Matti Rantanen

The accordion belongs to a huge worldwide family: the Basque country’s trikitixa, the Malagasy sound of the late Régis Gizavo, the bandoneón music of Astor Piazzolla, iconic French café music or American Cajun music – the list is endless. But isn’t the accordion also the voice of Finnish tradition? In this world of ever-developing technology, downloading and social media, does the accordion still have a place?

The accordion can do lots of things, but few perceive it as an instrument for performing classical music. Yet the classical accordion class at the Sibelius Academy celebrated its 40th anniversary in March 2018. Accordionist Mika Väyrynen reflected on the popularity of the programme.