top of page

WORKSHOPS

LIAC 2025  Workshop Information

in process of being updated

SIGN-UP - Click Here 


FOR COPY OF WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS - Click Here 
 

FOR COPY OF WORKSHOP SUMMARY - Click Here

​

Con-MattTolentinob.JPG
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.

Con-HankThunander.jpg
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.

Con-BenThomas.jpg

Ben Thomas

​

The Ben Thomas Tango Project explores tango from its early years as traditional dance music to the modern era with the influence of jazz and classical music. With Eric Likkel on clarinet and Josie Zocco on piano, the group features rhythmic whirlwinds, gorgeous melodies, and fiery improvisations.

​

Seattle based percussionist/bandoneonist/composer Ben Thomas started playing bandoneon in 2006, traveling to Argentina and working with tango musicians from across the world. He tours regularly with the Atlas Tango Project and can be heard on their most recent album, “Estaciones y Sueños”. He was a guest artist with the Eugene Opera in 2018 as the bandoneon soloist for Piazzolla’s “Maria de Buenos Aires”. Thomas has released five albums of original music on Origin Records, spanning jazz, chamber music, and tango..

liac28.jpg
Cooksie Kramer
​

Cooksie Kaserzon Kramer (A.T.C.L.  L.T.C.L.  A.B.C.A.  L.B.C.A.) is originally from South Africa. Cooksie opened and ran the largest Music Studio in Johannesburg with three Accordion Orchestras, Junior, Intermediate and Advanced. Cooksie won the South African Accordion Championship and went to New York to represent South Africa and participate in the Coupe Mondiale in 1959 (check out her You-Tube Videos). She now resides in Kirkland, WA where she teaches Piano, Accordion and Organ. She is Leader and Conductor of the Northwest Accordionaires accordion orchestra. She is also the creator and President of the Eastside Jazz Club.

25PinLIAC 2025 Logo No background.png
TBA
​

Another workshop to be announced

nwaslogo2-300-Ken-final.jpg
See the workshop schedule link above

 

PLEASE THANK OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS
 
nwaslogo2016.gif

Northwest Accordion Society

logo.png

Tempo

Trend

petosa-200-logo.png

Petosa

Accordions 

LogoCityLeavenworth1.png

City of Leavenworth

LogoLVN_ChamberOfCommerceWhiteBkgrnd.jpg

Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce

LogoCalapristiBarb1.jpg

In Memory of

Frank Calapristi

from Barbara Calapristi

LogoFEN_website_logo_cdee7e956f.png

France Education Northwest

French American Chamber of Commerce Seattle-PNW 

chelancountywhitesm.png

Chelan County Washington

leck-logo-blue-blue2_4x-100.png

LECK Inc

Website Design

Andreas Keller_edited.png

Andreas Keller Restaurant

PB_Logo-2-1.png

Projekt

Bayern

Obertal.png

Obertal Inn

Das Copy Shipping

​

 

 

© 2024 Northwest Accordion Society

​

​

bottom of page