Although Henry Doktorski (b. 1956) is an accomplished pianist, organist, conductor, composer, educator and author, he is best known as one of the leading concert accordionists in the United States and a recognized figure in international classical accordion circles.

The first-place winner of the 1990 American Accordion Musicological Society's Virtuoso Solo Competition, he has performed with cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, violinist Itzhak Perlman, with conductors John Williams, Lorin Maazel, John Adams and Reinbert de Leeuw, and with orchestras such as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble and the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra.

Doktorski was the featured artist with the Pittsburgh Chamber Orchestra on the Alanna Records compact disc: A Classical Christmas, which is regularly broadcast by classical radio stations throughout the United States and Canada. He has had articles and letters printed in diverse publications ranging from the scholarly journal Music Theory -- Explorations and Applications to the trendy pop music magazine Rolling Stone; from the new-age journal Uzubuh to the Danish accordion magazine Harmonikacentret.

Doktorski has taught music classes for Duquesne University's School of Music and the State of West Virginia's public school system. He has completed a B.A. degree with a double major in piano performance and music education, and a M.M. degree in composition from Duquesne University's Graduate School of Music.

My own introduction to the accordion was typical for my generation: the year was 1963; the place -- a middle-class suburban town in central New Jersey. I was seven years old, reading at the desk in my bedroom when a sudden loud knocking on the front door interrupted my concentration: a traveling salesman. My mother stopped working in the kitchen and greeted the caller, who spoke briefly to her. I overhead my mother's reply, "Yes, perhaps my eldest son. . . ." She called for my father and then for me, but I hesitated, being extremely shy of strangers. After a few moments, my father -- in a very loud voice -- called out my name and I quickly ran into the den, where the three adults were sitting on the couch.

My mother said, "This man is giving free musical aptitude tests for children and I want you to try it." The man played a few notes on a small set of orchestra bells and asked me whether the pitches were high or low. Then he played a simple tune, handed me the mallets and asked me to repeat it. After my attempt, the man enthusiastically exclaimed, "Your son has definite talent! You should enroll him in my music school; and if you sign up today, the first lesson is free!"

My parents both enjoyed music. My mother played violin as a child, and she and my father enjoyed listening to 33 rpm records of Polish koledy (traditional carols) during the Christmas season. The man asked what instrument they wanted me to play. My parents asked him, "What instruments do you teach?"

"Piano," he said, and my parents shook their heads, "No."
"Guitar," he continued, and they replied, "No."
"Trumpet," -- "No."
"Saxophone," -- "No."
"Drums," -- "Definitely NO!"

But when he said, "Accordion," my parents looked at each other for a moment, smiled and nodded, "Yes!"


Young Accordionist (East Brunswick, New Jersey: ca. 1965)

This was my introduction to the world of musical performance. I learned ethnic music and jazz standards, and became somewhat of a prodigy, but after discovering classical music in high school, I abandoned the accordion for serious piano studies. How could I continue to play polkas and waltzes after developing a taste for Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Brahms? In a few years, I was good enough to get a scholarship as a piano major in a small mid-western private college.

It was not until years later, in 1988, while serving as organist and choir director for a religious community in West Virginia, that I was forced to pick up the accordion again, against my will! The abbot had heard from one of the monks that I played the instrument and he requested that I bring it during the daily evening services, "just to liven things up a bit." At first I resisted, but then, after some persuasion, I agreed to try it, "just once." The accordion was a big hit and several of the monks asked me to teach them how to play.

The City of God Accordion Ensemble (Limestone, West Virginia: 1989)

A week or two later, I was sent to New York City to purchase instruments for our new accordion ensemble, and it was there that I discovered the classical accordion sub-culture. At one of the largest dealer's showrooms, I noticed a photocopied newspaper article tacked up on a bulletin board which included a picture of a dozen or so accordionists dressed in tuxedoes. The caption read, " The Westmont Philharmonia Accordion Orchestra, from Haddon Township New Jersey," and the article mentioned that the group performed pieces by Bach, Vivaldi, Rossini, Dvorak, and several Russian composers whose names I did not recognize.

The Westmont Philharmonia Accordion Orchestra (Haddon Township, New Jersey)

I was fascinated, for never before had I heard of an accordion orchestra, much less one that specialized in classical music! However, when I asked the proprietor about the classical accordion group, he refused to tell me anything about them, because, I believe, he was afraid that I might purchase my accordions from them instead of from him. Undaunted, I mentally made a note of the name of the orchestra and returned to West Virginia.

After arriving home, I tried to find their phone number, but the directory assistance operator could not find a listing for the Westmont Philharmonia Accordion Orchestra, nor could she find anything under the word 'accordion' in Haddon Township, New Jersey. I became discouraged. Finally, after a long pause, she exclaimed, "Wait a minute! Try this number for the Acme Accordion School." After dialing long-distance, I was introduced to Stanley Darrow, the director of the music school and the conductor of the orchestra.

This was the roundabout way that I discovered the fascinating world of the classical accordion and its family: the concertina, harmonium, harmonica, bandoneon and bayan. The adventure has been great revelation for me."

Doktorski performing with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra,
cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and conductor Lorin Maazel.
(Pittsburgh, Pennsylania: May 1996)