List of accordionists
This is an alphabetized list of notable accordionists who have their own main articles or belong to a notable band.
A
[edit]- Benny Andersson (born 1946) – Swedish songwriter, member of best-selling pop group ABBA
- Lydie Auvray (born 1956) – French/German accordionist, composer
- Slavko Avsenik (1929–2015) – Slovenian songwriter, the founder of Ansambel bratov Avsenik
- Ramon Ayala (born 1945) – Mexican accordionist, composer
- Nick Ariondo (born 1949) – American accordionist, composer
B
[edit]- Alan Bern (born 1955) – member of the Klezmer band Brave Old World
- Bratko Bibič (born 1957) – Slovene accordionist
- Ronald Binge (1910–1979) – British accordionist and member of the Mantovani Orchestra
- Gary Blair (born 1945) - Scottish Accordionist Classical, Folk, Continental
- Renato Borghetti (born 1963) – Brazilian musician
- Franko Božac (born 1974) – Croatian classical and concert accordionist
- Jeffery Broussard (born 1967) – American zydeco musician
- Smiley Burnette (1911–1967) – American accordionist
C
[edit]- Manuela Josefa Cabrera (born 1943) - Dominican merengue accordionist
- Carmen Carrozza (1921–2013) – classical and concert accordionist
- Nico Carstens (1926–2016) – South African accordionist and songwriter, composer of the hit song "Zambezi"
- Boozoo Chavis (1930–2001) – American zydeco musician
- Clifton Chenier (1925–1987) – American zydeco musician
- Dick Contino (1930–2017) – appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show a record 48 times
- Gianni Coscia (born 1931) – jazz accordionist
- Charles Thomas Cozens (born 1952) – Canadian classical and classical crossover accordionist
- James Crabb (born 1967) – Scottish classical accordion player
- Egidio Cuadrado (1953–2024) – Colombian Vallenato accordionist
- Phil Cunningham (born 1974) – Scottish folk accordionist
- Andy Cutting (born 1969) – English folk accordionist
D
[edit]- Jackie Daly (born 1945) – Irish traditional musician
- Robert Davine (1924-2001) - Professor of Accordion & Music Theory - University of Denver: Lamont School of Music[1]
- Pietro Deiro (1888–1954) – pioneer of the accordion
- Geno Delafose (born 1971) – American zydeco musician
- John Delafose (1939–1994) – American zydeco musician
- Vladimir Denissenkov (born 1956) – Russian Bayan
- Dennis DeYoung (born 1947) – American member of Styx, played on "Boat on the River"
- Orlando DiGirolamo (1924–1998), American
- Wolfgang Dimetrik (born 1974), Austrian
- Henry Doktorski (born 1956) – American classical and concert accordionist
- Dominguinhos (1941–2013) – Brazilian music
- Wilf Doyle (1925–2012) – traditional musician from Newfoundland
- Alejo Durán (1919–1989) – Colombian Vallenato accordionist, singer, composer
- Finbarr Dwyer (1946–2014) – Irish traditional musician
E
[edit]- Mogens Ellegaard (1935–1995) – father of the avant-garde accordion movement
- Jack Emblow (born 1930) – with Cliff Adams Singers
- Keith Emerson (1944–2016)
- John Evan (born 1948) – of Jethro Tull
F
[edit]- Joe Falcon (1900–1965) – Cajun accordion player who recorded with his wife Cléoma Breaux, mainly in French
- Jeff Fatt (born 1953) – member of The Wiggles
- James Fearnley (born 1954) – member of The Pogues
- Myron Floren (1919–2005)
- Connie Francis (born 1937)
- Preston Frank (born 1947) – American zydeco musician
- Keith Frank (born 1972) – American zydeco musician
- Dominic Frontiere (1931–2017)
- Pietro Frosini (1885–1951)
G
[edit]- Benny Gallagher (born 1945) – Scottish singer-songwriter; member of Gallagher and Lyle, McGuinness Flint and Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance
- Anthony Galla-Rini (1904–2006) – American accordionist, arranger, composer, conductor, author and teacher
- Richard Galliano (born 1950) – French jazz accordionist
- Krency Garcia – Dominican merengue tipico accordionist, better known as El Prodigio
- Régis Gizavo (1959–2017) – accordionist from Madagascar
- Luiz Gonzaga (1912–1989) – the King of Baião
- Martin Green (born 1980) – English composer and accordionist, member of the folk trio Lau
- Josh Groban (born 1981) – learned the accordion to play the role of Pierre Bezukhov in the musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
- Michael Guerra (born 1981) – member of The Mavericks
- Alfredo Gutiérrez (born 1940) – Colombian Vallenato musician
H
[edit]- Joe Hall – American la la and Cajun musician
- Frode Haltli (born 1975) – Norwegian accordionist
- Daniel Handler (born 1970), aka Lemony Snicket
- Rolf Harris (1930–2023)
- Kevin Hearn (born 1969) – zydeco musician of Barenaked Ladies
- Tatico Henríquez (1943–1976) – Dominican Merengue típico accordionist
- Matt Hensley – of Flogging Molly
- Harry Hibbs (1942–1989) – Canadian musician
- David Hidalgo (born 1954) – member of Los Lobos
- Lars Hollmer (1948–2008) – Swedish accordionist
- Bruce Hornsby (born 1954)
- Nihad Hrustanbegovic (born 1973)
- Alexander Hrustevich (born 1983) - Ukrainian bayanist
- Garth Hudson (born 1937) – member of The Band
- Rob Hyman (born 1950) – member of The Hooters
I
[edit]- Gary Innes (born 1980) – member of Scottish group Mànran
J
[edit]- Bengan Janson (born 1963) – Swedish jazz- and folk music player
- Ryan Jarman (born 1980) – member of The Cribs
- Jean-Michel Jarre (born 1948)
- Flaco Jiménez (born 1939)
- Santiago Jiménez Jr. (born 1944)
- Beau Jocque (1953–1999) – zydeco musician
- Billy Joel (born 1949)
- Pete Jolly (1932–2004) – American jazz pianist and accordionist
- Brian Jones (1942–1969) – member of The Rolling Stones
- Steve Jordan (1939–2010)
- Tyler Joseph (born 1988) – lead singer of Twenty One Pilots
- Kepa Junkera (born 1965) – Basque musician and composer
K
[edit]- Boris Karlov (1924–1964) – Bulgarian accordionist, born in Sofia into a Romani family.
- James Keane (born 1948) – Irish traditional musician
- John Kirkpatrick (born 1947)
- Guy Klucevsek (born 1947) – American musician and composer
- Yasuhiro Kobayashi (born 1959)
L
[edit]- Gabby La La (born 1979)
- Isidro Larrañaga (died 2022)[2]
- Lead Belly (1889–1949) – American folk and blues musician
- Don Lee (1930–2015) – musician who had the 1957 hit "ECHO, Echo echo"
- Yuri Lemeshev (born 1954) – member of Gogol Bordello
- John Linnell (born 1959) – member of They Might Be Giants
- Nils Lofgren (born 1951)
- Radoslav Lorković (born 1958) – Croatian pianist and accordionist
- Todd Lumley (born 1968)
- Ramon Ayala (born 1928)
M
[edit]- Charles Magnante (1905–1986) – pioneer of the accordion
- Frank Marocco (1931–2012) – jazz accordionist
- Mat Mathews (1924–2009) – Dutch jazz accordionist
- Bear McCreary (born 1979) – American film composer
- Loreena McKennitt (born 1957) – Canadian musician, composer, harpist, accordionist and pianist
- Johnny Meijer (1912–1992) – Dutch jazz accordionist
- Dionisio Mejia (1911–1978) – Dominican merengue tipico accordionist, better known as Guandulito
- Colacho Mendoza (1936–2003) – Colombian Vallenato accordionist
- Lisandro Meza (1937–2023) – Colombian musician
- Andrew Micallef (born 1969) – Maltese chromatic button accordionist
- Alessandra Mignacca (born c.1977/78) – Italian accordion player, teacher
- Joey Miskulin (born 1949) American accordionist, also member of western music and comedy group Riders in the Sky
- Brian Mitchell – member of Fatboy Kanootch, Levon Helm Band
- Aniceto Molina (1939–2015) – Colombian musician
- Bonifacio Mauricio III (born 1966) Tejano/Conjunto
N
[edit]- Maria Ney (1890–1959/61) – German cabaret performer
- Franz Nicolay (born 1977) – member of The World/Inferno Friendship Society
- Krist Novoselic (born 1965) – bassist in Nirvana
O
[edit]- Pauline Oliveros (1932–2016) – avant garde performer
- Walter Ostanek (born 1935)
P
[edit]- Nejc Pačnik (born 1990) – Slovenian accordionist, twice accordion world-champion and accordion teacher
- Esa Pakarinen (1911–1989) – Finnish accordionist and actor
- Willard A. "Bill" Palmer (1917–1996) – inventor of the quint system which was later patented by Titano as used in their line of "converter" (or "quint") bass accordions
- Zeena Parkins (born 1956) – American accordionist
- Van Dyke Parks (born 1943) – composer, arranger, and accordionist
- Don Peachey (born 1933) – American musician and recording artist
- Cory Pesaturo (born 1986) – eclectic accordionist
- Debra Peters (born 1956) - American accordionist, educator, promoter
- Joseph Petric (born 1952) – Canadian concert accordionist
- Celso Piña (1953–2019) – cumbia musician
- Kimmo Pohjonen (born 1964) – experimental Finnish accordionist
R
[edit]- Matti Rantanen (born 1952) – classical accordionist
- Juancho Rois (1958–1994) – Colombian Vallenato musician
- Israel Romero (born 1954) – Colombian Vallenato musician
- Saul Rose (born 1973) – English melodeon player
- Roberto Ruscitti (born 1941) – Venezuelan accordionist
S
[edit]- Johnny Sansone (born 1957)
- William Schimmel (born 1946) – accordionist, composer and philosopher
- John Serry Sr. (1915-2003) – classical and concert accordionist, free-bass accordionist
- Alexander Sevastian (1976–2018) – Russian-Canadian classical, concert, and classical crossover accordionist
- Jimmy Shand (1908–2000) – Scottish accordionist, made famous by his unique Scottish Country Dance Band and popularity for dances.
- Sharon Shannon (born 1968) – Irish accordionist
- Sivuca (1930–2006) – Brazilian musician
- Chango Spasiuk (born 1968) – Argentine folk musician of Ukrainian descent
- John Spiers (born 1975) – English melodeon player
- Will Starr (1922–1976) – Scottish accordionist, technically a genius and a true master of the button key accordion, famous for his expertise at playing every genre of music. Described as the true "Master of the Button Key Accordion"
T
[edit]- Natalia Tena (born 1984)
- Judy Tenuta comedienne (born 1949)
- Matt Thiessen (born 1980) – member of Relient K
- Yann Tiersen (born 1970) – French composer and multi-instrumentalist
- Aslan Tlebzu (born 1981) – Adyghe folk musician
- Lee Tomboulian (born 1960)
- Arthur Tracy (1899–1997) – American accordionist and ballad singer
- Karen Tweed (born 1963)
U
[edit]- Brendon Urie (born 1987) – member of Panic! at the Disco
V
[edit]- Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir (born 1982)
- Art Van Damme (1920–2010)
- Tim Van Eyken (born 1978)
- Mika Väyrynen (born 1967)
- Eddie Vedder (born 1964) – member of Pearl Jam
- Aníbal Velásquez (born 1936) – Colombian Vallenato musician
- Julieta Venegas (born 1970)
- Travis Vengroff (born 1987) – member of Random Encounter
- Emir Vildić (born 1984) – Bosnian accordionist and accordion teacher
- Gus Viseur (1915–1974) – French accordionist
W
[edit]- Cedric Watson (born 1983) – American Creole musician
- Jason Webley (born 1974) – American musician
- Lawrence Welk (1903–1992)
- Martin White – British cover artist
- Minnie White (1916-2001) – Newfoundland's "First Lady of the Accordion"
- Wix Wickens (born 1956)
- Bill Wilkie (1922–2017)
- Gwenda Wilkin (1933–2020)
- Dave Willey (born 1963)
- Patrick Wolf (born 1983)
- Richard Wright (1943–2008) – member of Pink Floyd
Y
[edit]- Frankie Yankovic (1915–1998) – polka musician
- "Weird Al" Yankovic (born 1959) – song parodist, comedian
- Max Yankowitz (1875–1945) - klezmer musician
Z
[edit]- Jimmy Zambrano (born 1966) – Colombian Vallenato accordionist
- Joe Zawinul (1932–2007)
- Vladislav Zolotaryov (1942–1975)
- Emiliano Zuleta (1912–2005) – Colombian Vallenato accordionist, composer
See also
[edit]
- List of banjo players
- List of cellists
- List of didgeridoo players
- List of euphonium players
- List of flautists
- List of guitarists
- List of harmonicists
References
[edit]- ^ Robert Davine Obituary on accordions.com
- ^ Vasco, El Diario (2022-12-22). "Tolosa: Adiós sentido al acordeonista tolosarra Isidro Larrañaga". El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-08.