Cory Pesaturo
Cory Pesaturo (“C Pez”) is revolutionizing the Accordion. The only person to ever win the trio of World Championships on Acoustic, Digital & Jazz Accordion, and the only Accordion graduate of the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. In 2017, Pesaturo became a Guinness World Record Holder, as RedBull® flew him to Austria to break the Marathon Accordion Record, in which Cory played for over 32 hours. His performances at all 3 of his World Championships were played on accordions that were not his, and were generally 90% improvised; both aspects being unheard of in the accordion world. Cory has given 2 TED Talk’s, an EG Talk, and 2 Google Talk’s about the accordion, its history, and place in music.
Pesaturo's extensive resumé includes appearances at the White House for President and Mrs. Clinton on 4 different occasions, starting at age 12, and 8 other appearances for the Clintons since 2000. On one of those occasions, he became the youngest person to ever perform at a State Dinner, that for the President of Hungary. Some TV appearances include the Late Show with David Letterman, performing with Johnny Depp, and nationally televised programs in New Zealand, Canada, Italy, Tunisia, France, and Finland. On an NYC broadcast, CNBC/FOX host Maria Bartiromo once said “No one is currently doing more for the Accordion than Cory”. He has judged accordion competitions across 6 continents, in addition to other music competitions, and currently gives masterclasses at various universities throughout the US and Europe on Accordion and Improvisation. His iconic flamed & lighted accordion is so known it was used as the logo for the 2018 Cotati Accordion Festival, the biggest in the continent.
For his Classical side which is lesser known, a win in a concerto competition at 16 years old gave Pesaturo the rare opportunity to perform with the Brockton Symphony Orchestra as a featured soloist, where he became the youngest accordionist to ever solo with a symphony orchestra in the US. The instrument's most famous legend in the US, Dick Contino, said of Cory when he was only 15, “Of all the accordionists I’ve seen over the years, Cory is the one to pass the torch to, the only one who has all the tools to bring the accordion back to its former glory.” Guido Deiro’s son, the “Father of Piano Accordion”, has stated “I’ve worried greatly about the future of the accordion since my father died, but not anymore, not since seeing & hearing Cory.”
Pesaturo is also heavily involved and respected with the weather and motor sports worlds as well. He composed the Official list of records set by the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, and has done reports on Winter Seasons for the US which have been featured on Accuweather.com and others. In sports, he has written sports blogs for sites like Bleacher Report, and has collaborated with members of the Red Sox. His music has been played on Formula 1 broadcasts on NBC, FOX, and Velocity, and additionally has an ongoing musical relationship with 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston.