Why Composers Write for the Accordion: The Instrument in Today’s New-Music Scene

The classical accordion has become one of the most active instruments in contemporary music. Composers value its sustained sound, its range of colours and its extended techniques, and many accordionists commission and premiere new works every season.

What draws composers to the accordion

• Breath-like sound: the bellows shape notes like a voice or wind instrument.
• Microtonal and noise effects: bellows shakes, air sounds and percussive effects on the body of the instrument.
• Density: one player can hold clusters and multiple lines at once; two players double that.

A growing repertoire

Composers such as Sofia Gubaidulina and Zbigniew Bargielski helped establish the accordion in contemporary music. Today, a new generation writes for accordion duos in particular, often in close collaboration with the performers.

An example: Gemini Duo’s new-music work

Alongside orchestral transcriptions, Gemini Duo plays and premieres works by living composers, including:

Their repertoire also includes Gubaidulina’s Hell und Dunkel, Bargielski’s Gespräch mit einem Schatten and Staffan Mossenmark’s Calm Water & Hot Air. Because they perform from memory, staging and movement can become part of the piece.

Watch and explore

Watch their Bargielski performance video and see the new-music list.