Cory Pesaturo
Encyclopedia
Cory Pesaturo is an American
musician from Rhode Island
. Pesaturo is an accordion
player, who also plays the piano
, clarinet
, and saxophone
. He began playing at the age of nine, and in 2002, became the youngest person to win the National Accordion Championship. He most recently won the 2011 Primus Ikaalinen World Championship, broadcast on National TV, and was the first American contestant. Additionally, Pesaturo won the Coupe Mondiale World Digital Accordion Championship in Auckland, New Zealand, and became the first American to win a World Accordion Championship since Peter Soave 25 years ago. In June 2009, he won the Leavenworth International Championship, and International Jazz Championship. Pesaturo performed in 5 different continents during 2009; some countries included Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Tunisia and Japan. Cory is now the very first accordionist in history to win a World Championship on both acoustic and electronic accordion.
After Graduating from Cumberland High School, he was accepted on the accordion at the New England Conservatory of Music
in Boston, MA
where he studied Contemporary Improvisation
and a variety of music styles, including Italian
and French folk music
, Bulgarian
and Jewish music
, Classical music
and Jazz
. He became the second person to major in and graduate as an accordionist at the New England Conservatory.
Pesaturo performs live, playing the accordion, piano, clarinet and saxophone. His past performances have included filling in for an ill Myron Floren
, the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show
at the age of 12, performing on four occasions at the White House
, and playing at six other public events and private functions for President Bill Clinton
and Hillary Clinton. In 1999 he performed at a State dinner
held for the President of Hungary.
In 2008, Roland
named Pesaturo as part of their team of four American accordionists which will promote Roland's V-Accordion
to try and bring the accordion itself back to its former fame. Pesaturo performed for Roland at the Music Trade show NAMM in 2009 and was featured with Eddie Montiero , backed by pianist Rick DePiro
and drummer Mike Snyder in a Concert for international press and NAMM dignitaries . Pesaturo has also performed with different symphony orchestras around the country, including the Brockton Symphony Orchestra in 2003.
Pesaturo is also heavily involved with meteorology, even though he holds no formal meteorological qualifications. He has compiled statistics for weather events such as what occurred in the Mid-Atlantic during the 2009-2010 winter. He also compiled the lists of records set by the hurricane seasons of 2005, 2007, and 2008.
His music has been played for various Formula 1 races on SPEED TV starting in 2007, on the Velocity (TV channel) program "Chasing Classic Cars", and also at various Concours around the United States ranging from the Newport Concours d'Elegance
and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician from Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. Pesaturo is an accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
player, who also plays the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. He began playing at the age of nine, and in 2002, became the youngest person to win the National Accordion Championship. He most recently won the 2011 Primus Ikaalinen World Championship, broadcast on National TV, and was the first American contestant. Additionally, Pesaturo won the Coupe Mondiale World Digital Accordion Championship in Auckland, New Zealand, and became the first American to win a World Accordion Championship since Peter Soave 25 years ago. In June 2009, he won the Leavenworth International Championship, and International Jazz Championship. Pesaturo performed in 5 different continents during 2009; some countries included Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Tunisia and Japan. Cory is now the very first accordionist in history to win a World Championship on both acoustic and electronic accordion.
After Graduating from Cumberland High School, he was accepted on the accordion at the New England Conservatory of Music
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...
in Boston, MA
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
where he studied Contemporary Improvisation
Third stream
Third Stream is a term coined in 1957 by composer Gunther Schuller, within a lecture at Brandeis University, to describe a musical genre which is a synthesis of classical music and jazz...
and a variety of music styles, including Italian
Italian folk music
Italian folk music has a deep and complex history. National unification came quite late to the Italian peninsula, so its many hundreds of separate cultures remained un-homogenized until quite recently compared to many other European countries...
and French folk music
French folk music
As Europe experienced a wave of roots revivals in the 1950s and 60s, France found its regional culture reviving traditional music. Brittany, Limousin, Gascony, Corsica and Auvergne were among the regions that experienced a notable resurgence in the popularity of folk music...
, Bulgarian
Music of Bulgaria
The music of Bulgaria refers to all forms of music associated with Bulgaria like classical, folk, popular music, etc. Bulgarian music is part of the Balkan tradition, which stretches across Southeastern Europe, and has its own distinctive sound...
and Jewish music
Klezmer
Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
, Classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. He became the second person to major in and graduate as an accordionist at the New England Conservatory.
Pesaturo performs live, playing the accordion, piano, clarinet and saxophone. His past performances have included filling in for an ill Myron Floren
Myron Floren
Myron Floren was an American musician best known as the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show between 1950 and 1982...
, the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years , then nationally for another 27 years via the ABC network and first-run syndication .In the years since first-run syndication...
at the age of 12, performing on four occasions at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, and playing at six other public events and private functions for President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and Hillary Clinton. In 1999 he performed at a State dinner
State dinner
A state dinner is a dinner or banquet paid by a government and hosted by a head of state in his or her official residence in order to renew and celebrate diplomatic ties between the host country and the country of a foreign head of state or head of government who was issued an invitation. In many...
held for the President of Hungary.
In 2008, Roland
Roland Corporation
is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
named Pesaturo as part of their team of four American accordionists which will promote Roland's V-Accordion
Roland Virtual Accordion
The Roland Virtual Accordion is the world's first electronic instrument to use Physical Behaviour Modelling to simulate a wide range of acoustic instruments, including many musettes, bandoneon, concertina, and other ethnic accordions and melodeons...
to try and bring the accordion itself back to its former fame. Pesaturo performed for Roland at the Music Trade show NAMM in 2009 and was featured with Eddie Montiero , backed by pianist Rick DePiro
Rick DePiro
Rick DePiro, who is known by his stage name Ricky Dee, is an American Country singer-songwriter, notable and award winning jazz pianist, and popular/ jazz organist, and a music producer who has recorded and produced over twenty-five albums...
and drummer Mike Snyder in a Concert for international press and NAMM dignitaries . Pesaturo has also performed with different symphony orchestras around the country, including the Brockton Symphony Orchestra in 2003.
Pesaturo is also heavily involved with meteorology, even though he holds no formal meteorological qualifications. He has compiled statistics for weather events such as what occurred in the Mid-Atlantic during the 2009-2010 winter. He also compiled the lists of records set by the hurricane seasons of 2005, 2007, and 2008.
His music has been played for various Formula 1 races on SPEED TV starting in 2007, on the Velocity (TV channel) program "Chasing Classic Cars", and also at various Concours around the United States ranging from the Newport Concours d'Elegance
Newport Concours d'Elegance
The Newport Concours d'Elegance is a Classic Car exposition founded in 2006 by partners Mark Hurwitz and John W. Lyons . This event invites very significant automobiles to be displayed for the general public to enjoy. The event is produced to raise money for charity...
and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is an automotive charitable event held each year on the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California, considered the most prestigious event of its kind. It is the finale of a week long festival of classic cars events in the Monterey area every year...
.