Carmen Carrozza
Encyclopedia
Carmen Carrozza was one of America's premiere concert accordionists, before he retired from performing after suffering a stroke. He was born in the village of Solano Reggio di Calabria, Calabria
, Italy
in 1921 and emigrated to America with his family at age 9, settling in the "Golden House" in Chappaqua, New York
. He played piano
and violin
, but soon became enamored with the accordion
's flexibility, how it could fit perfectly into an orchestra or sound like an orchestra itself.
Carrozza studied under Pietro Deiro
who was one of the pioneers of the accordion in the United States. He has appeared as soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra
, under the direction of Arthur Fiedler
, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
, and the National Symphony Orchestra (United States) at Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.). He has also appeared with the New York Philharmonic
under the direction of Andre Kostelanetz
, premiering the "Rubaiyat", written by Alan Hovhaness
and narrated by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
in Washington D.C. and for former NYC Mayor John Lindsay
in New York. He has concertized throughout Europe and was presented with a gold medal in Italy after an outstanding performance at the Teatro di Pavia. One of the high points in Mr. Carrozza's distinguished career was a concert in The Town Hall
in New York City where he performed all original accordion works by many outstanding American composers including Robert Russell Bennett
, Paul Creston
, Virgil Thompson
and many others.
Carrozza retired from touring in the 1980s, but in the summer of 1994 he was called back to the road, playing three weeks of festivals with Jörgen Sundeqvist
in Sweden
. He was surprised they knew so much about him. "They had music I wrote when I was knee-high and recordings I had forgotten about myself."
Carrozza is past president of the American Accordionists Association (AAA), a national organization dedicated to the development of the accordion. He continues to promote the accordion through educational workshops at schools, college and private music studios. In addition, he is the former director of the Northern Westchester School of Yorktown. Much has been written about the unique artistry of Carmen Carrozza but one critic established the position in the world of the classical accordionist when he wrote "the violin had its Paganini, the piano its Chopin, the accordion its Carrozza".
Carrozza resides in Thornwood, New York
with his wife Jean. He has two grown children, Carmen and Marianne.
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1921 and emigrated to America with his family at age 9, settling in the "Golden House" in Chappaqua, New York
Chappaqua, New York
Chappaqua is a hamlet and census-designated place in northern Westchester County, New York. As of the 2010 census, following a major revision to the delineation of its boundaries by the Census Bureau, the population was 1,436...
. He played 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...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, but soon became enamored with the 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....
's flexibility, how it could fit perfectly into an orchestra or sound like an orchestra itself.
Carrozza studied under Pietro Deiro
Pietro Deiro
Pietro Deiro was one of the most influential accordionists of the first half of the 20th century. Born in Salto Canavese, Italy, the younger brother of Guido Deiro, he emigrated to the United States in 1907 to live with his Uncle Frederico and work in the coal mines of Cle Elum, Washington.Pietro...
who was one of the pioneers of the accordion in the United States. He has appeared as soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
, under the direction of Arthur Fiedler
Arthur Fiedler
Arthur Fiedler was a long-time conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, a symphony orchestra that specializes in popular and light classical music. With a combination of musicianship and showmanship, he made the Boston Pops one of the best-known orchestras in the country...
, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
As the fifth oldest orchestra in the United States, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has a legacy of fine music making as reflected in its performances in historic Music Hall, recordings, and international tours...
, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra located in Buffalo, New York. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Its regular concert season features gala concerts, classics programming of core repertoire, Pops...
, and the National Symphony Orchestra (United States) at Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.). He has also appeared with the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
under the direction of Andre Kostelanetz
Andre Kostelanetz
André Kostelanetz was a popular orchestral music conductor and arranger, one of the pioneers of easy listening music.-Biography:...
, premiering the "Rubaiyat", written by Alan Hovhaness
Alan Hovhaness
Alan Hovhaness was an Armenian-American composer.His music is accessible to the lay listener and often evokes a mood of mystery or contemplation...
and narrated by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Douglas Elton Fairbanks, Jr. KBE was an American actor and a highly decorated naval officer of World War II.-Early life:...
in Washington D.C. and for former NYC Mayor John Lindsay
John Lindsay
John Vliet Lindsay was an American politician, lawyer and broadcaster who was a U.S. Congressman, Mayor of New York City, candidate for U.S...
in New York. He has concertized throughout Europe and was presented with a gold medal in Italy after an outstanding performance at the Teatro di Pavia. One of the high points in Mr. Carrozza's distinguished career was a concert in The Town Hall
The Town Hall
The Town Hall is a performance space, located at 123 West 43rd Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, in New York City. It seats approximately 1,500 people.-History:...
in New York City where he performed all original accordion works by many outstanding American composers including Robert Russell Bennett
Robert Russell Bennett
Robert Russell Bennett was an American composer and arranger, best known for his orchestration of many well-known Broadway and Hollywood musicals by other composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers. In 1957 and 2008, Bennett received Tony Awards...
, Paul Creston
Paul Creston
Paul Creston was an Italian American composer of classical music.Born in New York City to Sicilian immigrants, Creston was self‐taught as a composer. He was an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity, initiated into the national honorary Alpha Alpha chapter...
, Virgil Thompson
Virgil Thompson
Virgil Thompson is an American author. Her first published novel was the 2002 crime drama Final Things: A Novel of Suspense. She lives in Connecticut.-Bibliography:...
and many others.
Carrozza retired from touring in the 1980s, but in the summer of 1994 he was called back to the road, playing three weeks of festivals with Jörgen Sundeqvist
Jörgen Sundeqvist
Jörgen Sundeqvist, born 1962, is a Swedish Accordionist. He toured the USA and Great Britain in 2006 with Øivind Farmen.- References :...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. He was surprised they knew so much about him. "They had music I wrote when I was knee-high and recordings I had forgotten about myself."
Carrozza is past president of the American Accordionists Association (AAA), a national organization dedicated to the development of the accordion. He continues to promote the accordion through educational workshops at schools, college and private music studios. In addition, he is the former director of the Northern Westchester School of Yorktown. Much has been written about the unique artistry of Carmen Carrozza but one critic established the position in the world of the classical accordionist when he wrote "the violin had its Paganini, the piano its Chopin, the accordion its Carrozza".
Carrozza resides in Thornwood, New York
Thornwood, New York
Thornwood is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York. The population was 3,759 at the 2010 census.-History:...
with his wife Jean. He has two grown children, Carmen and Marianne.