About Joseph Macerollo
Joseph Macerollo, O.C. opened the door to acceptance of the concert accordion in Canada and around the world. A renowned performer, teacher and arts administrator, he pioneered acceptance of the concert accordion at the University of Toronto and Queen’s University in Canada and has achieved a rare status as an icon of the concert accordion internationally.
He has performed with Canada’s leading organizations such as the Toronto Symphony, Canada Opera Company, National Ballet of Canada, Winnipeg Orchestra, and chamber groups such as the Orford and Purcell Quartet who have now embraced the instrument. He toured with the acclaimed Quartetto Gelato for 4 years, Royal Canadian Air Farce for 6 years, performed with Luciano Pavarotti, The Three Tenors, Teresa Stratas and has accompanied live film concert performances such as Life of Pi, Ratatouille, Godfather and Lord of the Rings with Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Joseph opened the door for hundreds of commissions by Canadian composers with The Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and became the first instructor of accordion at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Faculty of Music University of Toronto and Queen’s University in Kingston. Hundreds of commissions have been written specifically for him including R. Murray Schafer’s La Testa d”Adriane (1977) and the Accordion Concerto (1993), Alexina Louie’s Refuge for Accordion, Harp (Erica Goodman) and Vibraphone (Bev Johnston) and Gary Kulesha’s commission for Accordion and Hannaford Street Silver Band.
His long-standing commitment to arts groups is evident in a multitude of positions he assumed working with Patria Music Theatre Projects, New Music Concerts, International Accordion Society, Toronto Musicians’ Association, Off Centre Music Salon and The Esprit Orchestra to name a few. He is founder of the International Accordion Society headquartered in Finland. His high standards secured him recognition of the Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes into UNESCO’s International Rostrum of Arts Organizations. His Accordion Resource Manual is a stepping-stone for research and a coveted resource tool throughout the world.
Joseph has given workshops throughout the world and was recognized in Moscow in 2005 with a silver disc for his high standards in accordion performance and pedagogy. In 2013, Joseph was awarded Officer of the Order of Canada for his pioneering achievements as an outstanding musician, educator and for bringing international recognition to the classical accordion.