List of accordionists

This is an alphabetized list of notable accordionists who have their own main articles or belong to a notable band.

A

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 1928)
Ramon Ayala (born 1945) – Mexican accordionist, composer
Nick Ariondo (born 1949) – American accordionist, composer

B

Quim Barreiros (born 1947) – Portuguese accordionist and Pimba songwriter
Louie Bashell (1914–2008) – American polka musician
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
Roger Bright (1937–2001) – American polka musician
Jeffery Broussard (born 1967) – American zydeco musician
Smiley Burnette (1911–1967) – American accordionist

C

Carl Jularbo (1893-1966) - Swedish accordionist and composer
Manuela Josefa Cabrera (born 1943) – Dominican merengue accordionist
Willi Carlisle (born 1989) – American folk and country musician
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
Larry Chesky (1933–2011) – American polka 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

Jackie Daly (born 1945) – Irish traditional musician
Robert Davine (1924–2001) – Professor of Accordion & Music Theory – University of Denver: Lamont School of Music
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
Stanley Dural Jr. (Buckwheat Zydeco) (1947–2016) – American zydeco musician
Alejo Durán (1919–1989) – Colombian Vallenato accordionist, singer, composer
Finbarr Dwyer (1946–2014) – Irish traditional musician

E

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

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
Carl Finch (born 1951) – accordionist with the American polka fusion band Brave Combo
Myron Floren (1919–2005)
Connie Francis (1937-2025)
Preston Frank (born 1947) – American zydeco musician
Keith Frank (born 1972) – American zydeco musician
Dominic Frontiere (1931–2017)
Pietro Frosini (1885–1951)

G

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 1943) – Colombian Vallenato musician

H

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)
Garth Hudson (born 1937) – member of The Band
Rob Hyman (born 1950) – member of The Hooters

I

Gary Innes (born 1980) – member of Scottish group Mànran

J

Walter "Li'l Wally" Jagiello (1930–2006) – Polish-American polka musician
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

Boris Karlov (1924–1964) – Bulgarian accordionist, born in Sofia into a Romani family.
James Keane (born 1948) – Irish traditional musician
Jimmy Keane
John Kirkpatrick (born 1947)
Guy Klucevsek (born 1947) – American musician and composer
Yasuhiro Kobayashi (born 1959)
Jonas Kocher (born 1977)
Julian Koster (born 1972) – Neutral Milk Hotel

L

Gabby La La (born 1979)
Andrés Landero (1932–2000) – cumbia accordionist, singer, composer
Isidro Larrañaga (died 2022)
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)

M

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
Verne Meisner (1938–2005) – American polka musician
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

N

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

Pauline Oliveros (1932–2016) – avant garde performer and composer
Walter Ostanek (born 1935)
Vladimir Oidupaa (1949-2013)

P

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
Joseph Petric (born 1952) – Canadian concert accordionist
Celso Piña (1953–2019) – cumbia musician
Kimmo Pohjonen (born 1964) – experimental Finnish accordionist

R

Matti Rantanen (born 1952) – classical accordionist
Juancho Rois (1958–1994) – Colombian Vallenato musician
Israel Romero (born 1955) – Colombian Vallenato musician
Saul Rose (born 1973) – English melodeon player
Roberto Ruscitti (born 1941) – Venezuelan accordionist

S

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

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
Lee Tomboulian (born 1960)
Arthur Tracy (1899–1997) – American accordionist and ballad singer
Viola Turpeinen (1909–1958) – Finnish-American polka musician
Karen Tweed (born 1963)

U

Brendon Urie (born 1987) – member of Panic! at the Disco

V

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

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

List of accordionists

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

See also

References