The accordion is very popular in Vienna. Traditional Viennese songs are unthinkable without this fascinating instrument, and it plays an important role in World Music too. The Accordion Festival will present accordion music in all its many facets starting on February 24 and continuing for a whole month at numerous well-known Viennese venues. It’s amazing all the things you can listen to there.

The Accordion Festival in Vienna has been around for 19 years. Fans of the Quetschn, as the Viennese call the accordion, can look forward to both traditional styles as well as experimental sounds. And no matter the style, the music at the 40 or so events is certain to be intoxicating.

The Accordion Festival will kick off on 24 February with Scurdia: The brilliant band is at home where Orient meets Occident, where classical music blends with new sounds. The next day, Otto Lechner, the artistic figurehead of the Accordion Festival, can be experienced – together with the Moroccan singer and songwriter Kadero Rai and with Florian Zack. On 11 March, Lechner meets the Finnish band Sväng.

This year’s festival has two main themes: "Saitenweise" explores the interaction of stringed instruments and accordion, while "crazy moments" doesn’t shy away from the shrill and piercing.

A few highlights from the colorful concert series: The Brit Hannah James performs on 27 February, the second half of the double concert is contested by the Gebrüder from Austria. The Austrian accordionist Walther Soyka plays on 3 March in the band Molden/Prozorov/Soyka/Stirner/Wirth and one week later in a duo with Karl Stirner on the zither. The traditional concert by Dobrek Bistro takes place on 5 March.

Definitely devoted to humor is the innovative New Folk Music duo Attwenger, which uses voice, accordion and percussion on 23 March. The following day, it all happens with the Russian Gentlemen Club: Aliosha Biz, Roman Grinberg, Georgij Makazaria and Alexander Shevchenko.

The closing gala on 25 March promises great things, when the Austrian Donauwellenreiter and the Italian Riccardo Tesi – one of the most inventive performers on the button accordion – appear together. The Trio Tesi – Geri – Mirabassi performs in the second half of the concert.

Lounge and Films

What’s more, the Accordion Festival Lounge takes place in Café Mocca on Saturdays, hosted by musician Franziska Hatz, and there are silent film matinées with live musical accompaniment on Sundays.

International Accordion Festival 2018. 24 February - 25 March 2018
Various venues
www.akkordeonfestival.at