. In his native Dallas he founded the Jazz Age Sunday Social, a lawn party centered around the wonderful music of the Roaring Twenties. With a collection of over 6,000 band arrangements, hundreds of 78 rpm records, and notable artifacts including Adrian Rollini’s bass saxophone, he doubles as an archivist to further the preservation of America’s treasured musical past. Matt makes his home in Cincinnati, Ohio, sharing his 1890 Victorian with his wife Danielle, their Chihuahua Doo-Dad, a 1952 Kaiser Deluxe. For more information on Matt, his bands, and his music, please visit www.MattTolentino.com.
Hank Thunander
National Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame
Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
Every time he picks up his accordion and plays, Hank Thunander pays tribute to his idol, Frank Yankovic. For nearly half a century, Hank has led one of the top Cleveland-Style polka bands in the Upper Midwest. Fans enjoy his energetic polka sound, but Hank also can put across a big-band, light-rock or country tune. His versatility has earned him frequent invitations to festivals, clubs and ballrooms with an average of 300 appearances a year.
Hank was raised in the Gogebic Range of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in the town of Bessemer. As a youngster he was fascinated with Yankovic’s happy music and took up the accordion. A dream came true when, at age 10, America’s Polka King brought Hank on stage to play along with him. Hank led bands in high school and the Army before settling in St. Paul, Minnesota. Another dream was realized in 1970, when he was invited to record with Yankovic. Since then, Hank has released eight albums of his own.
Some of the entertainers he accompanied include Lawrence Welk favorites Myron Floren and Joann Castle. From 1972 to 1981, Hank hosted a weekly radio show on WMIN, featuring Slovenian-style polkas. He organized polka tours to Europe, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Alaska. For his contributions to music, Hank has been honored by the Ironwood Hall of Fame, the Michigan Polka Music Hall of Fame, and the Minnesota Accordion Club. He received the Lifetime Award from the Mid-America Music Hall of Fame.
Andy Mirkovich
Andy studied accordion starting at the age of five. He graduated with a B.A. in Music from Seattle University and studied composition at the University of Washington, Graduate School of Music.
He was the featured performer at the Space Needle Restaurant in Seattle, for 11 years, and has performing experience in radio, television, movies and concerts.
He has performed with or for many artists, including Lawrence Welk, Myron Floren, Dick Contino, Frank Yankovich, Liberace, Burl Ives, The Vienna Boy's Choir, King Hussein of Jordan, and the King and Queen of Norway.
He continues to perform and teaches Master Classes. He’s adjudicated and performed at music festivals in Leavenworth, Seattle, Portland, Spokane, Yakima, Vancouver, BC and Victoria, BC.
He has a knack for playing just what his audience loves to hear. Accompanying Andy will be one of our favorites, John Giuliani with his bass.
Beverley Fess
Beverley Fess is a Master accordion and piano teacher - originally from Canada but now splitting her time between Blakely Island, Washington and San Diego, California.
Classically trained, she started playing the accordion at age 6, was teaching by age 14 and conducting by age 17. She has competed extensively and has had many award-winning students and ensembles.
Her fifty plus years teaching career has involved giving private and class lessons, instruction via the Internet, workshops, conducting accordion ensembles and orchestras and training teachers. She also performs, adjudicates and serves as a music examiner. She has served on numerous accordion association committees, was a founding member of the Accordion Association of Calgary and presently serves on the board of the ATG. Bev is the conductor of the Spokane Accordion Ensemble and the recently formed Fess Accordion Ensemble in San Diego